How to Disable the Download Option in Google Drive (3 Ways)

Open the file’s Share dialog, click the gear icon, and uncheck Commenters and viewers. That one checkbox removes the download, print, and copy options for everyone who can only view or comment.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to disable the download option in Google Drive from the Drive file list and from inside a Google Doc, how to stop editors from re-sharing your file, and why folders don’t have this setting.

I’ll use two files from my landscaping business, Bluebird Landscaping: a PDF price list and a proposal for the Hillcrest HOA.

Method 1: Turn off downloads for one file from Drive

This is the way I use most, because it works for any file type, including PDFs, photos, and Word files. It’s the same Share dialog you use to turn on link sharing in Google Drive.

1. Open drive.google.com and find the file.
2. Right-click it and choose Share, then Share again.
3. Click the gear icon (Settings) at the top right of the dialog.
4. Under People who can download, copy, print, and access via Gemini, uncheck Commenters and viewers.

My price list already had Commenters and viewers unchecked, with Editors still checked. I didn’t see a Save button. The change saves as soon as you click the box.

How does this work?

The setting lives on the file, so it applies to every viewer and commenter, whether you added them by email or they opened a link. They can still open and read it, but download, print, and copy go away.

My post on whether viewers on Google Drive can download files covers what they see.

Method 2: Turn it off from inside a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slides file

If you already have the file open, you don’t need to go back to Drive. The same settings sit behind the Share button.

1. Open the Google Doc, Sheet, or Slides file.
2. Click the Share button at the top right.
3. Click the gear icon.
4. Uncheck Commenters and viewers.

On my Hillcrest HOA Proposal 2026 doc, both boxes were checked by default. One click turned off Commenters and viewers.

How does this work?

It’s the same file setting as Method 1, just reached from a different screen. With it off, viewers won’t find Download or Print in the menus, and they may see a message like the one in my post on the printing is disabled for this file error.

Pro tip: New Docs, Sheets, and Slides files start with both boxes checked, so set this before you send the link, not after.

Method 3: Stop editors from re-sharing or changing access

Unchecking the viewer box doesn’t stop editors. By default, an editor can share your file with new people and change these settings back. Here’s how to stop that:

1. Open the file’s Share dialog and click the gear icon.
2. Uncheck Allow editors to change permissions and share.
3. If editors shouldn’t download either, uncheck Editors under the download section.

How does this work?

With the first box off, only you as the owner can add people or change access. Google Drive Help notes one catch: if the file is in a shared folder, the folder’s permissions can override this. To clear out people at the folder level, see how to unshare a folder in Google Drive.

Why folders have no download checkboxes

I checked the settings for my Hillcrest job photos 2026 folder. The gear only showed Allow editors to change permissions and share and Limit access. There’s no download option.

So set downloads file by file. Also, you can’t give someone less access to a file than they have to its parent folder, so change access at the folder level when you need to.

Things to keep in mind

• It’s not a security wall. Viewers can still open and read the file, and anyone with edit access can change the setting unless you lock it with Method 3.
• Per file only. Each file needs its own setting.
• Personal vs Workspace. The download boxes work the same in both. Work and school accounts add extras like expiration dates for viewers and the “Your organization” link option, and admins can limit outside sharing.
• Use a computer. I change this setting in a desktop browser, where the steps above apply.

If you want to know who already grabbed a copy before you changed it, here’s how to check who downloaded files in Google Drive.

Want to tighten up sharing even more? Try these next:

• see who has viewed a Google Doc
• handle access requests in Google Drive
• whether a Google Drive link can be dangerous
• fix files that will not download

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