How do you add a Password to Google Drive?

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How do you Add a Password to Google Drive

Google Drive is protected by your default Google account password. What if you want to add a password to an individual folder in Google Drive? Is it possible? Let’s discuss.

Well, you cannot set a separate password for files and folders in Google Drive apart from the default login password of your Google account. Google is pretty good at protecting your privacy. Moreover, we all know that their reputation is based on their expertise in handling data with utmost safety.

Even a small dent in this reputation will affect Google’s business and they spend millions of dollars to prevent such situations. That is why Google Drive users have to trust the login password protection offered by Google. 

How to Add a Password to shared Google Drive folder?

A Google Drive Folder or File is password protected until you decide to share it with someone else. When you choose to share a folder or file in Google Drive, you can limit the permission to avoid losing sensitive data.

The best way to protect your data in Google Drive is to encrypt them. Although Google does not allow users to encrypt a Google Drive folder. However, you can encrypt each file separately before uploading them to the cloud. 

As the owner of a Google Drive folder, you have the complete license to decide who can edit and delete the data you share. Follow the below steps to control the permission settings of your Google Drive folder.

Add a Password to Google Drive
Add a Password to Google Drive
  • Right-click on the Google Drive folder and click on the Share option.
  • Choose who to share with. Here you have three options.

Read Store passwords in Google Drive- Is it Safe?

1. Share with specific people 

To share the folder with specific people, type the email address of the person you want to share the folder or files. When you enter the email address choose the role of the person; viewer, commenter, or editor.

Choose the editor option only when you want the person to make changes to the file or folder. Click the send option and the person will receive an email with the shared file details.

2. Share with anyone with a link to the folder

This option allows you to share the folder or file with anyone who has a link. A sharable link will be provided by Google and anyone with that link can access the folder. Here also you can set the role of the person as mentioned in the previous step, viewer, commenter, or editor. You can share this link with the people you want to give access to the folder. 

3. Share with a group of specific people

 If you want to share a folder with a Google group instead of individuals, use the group sharing option. For this, you need to create a Google group and share the file or folder with the group.

Furthermore, all the members of the group will have to open the file or folder from an invitation or a link to see the data in their “shared with me” folder.

Read How To See Folder Size In Google Drive?

Password protection for Google Drive in Android

The only way to password protects your Google Drive files on an Android device is to lock the Drive application itself. You can use the device app lock feature or use third-party software to lock your Google Drive application.

This way, even if you lose your phone while it is active and unlocked, nobody can access the drive application without entering a separate password or screen lock pattern. 

Read How To Password Protect Google Drive Folder

How to Add a password to Google Drive account on an iPhone?

iPhone users can use the Privacy Screen feature to protect their Google Drive account from unauthorized access. You can either use FaceID, TouchID, or a passcode to lock the Google Drive app on your iPhone.

This latest feature will secure the data saved in your Google Drive but always remember that your shared data may still be available through internet browsers or other devices. Let’s check how you can activate the Privacy Screen feature on your iPhone. 

  • Open the Google Drive application on your iPhone or iPad device.
  • Navigate to the Google Drive settings.
  • Click on the Privacy Screen option and turn it on. 
  • Select the Delay lock timer.
  • Confirm the prompt by clicking on OK

Now you’ll have to use your passcode or faceID to unlock and access the Google Drive data. This feature adds an extra layer of safety to your data saved in Google Drive but, you should be careful with the other devices or web browsers where you have logged in to your Google account. 

Read How to recover deleted shared files on Google Drive?

Why adding a password to Google Drive is important? 

Google Drive is an excellent tool to save your data in the cloud but imagine the situation where your phone is stolen while active and the robber is smart enough to keep it active, then they can access all your Google Drive data.

The same issue applies to a PC that is left unlocked or stolen. Google offers only the primary layer of security to the Google Drive data with the account login password and there is no option to secure the Drive separately.

The only thing we can ensure is to use a strong password to our Google Drive account and keep the sharing settings of Google Drive in control. We believe Google will solve this security threat soon and we will be able to add password protection to Google Drive in the near future.

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