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There may be times when you work on a document for an extended period of time. If you are working on the Google Docs platform, each paper draft will be saved through Google’s Version History feature. This feature presents a convenient way to keep track of changes made to your document, as all your edits are archived chronologically on the platform. With Version History, it’s possible to restore previous versions of your document if you’re not happy with later drafts.
In this tutorial, we’ll look at using Version History to restore previous versions of a Google Document. Whether you use your PC or access your documents from a mobile device, the following guide will show you how to recover previous copies of your work.
Go back to the previous version of a Google Document on a PC
To restore a previous version of a document in Google Docs, you will need to have permission to edit the file. This shouldn’t be a problem if you created the content. Multiple drafts of the same file are grouped together on the right side of the screen. Depending on how diligent you were, they may have names or they may be organized by the date they were created.
To recover a previous version of a Google Document on your PC:
- At the top of the page, go to “File.”
- Scroll down to “Version History” and tap “View Version History” in the menu that appears.
- Previous versions of the document will be displayed on the right side of the screen. Browse to find what you’re looking for. Press the drop-down arrow to expand your search.
- Click the version to display it in the main window. You’ll see the changes made along with the person who made them.
- Once you’ve decided which copy you want to restore, tap the “Restore this version” button at the top of the page.
- A pop-up alert will warn you that the document will be restored to the previous version. Press “Restore” to accept the changes.
Your old Google Doc has now been restored. If you are not happy with the copy of the file you recovered, you can always roll back to the last edited version by following the same process in Version History.
Go back to the previous version of a Google Document on an iPhone
To restore a previous copy of a Google Doc, you’ll need to have permission to edit the file. Google groups multiple versions of the same document together, making it easier to locate edits. The copies are usually named or arranged in chronological order.
To restore a previous version of a Google Document on an iPhone, see the steps below:
- Go to “File,” located at the top of the page.
- Select “Version History” from the displayed menu and click “View Version History.”
- Go to the top of the page and press “Save Notice.”
- You will see previous versions of documents on the right side of the window. Scroll through the list to find what you’re looking for. You can expand your search by tapping the drop-down arrow.
- When you select a document, it will be presented in the main window. You will see all the changes made along with who made them.
- To restore the file, press the “Restore this version” button at the top of the page.
- A message will inform you that the document will be restored to the previous version. Press “Restore” to confirm.
You have now restored a previous file in Google Doc and your last edit has been saved in Version History.
Go back to the previous version of a Google Document on an Android
You will need to have permission to edit a Google Document that you want to restore. If you created or co-created the file, you have nothing to worry about. Versions of the same document are collected in Google Docs, making it easy to retrieve previous copies. They will be named or appear in chronological order.
The method described below will help you restore a previous version of a Google Document on an Android device.
- Navigate to the top of the Google Doc and tap “File.”
- In the menu that appears, go to “Version History” and then “View Version History.”
- A list of previous versions of the file will appear on the right side of the screen. Select what you are looking for by clicking on the document. If you want to expand your search, tap the drop-down arrow.
- The file you chose will now open in your window. You will be able to see the changes made to the document.
- Press “Restore this version” located at the top of the page to switch to the previous copy.
- Now click “Restore” on the pop-up message that appears, confirming that you want to restore the previous version of the file.
The previous copy of your Google Document will now be restored while the last edit is saved in Version History.
Go back to the previous version of a Google Document on an iPad
The Google Docs Version History feature saves multiple drafts of a document. To access these copies, you will need permission to edit the file. Saved edits are organized by their creation date or by their names if you named them.
If you want to restore a previous copy of a Google Document to your iPad, here’s how to do it:
- At the top of the Google Doc page, click “File.”
- Select “Version History” from the drop-down menu that appears.
- Tap “View version history.”
- In the list on the right of the screen, scroll to the version of the file you want to restore. The drop-down arrow will expand your search.
- Click the document to open it. It will show the edits made and the person who made them.
- Navigate to the top of the page and tap the “Restore this version” button.
- A pop-up message informs you that you are about to switch to a previous copy of the file. Click “Restore.”
You have now recovered a previous version of your Google Doc. The latest edition will now be stored in the Version History.
Old but good
There are several reasons why you might want to go back to a previous edition of your Google Doc. The good news is that you can still find these versions of your documents stored in Google. Recovering old copies of your file saves you from trying to recreate the content, which can be quite frustrating. The Google Docs Version History feature will group multiple drafts together, making them easy to find and retrieve.
Have you found yourself needing to restore a previous version of your Google Doc? What methods did you use to do that? Let us know in the comments below.
