If you’re on a public document or a document that a lot of people are accessing, it can be frustrating to have your account show up. Anyone can just hover over your name and access your information present online. To avoid this, you have to view Google Docs anonymously.
Please note that you can only view a Google Doc anonymously if that’s allowed. Some Google Docs have settings such that they can only be viewed when logged in.
2 methods to view Google Docs anonymously
- By logging out of your Google account
- By using an incognito tab
Method 1: By logging out of your Google account
Your name showing up on a Google Doc is because you’ve signed in to your Google account.
Step 1: Open your Google Doc.
Once you open your desired Google Doc, you can see that you’re automatically signed in to your account.
Step 2: Click on your profile and sign out.
To sign out of your Google account, tap on your profile. It is the round icon present at the top-right corner of your screen.
After you tap on it, you can see all the Google accounts that you’ve used on the device listed below. At the bottom, you can see a Sign out button. Click on it to sign out of your Google account.
Step 3: Check if you’re anonymous.
Access the same Google Doc again. If you see the sign-in option at the top-right corner, you’re anonymous. Other people in the doc can’t see your name. They will instead see a random anonymous animal name assigned by Google.
Instead of this, Google Docs might also prompt you to sign in to your Google account. This means that the doc can’t be accessed anonymously.
Method 2: By using an incognito tab
If you find signing out of your account and signing back in tedious, you can use this method.
Step 1: Open an Incognito window.
You can open an incognito tab in two ways. The first one is by clicking the three dots at the top-right corner of your Chrome window. Find the New Incognito window option and tap on it.
Alternatively, you can use a keyboard shortcut. Press Ctrl + Shift + N to open a new incognito window.
Step 2: Paste the link of your Google Doc.
Once you paste the link and go into your Google Doc, you’ll see the sign-in option. The sign-in option can be found at the top-right corner of your Google Doc screen. This indicates that you’re anonymous.
If you see a sign-in screen instead of going to the doc, it means that the doc can’t be viewed anonymously.
Wrapping up
It can be frustrating to have your account show up in public Google Docs. Here are two easy ways to go anonymous when you’re accessing Google Docs. Note that this only works if the settings of the particular Google Doc you’re trying to access allow that.