Understand the basics of privacy in Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides
Keeping you safe online means protecting your information and respecting your privacy. That’s why, in every product we make, we focus on keeping your information secure, treating it responsibly, and keeping you in control. Our teams work every day to make Google products safe no matter what you’re doing—browsing the web, managing your inbox, or getting directions.
Your information is protected by world-class security. You can always control your privacy settings in your Google Account.
- For general information about privacy on Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides, keep reading this article.
- For more about privacy tools, visit the Google Safety Center.
- For details about privacy in work and school accounts, use the Google Workspace Security Resources.
A more helpful & personalized experience for you
When you use Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides, we process some data to offer you better experiences in the product. Your information stays secure. You can always control your privacy settings in your Google Account.
Your content is stored securely
When you create a file on Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides and share it, it is stored securely in our world-class data centers. Data is encrypted in-transit and at-rest. If you choose to access these files offline, we store this info on your device.
Your Google Account comes with built-in security designed to detect and block threats like spam, phishing and malware. Your activity is stored using strong industry standards and practices.
Your name & email address help sync your data
To store your preferences, help you sign in, and get you files you've uploaded through other devices, we save your email address. In Google Slides, to show when you present, we also save your name.
Your information helps you create & manage your Google Account
To create a brand new Google account, we collect your name and phone number. When you manage your Google account, you can choose to provide your physical address, upload your contacts, or add a profile photo.
Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides uses data to improve your experience
To provide services like spam filtering, virus detection, malware protection and the ability to search for files within your individual account, we process your content.
To improve Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides’ performance and reliability, and to help with troubleshooting in case of issues while you use Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides, we collect performance data and crash analytics. We also save this info to help prevent abuse of our services and for analysis.
Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides doesn’t use your content for advertising
We don’t use information in apps where you primarily store personal content—including Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides—for advertising purposes, period.
Stay in control of your content with easy-to-use settings
You decide what content is shared & with whom
The content you save on Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides is private to you, from others, unless you choose to share it. Learn how to share or stop sharing files in Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides.
Google respects your privacy. We access your private content only when we have your permission or are required to by law. With the Google Transparency Report, we share data about how the policies and actions of governments and corporations affect privacy, security, and access to information.
If you have a work or school account, your organization can review logs of actions taken by Google when accessing content. Learn how to view logs with Access Transparency. Learn how Google protects your organization's security and privacy.
It’s easy to view & control your data
With the Google Account Dashboard, you can see an overview of the Google products you use and the things you store, like your emails and photos. And with My Activity, it’s easy to see or delete data collected from your activity across Google services, including things you’ve searched, viewed, and watched. Learn how to view and control activity in your Google Account.
Control your search history
To save you time when you search in Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides by showing you recent searches you’ve made there, we store those search queries.
To review or manage your Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides search history, use My Activity.
Sync your services with your location
To understand how your experience of the product may relate to geography, like when you send feedback to Google, and to keep your account secure, like if we notice you have signed in from a new location, we save some location info.
You can take your data with you
Everyone should have access to the content they’ve shared with us – any time and for any reason. That’s why we created Download Your Data – so you can download your documents, spreadsheets and slides. It’s your choice to make a copy of your data, back it up, or even move it to another service.
You are always in control of the data saved to your Google Account. Learn how to download your data.
If you have a work or school account, your organization can choose to download your data and to limit you from downloading it. Learn how an organization can export its data.
