It becomes much easier to lock files in Google Drive. A locked file can only be read but not modified without appropriate permissions.

Google is streamlining the process of locking and sharing files with others inside and outside your company, the company announced in a blog. From now on you can easily lock the document from the file information. No more juggling asking and granting permissions.

Under lock

This is how it works. Right-click a file and drag your cursor there file data. Now here will be the option Lock out appear. People you share the document with can read it but not edit it. Only people with editing rights can lock a file and reopen it for editing.

Google is making the feature available to all Workspace users. By September 20, everyone should be able to use it; Administrators do not need to manually enable the feature. Google will also give its Workspace subscribers a whole range of new AI functionalities in the coming months under the name Duet AI, which should play the same role in the Google ecosystem as Microsoft’s Copilot.