How to Lock Cells in Google Sheets: Everything You Need to Know
May 26, 2022
Understanding how to lock cells in Google Sheets is a fantastic skill to use when you are not only working on a presentation. It allows you to collaborate with others while continuing to protect your data.
One of the most significant advantages of using Google Sheets is that you can share your work with others. Multiple people can work on a single sheet tab at the same time. However, some issues can arise from everyone working on the same Google Sheets spreadsheet simultaneously. You might want to ensure specific cells are not accidentally tweaked or edited. To do this, locking a cell range is the best option in Google Sheets. 
How to Lock in Google Sheets
If you have implemented hours of work into a Google Sheets document, the last thing you want to do is allow anyone to edit your cells. Taking a quick moment to lock cells can stop them from getting changed or edited and ensure they are safe even after sharing them. Here's how you can lock cells within Google Sheets:
- Protect your document: Open the Google Sheets file and determine the cell range you want to lock. You can lock specific cells while letting other users edit other cells.
- Open the Data menu: From the top of the document, choose Protected Sheets and Ranges via the drop-down menu. A Protected Sheets and Ranges pane will appear on the right-hand side of your sheet.
- Enter a description: From the Protected Sheets and Ranges page, submit a description of the actions you want to protect cells from. For example, this could be "no editing" or "no changing." Once you are happy, select the Set Permissions button to change the permissions of your selected cell range.
- Choose who has permission: Now, decide which users you want to give the user permission to for each locked cell. Select "Restrict who can edit this range." You can pick Only you from the drop-down menu; no other user can edit those cells. Use the Custom option to add select users.
- Finalize your choices: Once you are happy with who has permission to edit certain aspects of your sheet, select Done.
- If any user that doesn't have special editing permissions attempts to edit protected cells, they will get hit with a warning message that states the cell is protected.
How to protect an entire sheet in Google Sheets
Locking and protecting particular cells in Google Sheets is a fantastic option when you only want other users to edit certain aspects of the sheet. However, if you want to protect an entire sheet, you can stop anyone from editing your entire Google Sheets document. You can give yourself only editing permissions or offer editing permissions to specific users.
- To begin, open your Google Sheets.
- Right-click the sheet tab that you want to protect. This format allows you to protect one tab at a time.
- Select the Protect Sheets option. This will open up the Protected sheets and ranges pane.
- From this pane, input a description of what you are doing.
- Select the Set Permissions button.
- Choose Restrict, who can edit this range.
- From the drop-down, select Only You if you don't want other users to edit the sheet. You can use the Custom button to add user permissions to selected people, then hit Done.
Getting the Best Out of Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a potent and helpful tool for any individual or organization. Once you understand how to implement protected cell or range editing permissions, you can use this tool to take your work to all new heights. If you often work on spreadsheets, check out the range of information and how-to guides on the Simple Sheets blog.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Lock Cells In Google Sheets:
How do you lock cells in Google Sheets so they don't move?
Open your google sheets document and choose the cell range you want to lock. Once chosen, click on the Data menu at the top of your sheet. From there, click Protected Sheets and Ranges, visible from the drop-down menu. Type in a description such as "No editing" or "No changing" and click on Set Permissions. From there, pick which users you would like to be able to edit your locked cells. Select the Restrict who can edit this range button. You can select "only you" or add a few people using the Custom option.
Can you freeze cells in Google Sheets?
Choose a Google Sheets document to open on your computer or mobile device. Pick a column or row you'd like to freeze or unfreeze. From the top toolbar, select View, then Freeze.
Can you lock specific columns in Google Sheets?
You have the power to lock specific cells rather than an entire sheet. To do this, select the lock columns you want to create. Then, open the data menu from the toolbar, and click on the Protected Sheets and Range sidebar. This open is excellent when you don't want to protect entire sheets and want other users to work on certain aspects of your spreadsheet, not the entire sheet. 
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