Turn on Track Changes to see who changed what

Track Changes is a feature in Google Docs that records every edit made to a document — who made it, when they made it, and what the change was. When you turn it on, new edits appear in a different color and are marked with the editor's name and timestamp. You can then review each change one at a time and decide whether to keep it or remove it.

To turn on Track Changes, open your document in Google Docs. Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner, then select "Track changes." A checkmark will appear next to the option when it is active. From that moment forward, every keystroke, deletion, and formatting change will be recorded.

Track Changes stays on until you turn it off using the same menu. If you turn it off, new edits will no longer be tracked, but all the changes you recorded while it was on remain visible in the document until you accept or reject them.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn on Track Changes from the menu (three lines icon) in the top right corner of Google Docs.
  • Each change shows the editor's name, the date and time, and exactly what was added, deleted, or modified.
  • You can accept or reject individual changes, or accept all changes at once using the "All changes" option in the toolbar.
  • Track Changes works in real time when multiple people edit the same document, so you see edits as they happen.
  • Turning off Track Changes stops recording new edits but does not erase the changes already recorded.

How to see who made each change

When Track Changes is on, every edit appears highlighted in the document. Additions are usually shown in blue, deletions in red with a strikethrough, and formatting changes in a different color. Next to each change, you will see a small box or marker with the editor's name, the date, and the time the change was made.

Hover your cursor over any highlighted change to see a tooltip with more detail: the full name of the person who made it, the exact time, and sometimes a comment they left. If multiple people are editing the same document at the same time, you will see their changes in different colors so you can tell them apart.

The changes appear in the order they were made, so you can follow the document's edit history from start to finish. This is especially useful when several people are working on the same file and you need to understand what each person contributed.

Accept or reject individual changes

Once you have reviewed a change, you can keep it or remove it. To do this, click on the highlighted change in the document. A small menu will appear with two buttons: a checkmark to accept the change, and an X to reject it. Click the checkmark to keep the edit, or click the X to undo it and restore the original text.

When you accept a change, the highlighting disappears and the text becomes part of the final document. When you reject a change, the edit is removed and the document returns to what it was before that change was made. The change record itself is then marked as rejected and remains visible in the document history.

You can go through changes one by one at your own pace, or you can use the navigation arrows in the toolbar to jump from one change to the next. This is helpful when a document has many edits and you want to move through them quickly without scrolling.

Accept or reject all changes at once

If you trust all the edits and want to finalize the document quickly, you can accept every change in one action. Open the menu (three lines icon) and select "Track changes" to see the tracking panel. At the top of the panel, you will see an option that says "All changes." Click the checkmark next to it to accept every change in the document at once.

Similarly, if you want to reject all changes and return the document to its original state, click the X next to "All changes." This will undo every edit that was made while Track Changes was on. Use this option with caution, because it removes all edits at once and cannot be undone with a single click — you would have to undo the action itself using Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac).

After you accept or reject all changes, the highlighting disappears and Track Changes turns off automatically. The document is then considered final, and no further changes are tracked unless you turn the feature back on.

View the full history of changes

Google Docs keeps a version history of your document, which is separate from Track Changes but works alongside it. To see the full history, click "File" in the top menu, then select "Version history" and then "See version history." A panel will open on the right side showing every time the document was saved, who saved it, and when.

Click on any version in the list to see what the document looked like at that point in time. You can compare two versions side by side to spot differences, or you can restore an older version if you need to go back to an earlier draft. This is useful if Track Changes was off during some edits and you still want to see what changed.

Version history is automatic — Google Docs saves a new version every time someone stops editing for a few seconds. You do not have to do anything to create these snapshots. They remain in the document indefinitely unless you delete them manually.

Turn off Track Changes when you are done reviewing

Once you have accepted or rejected all the changes you want to review, turn off Track Changes to stop recording new edits. Open the menu (three lines icon) and click "Track changes" again to toggle it off. The checkmark will disappear, and the feature will no longer record who is making changes.

Turning off Track Changes does not erase the changes you already reviewed. It only stops the recording of new edits going forward. If you turn Track Changes back on later, new edits will be recorded again, but the old ones remain in the document history.

If you want to remove all the change records from the document entirely, you must first accept or reject every change. Once all changes are resolved, the highlighting disappears and the document looks clean. At that point, you can safely share the final version without any visible edit marks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see Track Changes if someone else turned it on?

Yes. If another person turned on Track Changes before sharing the document with you, you will see all their edits highlighted with their name and timestamp. You can review and accept or reject their changes even if you did not turn on the feature yourself. The changes remain visible until someone accepts or rejects them.

What happens to Track Changes when I share the document?

Track Changes stays on or off depending on its state when you share. If it is on, anyone you share with will see the tracked edits and can accept or reject them. If it is off, new editors will not see previous changes being tracked, but all the changes you recorded before sharing remain visible in the document.

Can I turn off Track Changes for just one person?

No. Track Changes is a document-wide setting, not a per-person setting. When you turn it on or off, it affects all edits in the document, regardless of who makes them. However, you can accept or reject changes made by specific people individually.

Does Track Changes work on mobile?

Track Changes works on the Google Docs mobile app, but the interface is simpler than on desktop. You can turn it on and off, and you can accept or reject changes, but navigating between changes and viewing detailed edit history is easier on a computer.

What if I accidentally reject a change I wanted to keep?

Use Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo the rejection immediately. This will restore the change to its tracked state so you can accept it. If you have made other edits since the rejection, undoing may also undo those edits, so act quickly.