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Hide File inside Google Drive like a Pro

You know you can Hide File inside Google Drive. Today in this article we are going to guide you how you can do with easy steps.

Introduction to the whole Story

The files that you have on your Google Drive are either private (meaning you can only see those files) or else some other users can see it depending on the access rights given.

But when we talk about folders, if we give an access right to a folder to a user. Then, in that case, the user also has automatically access to all the files inside that folder.

Now suppose that you want to give access to the folder to the user but you do not want to give access to one of the files present inside that folder.

So How can you do it? One easy way is to get the file out of that folder and then give the user access to that folder.

But do you know that there is a second way, with the help of which if the file is present inside the folder, we can save the file from access by the user?

Yes, it’s possible. Additionally, let you know that no add-ons or extensions are needed for this procedure. So let’s start.

What’s More Bro?

Do you know that you can keep separate versions of the same file in Google Drive? Even if you store a new version of a file in Google Drive, Google Drive keeps the old version of your file. So let’s tell you how you can hide a file inside Google Drive.

Note: Here, we are applying this method to the PDF file, but you can also do this with any type of files.

Steps to Hide File inside Google Drive

First of all, open your Google Drive account (you will need to go to drive.google.com to do this). Then upload the file you want to hide on your drive, wherever you wish.

Once the file is uploaded, right-click the file and select Manage Versions.

How to Hide File Inside Google Drive Snap 1

Now click on Upload New Version, then you will select one of the images behind which you want to hide your PDF file.

How to Hide File Inside Google Drive Snap 2

Now rename the original extension of your file from .pdf to .jpg.

How to Hide File Inside Google Drive Snap 3

Google Drive will automatically rename the file as well and you will also see the thumbnail there.

If anybody wants to open that file now, it will start previewing the image.

Note: Google Drive keeps your first version of the original file for 30 days, then deletes it. If you want to keep that file forever. Then again click on that file to select Manage Versions. Now, click on the 3 vertical dots which is present on the right of your original PDF file. There you have to select Keep forever option. This way your PDF file will forever be hiding behind a JPEG image.

Some other important things related to this trick.

Even if you give access rights to the new version of the file to any user, he will not be able to see the previous version of that file.
What you did in this whole process is hiding a PDF file behind the JPEG image. Now, if your PDF file was 2MB and your JPG file was 1MB so your New updated version of the file will now be 3MB in size.