How to remove someone's access to a Google Sheet
To remove restricted access in Google Sheets, open the sheet, click the Share button in the top right, find the person's name in the list, click the trash icon next to their name, and confirm. If you are the owner, you can remove anyone. If you are an editor but not the owner, you can only remove people you invited — the owner must remove other editors or viewers.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether the sheet is shared with individuals, a group, or "anyone with the link". The method also changes if the person's access came through a shared folder rather than a direct share.
Key Takeaways
- Only the sheet owner can remove access for editors and viewers added by other people; editors can only remove people they personally invited.
- Removing someone from a shared folder removes their access to all files in that folder, not just one sheet.
- If a sheet is shared with "anyone with the link", you cannot remove one person — you must change the link settings or move the sheet to a new link.
- Removing access takes effect when ready; the person will no longer see the sheet in their Google Drive or be able to open it.
- If you change your mind, you can re-share the sheet with that person, but they will not see the edit history from before you removed them.
Removing a person you invited directly
Open the Google Sheet and click Share in the top right corner. A panel will open showing everyone who has access. Find the person you want to remove and click the trash icon next to their name. Google will ask you to confirm — click Remove.
This works whether the person is an editor, commenter, or viewer. The person will lose access when ready. If they have the sheet open in another browser tab, they will see an error message the next time they try to interact with it.
Removing access when you are not the owner
If you are an editor but not the owner, you can only remove people you invited yourself. When you open the Share panel, you will see a trash icon only next to names of people you added. Names added by the owner or other editors will show a lock icon instead — you cannot remove those people.
If you need to remove someone the owner added, contact the owner and ask them to do it. The owner's name appears at the top of the Share panel, usually marked as "Owner".
Removing access when the sheet is shared with a group or folder
If the sheet was shared with a Google Group, a team, or a shared folder, removing one person is more complicated. You cannot remove them from the sheet directly — you must either remove them from the group or folder, or change the sheet's sharing settings.
To remove someone from a shared folder: open Google Drive, right-click the folder, click Share, find the person's name, click the trash icon, and confirm. This removes their access to every file in that folder, not just the sheet.
To remove someone from a Google Group: go to Google Groups, open the group, click Members, find the person, click the three dots next to their name, and click Remove member. This removes them from the group and from any sheets shared with that group.
Handling sheets shared with "anyone with the link"
If a sheet is shared with "anyone with the link", you cannot remove one specific person. Anyone who has the link can still open it, and you have no way to know who they are or revoke their individual access.
Your options are: change the link (which breaks the old link for everyone), switch to sharing with specific people only, or move the sheet to a new file and share that instead. To change the link, open Share, click Change next to "Anyone with the link", select Restricted, and click Share. You will then need to send the new link to the people who should have access.
What happens after you remove someone
The person loses access when ready. They will not see the sheet in their Google Drive, and if they try to open a saved link, they will get a "You do not have access" message. They cannot see any changes made after the moment you removed them.
If you remove someone and then re-share the sheet with them later, they will see the current version of the sheet, but not the edit history from before you removed them. The revision history shows only edits made while they had access.
Removing your own access or transferring ownership
If you want to remove yourself from a sheet you do not own, open the sheet, click Share, find your own name, click the trash icon, and confirm. You will lose access and the sheet will disappear from your Drive.
If you are the owner and want to give ownership to someone else, open Share, click the dropdown next to their name, select Editor, then click the dropdown again and select Transfer ownership. You will become an editor, and they become the owner. Only the owner can transfer ownership — editors cannot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove someone if I am not the owner?
Only if you invited them yourself. You can see a trash icon next to their name in the Share panel. If the owner or another editor added them, you will see a lock icon instead, and you cannot remove them — ask the owner to do it.
What if someone has the link to a sheet I shared with "anyone with the link"?
You cannot remove them individually. You must change the link by opening Share, clicking Change next to "Anyone with the link", selecting Restricted, and sharing the new link with only the people who should have access. The old link will no longer work.
Will the person know I removed them?
Google does not send a notification when someone removes your access. The person will only know if they try to open the sheet and see an error, or if they notice it is gone from their Drive.
Can I see who removed me from a sheet?
No. Google does not record who removed access or when. You will only see that you no longer have permission to view the sheet.
If I remove someone and add them back, will they see the old edits?
Yes, they will see the full revision history once you re-share the sheet. The edit history is part of the sheet itself, not tied to individual people's access.