Can you hide Google Sheets from certain users?

Hiding sheet tabs are not new in Google Sheets. It’s available. You can hide tabs from specific people in Google Sheets. But it depends on what prompts you to do so.

I mean, how seriously you take hiding sheets.

When you have multiple sheet tabs, you may want to hide a few of them from specific people in Google Sheets.

It may be due to keeping the privacy of data. Also, you may not want others to get messed with your data in some tabs.

Whatever the reason, there are solutions.

The solutions to hide tabs from specific people in Google Sheets varies depending on your purpose.

Reasons for Hiding Sheet Tabs from Specific People in Google Sheets

Are you concerned with any of the two things?

1. Privacy of Data:

If your concern is the privacy of data in Google Sheets, you should not hide sheets! It won’t work for you!

There is one workaround for you. I’ll explain that later.

2. Tampering of Data:

Your intention to hide tabs from specific people in Google Sheets is due to your concern about tampering data or formula, hide the Sheets.

You need to do some basic settings in Sheets.

I will explain to you both the above points in detail below.

I have told you there are two different situations for hiding sheets (sheet tabs).

1. To Prevent People from Tampering Data

In this case, you can hide sheets. The person with whom you have shared the file cannot unhide the sheet.

That means your file is safe. But the person can, of course, access the data in the hidden sheet by making a copy of the file.

If this is acceptable to you, then follow the below steps.

First, you should protect the tab you wish to hide from other users.

How to Protect a Tab in Google Sheets?

• Either right-click on any tab name or go to the tools menu and click “Protect the sheet.”
• Under the “Protected sheets and ranges” dialog box, select “Sheet.”
• Choose the tab to protect from the drop-down/down arrow (please see the first screenshot below).
• Click on “Set permissions.”
• Enable “Restrict who can edit this range” and choose “Only you” from the down arrow.
• Click on “Done.” Please see the second screenshot below.

Screenshot # 1:

Screenshot # 2:

Now right-click on the sheet tab and choose “Hide Sheet.”

Now you can share this file.

The person with access to the file cannot unhide the sheet from the View menu Hidden Sheets.

But he can know that there is one hidden tab in the file from the View menu.

This way, you can ensure that you have protected the tab from other users, and they won’t be able to interfere with the data or formula within it.

But they can make a copy of the file and access the hidden sheet. So data is not private!

2. Due to Privacy Concern

I am very much concerned about the privacy of my data in some tabs in Google Sheets. What’s the solution?

As far as I know, there is no such option that gives complete privacy to your hidden tabs.

We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them – Albert Einstein

But don’t worry! There is a workaround for you.

What is that?

To hide tabs from specific people in Google Sheets with complete protection, do as follows.

Sharing Settings – OFF (Restricted – Only people added can open this link)

First, change the sharing settings of your file to Restricted – Only people added can open this link. 

That setting you can do from within the file by clicking the “Share” button (a green color button residing at the right-hand side [top] of your screen).

Remember! Never share this file. This file is only for your work. 

Related: How to Hide Formulas in Google Sheets Similar to Excel.

If you are not familiar with changing sharing settings to specific people in Google Sheets, go to the above link and jump to the section titled To know How to Make a Google Sheet File Private?

I hope you’ve completed the above settings. Now to the second stage.

The Role of Importrange in Hiding Sheet Tabs from Specific People in Google Sheets

Create a new file with a valid file name in Google Sheets.

In that file, you can import the content to share from your above private file. How?

You can import content from your private file as follows using the Importrange function.

It’s so simple to apply. See the example below.

=IMPORTRANGE("URL","SHEET1!E2:G4")

In the above Importrange formula, the URL should be the URL of your private file and in the last part of the formula, replace SHEET1!E2:G4 with your sheet name and the data range that you want to share (not hide).

If you have two tabs in your private file to share, apply this formula in two sheet tabs accordingly.

Now protect the cell where you have inserted the above formula.

To protect a cell, you can follow the steps under the title “How to Protect a Tab in Google Sheets” above.

You have finished all the steps!

Now you are set to share this new file, i.e., the file containing the imported data, with the people you wish to share.

You are not going to be supposed to make any changes to this file anymore.

You are only required to update your private file.

The data you may add to your private file will be immediately available in your shared Importrange formula applied file.

So the people with whom you have shared the file can have access to the updated data always.

You are secure with your private data, which may contain data that should keep away from the prying eyes.

Any doubts about the above procedure, please feel free to ask me in the comments.