How to See Edit History in Google Sheets and What to Do if You Can’t

The ease with which you can collaborate on a document is one of the best features on Google Sheets. However, if multiple people are working on a document, you may want to keep track of changes and saved versions. In this article, we want to show you how to view your Google Sheets edit history.

You can see the changes in each version of the document as well as the changes made on individual cells. We’ll also show you how to roll back to a previous version or clear the version history as well.

But first, let’s understand what version history means and who can access it in a Google Sheets document.

Also Read: How to Use ChatGPT in Google Sheets

What is version history in Google Sheets

Version history in Google Sheets shows all the changes made to the document since the document was created. You can see all the changes made in any given version, along with the date, time and person who made the change. However, you can only view version history if you have both read and write access to a document in Google Sheets.

Furthermore, you can only view version history in Google Sheets if the ‘View changes’ option is enabled in the document. You can view version history in a web browser on Windows or Mac. However, you cannot view detailed version history on the iPhone and Android apps. It just shows you how many changes have been made.

Now let’s see how to view version history in Google Sheets on a web browser.

View Google Sheets version history

Here’s how you can track all the changes by viewing the edit or version history in a Google Sheets document.

Step 1: Open any Google Sheets document on your web browser.

Step 2: In the second toolbar above the spreadsheet, click the clock icon in the top right part.

Or, go to File in the menu bar > select Version History > View Version History to go to the next step.

A sidebar will open showing all the different versions of the spreadsheet, when and by whom it was saved.

Step 3: If you click on a version, the spreadsheet opens, highlighting all the additions and changes made to the spreadsheet.

You can also expand the instance and view each activity in the document before it is saved. Furthermore, you can also view the date and time when the activity or version was saved.

If you want to restore a version on Google Sheets, here’s how you can do it.

Tip: Besides the above method, you can also use the keyboard shortcut ‘Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H’ on Windows or ‘Command + Option + Shift + H’ on Mac to access the edit history feature in Google Sheets.

Restore to Previous Version in Google Sheets

If you want to restore your Google Sheets spreadsheet to a previous version, click the three-dot icon next to a version and select the ‘Restore this version’ document. The latest version of the document will change the data and content from the previous version.

However, you can undo this action by reverting to the last version before restoring the document with an earlier version. You can do it in the same version history tab.

If you want to create a separate spreadsheet from a version, you can use the ‘Make a copy’ option and a new spreadsheet with content from that particular version will pop up.

How to rename specific versions on Google Sheets

To track version history in Google Sheets, we recommend naming each version. This way, it can help you collaborate and communicate better in Google Sheets documents.

Here’s how you can name your current instance in Google Sheets.

1. Name the Current Version

Step 1: Open your Google Sheets document and click File at the top of the spreadsheet.

Step 2: Select Version History, followed by ‘Name Current Version’.

Step 3: Now name the current version of your Google Sheets document.

However, if you want to name an older version of the document, you can click the three-dot icon next to it in the version history tab and select ‘Name This Version’. Let’s show you in detail.

2. Name the Older Version

Step 1: Open your Google Sheets document and click File.

Step 2: Click Version History > ‘View version history’.

Step 3: In the version history sidebar, click the three-dot icon next to the version you want to rename and select ‘Name this version’.

Step 4: Now give it a name.

Check personal mobile history on Google Sheets

If you want to examine changes made over time to an individual cell in a Google Sheets document, here’s how to view individual cell history in Google Sheets.

Step 1: Open your Google Sheets document and right-click a cell in Google Sheets.

Step 2: Click on ‘Show edit history’.

You can now view the edit history of a specific cell. Navigate using the buttons in the box to see all previous edits.

Clear version history on Google Sheets

While Google Sheets doesn’t have an option to delete version history, simply creating a new copy of a spreadsheet document will delete the version history. However, the version history will remain on the source document unless you delete the document itself.

Step 1: Open your Google Sheets document and click File.

Step 2: Click ‘Make a copy’.

Duplicate copies of a spreadsheet without version history will pop up in a new tab.

See Activity on Google Sheets on iPhone and Android

You can’t view version history details on the Google Sheets app on iPhone and Android. However, you can still see the activity and who made the changes while on the document.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive app on your iPhone or Android phone.

Step 2: Find and click on the three dots icon next to the document you want to access.

Step 3: Click ‘Details and Activity’.

Step 4: You will be able to see all the activities in the Google Sheets document.

That’s all you need to know about viewing and managing version history in Google Sheets. However, if you’re having any trouble viewing version history, here’s what you need to do.

Fixes if you can’t see version history in Google Sheets

Here are a few reasons why you might not be able to see version history in a Google Sheets document.

1. You have turned off ‘Show Changes’ on the document.

Always be sure to enable the Show changes option before you start creating a Google Sheets document if you want to see edit history and activity. Here’s how you can do it.

Step 1: In the Google Sheets document, click File > Version History > View Version History.

Step 2: Make sure you have the ‘Show Changes’ box checked.

However, disabling this option will not delete existing version history. Also, make sure you enable this option before you start writing the document. If you enable it later, you can only see the version history and changes after you enable it.

2. Use a reliable Internet connection

Google Sheets has an autosave feature, but only if it’s connected to the Internet before you close the tab. If you’re working offline and close the tab before going online, Google Sheets won’t save the changes, and so it won’t show up as such in the version history.

3. Make sure you have access to the document

If you’re not the document creator, you need full access to the document to view and track changes in the Google Sheets document. If you’re the creator, make sure to select the ‘Editor’ option if you want to share the document with someone who wants to see the edit history.

Google Sheets Edit History FAQ

1. Can you view Google Sheets edit history using desktop mode on Android and iPhone?

Correct. You can open Google Sheets documents in desktop mode on any web browser on your phone and access the version history.

2. Can someone with ‘Commenters’ access on Google Sheets see version history?

Are not. You cannot view version history on Google Sheets documents with Commenters access.

3. How do I edit an old version on Google Sheets?

You can restore a specific version as the latest version for editing, or make a copy of it and edit it separately.

Track changes in Google Sheets

We hope this article made it easy for you to view version history on Google Sheets. This way, you can effectively track progress on a Google Sheets document with all your team members. However, we expect Google to also release a version history feature in the Google Sheets app for iPhone and Android.

Categories: How to
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