How to Track Changes in Google Docs: A 7-Step Guide

• Jun 11, 2024
• 5 min read

• Tags: Editing

Simplify tracking changes in Google Docs with our 7-step guide! We’ve explained how to use this feature to review edits and accept/reject changes. 

We’ve also answered many questions you might have such as: How to turn on track changes in Google Docs? How to see the version history in Google Docs? How to turn off track changes in Google Docs? So without wasting time, let’s jump into the details! 

Let’s quickly learn what track changes involve and their benefits! 

What are track changes in Google Docs? 

Track changes is a Google Docs feature that enables you to view and retrieve changes made in a Google document. Using this feature, you can see every set of document changes that are organized by a specific date and timestamp. This feature also makes it easy to make any suggestions or change the document completely. 

Now, let’s see how to track changes in Google Docs in detail! 

7 easy steps to track changes in Google Docs 

1. Access your Google document 

You can open Google Docs from your web browser on your computer or mobile and access your document.  Alternatively, you can download the Google Docs app and open the document from your phone or access it from Google Drive. 

Now let’s see how to turn on track changes in Google Docs. 

2. Turn on the “Editing” mode 

• Click on the pencil icon on the screen’s top right-hand corner. 
• Select the option “Suggesting”. 

If you’re collaborating with someone else and have shared your document, you can ask them to turn on the “Editing” mode and recommend editing changes. 

3. Make changes in the “Suggesting” mode 

Now, you/any collaborator can perform any edits on the document. However, the original text will not change. Instead, these edits will be visible as suggested changes that are highlighted in green. They will be displayed in comment boxes on the right-hand side. 

Now, let’s understand how to view track changes in Google Docs in different document modes 

4. Compare various document modes 

• Once again click on the pencil icon on the right side. 
• Select “View”, to read the document without suggested changes. 
• Alternatively, choose “Suggesting” to browse through the document that includes highlighted suggested changes. 

5. Select options to accept/reject 

Similar to tracking changes in MS Word, you can add and view comments on Google Docs. You have the following 3 options to respond to any suggestion: 

• Reply to the comment and tag another collaborator with whom you’ve shared the document. By typing @ and the first letter of the collaborator’s name, you can tag them. 
• Accept the suggestion by clicking on the ✓ icon on the box. 
• Reject the suggestion by clicking the x icon. 

Now let’s see the next step of how to track changes in Google Docs. 

6. See the document’s version history

This is a useful step to see different document versions organized by various timestamps. Follow the steps given below to do so: 

• Choose the option “File” on the left side. 
• Select the option “Version history”. 
• From the right side menu, click on the option, “See version history”. 

Now, you’ll see various timestamps and dates when changes in your document were made. You can select a timestamp and date to view the document version for that period. If you want to revert to an earlier version, you can select the option “Restore this version” on the screen. 

Explore the next step to understand how to turn off track changes in Google Docs. 

7. Turn off track changes in Google Docs 

Given below are 3 steps to turn off track changes in Google Docs. These steps will enable you to stop seeing comments for tracking changes. 

• Select the “View” option. 
• Choose the option “Comments”. 
• Click on the option “Hide comments”. All comments will now be hidden. (Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Shift+J to hide comments).

Now that you know how to track changes in Google Docs, you can review comments and make changes accordingly. You won’t need to Google “Can you track changes in Google Docs?” anymore. 

After making changes, you’ll need to review your document thoroughly and check for any remaining errors. If you need professional assistance, PaperTrue can help! We provide expert editing and proofreading services for authors, students, businesses, and job seekers. Feel free to reach out to perfect your document! 

Here are some useful resources for you: 

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Priya

Priya has a talent for academic research and enjoys simplifying complex topics. When she's not helping students improve their writing, she can be seen reading poetry, playing the harmonium, or learning classical dance.