Are you changing jobs and wondering what to do with all your data in Google Sheets? Don’t worry. There is a way to change the owner of this popular spreadsheet program.
When you create a Google Sheet, you are, by default, the owner. However, you can just as easily let someone else enjoy this permission. In this article, we’ll show you how it’s done.
Change ownership in Google Sheets
When you create a Google Sheet, you have permission to not only view the spreadsheet, but also add changes, comments, or even delete it entirely. In a situation where you want to change ownership, here is what you should do:
- Open the sheet you want.
- Next, locate “File” in the upper left corner of the sheet.
- Under the “File” button, you will see “Share.” Click on it.
- “Share with people and groups” will open. You will see the list of people who have access to Google Sheet.
- Locate the person you want to be the owner of the sheet.
- On the right, next to its name, you can select different options. Click “Make Owner.”
- A pop-up box will appear to confirm the changes made. Finally, select “Yes” to confirm and then click “Done.”
You will receive a message informing you that you have transferred ownership. Once you complete all the steps, you will not be able to get the property back unless the new owner gives you permission. However, you will still be able to view and edit the content of the sheet.
Note: You should be very careful when making someone the owner of the sheet, as it may remove their access to it.
Important things before changing owners
There are some things you won’t be able to do once you change ownership, so be sure to read the following information carefully before doing anything.
First of all, you won’t be able to share Google Sheet with other people. Only the new owner will be able to do this. Secondly, the visibility option will not be available to you. Therefore, you cannot see who has access to that particular sheet. Finally, you will not be able to grant editing or comment permissions to collaborators.
For these reasons, we’ve rounded up other Google Sheet features that may be worth checking out.
Other Google Sheets permissions
If you choose not to make other collaborators owners of the sheet, you can give them other Google Sheet permissions, such as editing and commenting.
Edit permission
With the edit permission, other Google Sheet users can edit the cell content and modify it according to their needs. This is always recorded in the revision history. Whenever someone wants to check previous editions, they can do so. This is how you can grant editing permission:
- Open the sheet.
- Next, locate “File” in the upper left corner of the sheet.
- Click “Share” below.
- When the window appears, add the email of the user you want to grant editing permission to.
- Now, next to the user name, you can find different permissions.
- Click “Editor.”
- Then click “Submit.”
Excellent! You have now granted editing permission to the other user.
Permission to comment
People who can see the Google Spreadsheet you’ve shared with them don’t have the automatic privilege to comment on it. However, you would often like to give users permission to comment. Fortunately, it’s a fairly simple process. To grant a user this role, simply do the following:
- Open the sheet and under “File” tap “Share.”
- Add the emails of people you would like to grant permission to comment.
- Once you add them, you’ll see a drop-down menu on the right, next to their names.
- Select “Commenter.”
- Finally, click “Submit.”
That’s all! Users now have the “Comment” privilege and can comment on the sheet data, without changing it.
Modify permissions
Modifying permissions in Google Sheets is useful when you want to give users different privileges. You can do it by following these simple steps:
- Locate the “Share with people and groups” dialog.
- Find the person whose permissions you want to change.
- Next to their name, you will see the drop-down menu. Click on it.
- Now choose a new option.
This way, you can decide when someone has permission to comment, edit, or simply view the sheet.
Find what works best for you
When you leave a job, you’ll definitely want to transfer ownership of Google Sheets to someone else. They will then be able to have full access and enjoy all the associated benefits.
At other times, you may reconsider this option and decide to grant a user editing or commenting privileges and still remain the owner of the sheet. If so, feel free to refer to this article for guidance.
