How to Password Protect Google Drive Folder? [Secure Files]

Because of the cyber threats and data leakage, sensitive information isn’t secured anymore. It is better to lock down or password protect your important folders, so your information remains private.

You can also password protect the google drive folder to ensure its confidentiality and security. Check out this guide, as it will let you know how to do it. You will also know how to password protect google sheet and encrypt the google drive folder.

Can You Password Protect a Google Drive Folder?

Well, you cant actually put a password on a folder in google drive, but there are some ways that allow you to secure your google drive folder.

How to Password Protect the Google Drive Folder?

Some of the methods are:

1. Secure Folder & then Upload it

You can password protect a folder on your PC and then upload it to google drive.

How to Password Protect a Folder?

You can do it via the encrypt option or use any third-party software for this.

a. Encrypt Google Drive Folder

1. Right-click on the folder you intend to secure.
2. Click on properties
3. Then click on the advanced options present in the general tab.
4. In the popup window that appears, tick the option saying ‘encrypt contents…’
5. Now click ok.
6. Click apply
7. You will be asked to save the key and certificate.
8. Save it on a USB.

Now the folder is encrypted; you can upload it to google drive.

By encrypting your folders, you have converted the data inside them into an unintelligible mess that can only be decrypted via the password.

b. Via Third-Party Software

There are various third party software available that you can use to password-protect your important folder. Afterward, you can upload it to google drive.

Some such software are:

• Folder Guard
• LocK-A-FoLdeR
• Protected Folder
• Folder Protector
• Folder Lock Lite
• Bitdefender Total Security
• ESET Smart Security
• Kaspersky

Please make sure you install one software at a time. This is because installing multiple software creates some issues.

Now your folder is password-protected, so you can upload it to google drive.

2. Google Drive Share With Password

This method allows you to have control over the stuff you share with google drive. You can share a link to a folder on the drive and then set a password on it. This way, you will have secured control over what you share.

To do this, get the link to share the folder. Then create a form that will ask for a password before revealing the folder link.

1. Open your google drive.
2. Right-click on the folder you desire to share and get its link.
3. Make the setting to ‘Anyone with the link can view.’
4. Click done

Now to set up google form:

1. Go to google form https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/
2. Click on the plus sign in order to start a new form.
3. Name the form by editing the ‘Untitled form.’
4. Add a description on the label ‘form description.’
5. Add ‘Enter Password’ where it says ‘untitled question.’
6. Set the ‘short-answer’ option on the right side of the password option.
7. And make it mandatory to enter by enabling the required option on the bottom right.
8. Next to the required option, click on the three-dot icon and go to ‘response validation.’
9. Click on the dropdown where it says ‘number’ and select ‘text.’
10. Then leave the ‘contain’ option as it is.
11. On the right of the ‘contain option, enter the password.
12. On the option saying ‘custom error text,’ enter the message like ‘wrong password, try agin’. Don’t leave it blank, as it might show the real password.
13. Then click on the Gear icon present on the top right (next to the send button).
14. Go to presentation
15. Uncheck the option saying ‘show link to submit another response.’
16. In the confirmation message, enter the google drive folder you copied a few minutes ago.
17. Click on save.
18. The form is ready. You can share with everyone, and those having the password will be able to access the folder.
19. To send the form, click on the send button present on the top right and then choose the way you intend to send it, i.e., by email, send by link, or some other way.

Password Protect Google Sheet

1. Open a google sheet that has got the data you intend to protect.
2. From the menu, click on Data.
3. Then go to ‘Protected sheets and ranges.’
4. Choose the part of the file you intend to protect. You can also select the whole file.
5. Set permission.
6. You will be allowed to give access to anyone you intend to.
7. Click done to save the setting.

Password Protect Google Drive Folder Android

Sharing settings

1. Open google drive from your phone
2. Tap on three vertical dot icons next to the folder you intend to protect.
3. Turn off its link sharing options.

Password Protect Google Drive App

Use AppLock

1. Install the Applock fingerprint app from the play store
2. When you open the app, create a master pin. This is to secure the app.
3. You can also choose to lock apps with fingerprint if you have got the fingerprint option on your phone.
4. Tap the plus icon on the screen’s bottom,
5. Select google drive from the list that appears.
6. Now to access google drive, one will have to give the passcode or verify the fingerprint.

You can also make use of the Folder Lock app from the google play store.

Summary

Although there is no clear way to password protect the google drive folder, some alternative methods allow you to achieve the same and protect the folder and files you store on google drive.

This way, you can limit the permission for accessing your data on google drive.