Introduction
This blog explains why and how to block Version History in Google Docs Editors to prevent potential misuse in educational and organizational settings. The version history in Google Docs editors allows users to view, track, and restore previous versions of a document. It captures changes made over time and logs them, showing who and when made the specific edits. Google Docs' Version History feature allows users to view and restore past edits, which can lead to privacy concerns or academic dishonesty. By blocking access to this feature, administrators can enhance security, safeguard sensitive information, and maintain integrity in collaborative environments.
Additionally, this blog will cover how Safe Doc disallows the Version History option in other Google Editors, such as Sheets, Slides, and Drawings, addressing potential misuse across the entire Google Workspace suite.
For more information, please visit Google docs support.
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Files > Version history page in Google Docs
Why block Version History in Google Workspace for Education?
Google Docs' Version History feature allows users to view, track, and restore changes made to a document over time. While useful for collaboration, students may misuse Version History to review earlier versions of shared assignments, and sensitive edits may remain accessible to unauthorized viewers.
Let’s understand the scenario through a user story:
- Problem: Teacher Sarah, who values academic integrity in her K-12 classroom, noticed that students were misusing the Version History feature in Google Docs during group projects. Some students reverted documents to earlier versions to erase their peers' contributions, avoid collaborative work, and submit incomplete revisions, undermining the assignment's purpose. This misuse led to unfair collaboration and hindered Sarah's goal of fostering accountability among students.
- Solution: To prevent this, Sarah thought of a way to restrict access to the Version History feature in Google Docs, ensuring that students could not undo or revert changes made by others. This would help maintain the integrity of collaborative assignments and hold students accountable for their individual contributions.
- Result: By disabling the Version History feature, Sarah successfully preserved the collaborative nature of group projects. Students were no longer able to erase their peers' work or skip revisions, ensuring fairness and accountability in the assignment process. This solution reinforced Sarah's efforts to promote academic integrity and foster a more effective learning environment.
By preventing students from accessing earlier versions, Sarah could ensure that each student’s contribution was locked in, promoting transparency, fairness, and integrity in group projects.
What is a xFanatical Safe Doc?
xFanatical Safe Doc is a comprehensive solution for maintaining a focused and secure online environment for Google Workspace admins and users. It provides robust tools to manage and restrict access to various online content, ensuring a safe and productive digital environment. xFanatical Safe Doc integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, offering administrators the ability to customize content filtering policies according to their needs.
Video Demo
Disable Version History in Google Workspace with xFanatical Safe Doc
Remove Version History option Google Docs
Google Docs’ Version History allows users to view and restore previous versions of a document, which is useful for tracking changes during collaboration. However, in some environments, especially educational settings, this feature can be misused, leading to issues with transparency, privacy, and accountability.
At this point xFanatical Safe Doc becomes an invaluable tool. By implementing the BlockDocsVersionHistory policy, you can prevent users from exploiting the Version History feature. Once this policy is set to true, the option of Version History of document vanishes from the Google Docs editor, ensuring that students engage more actively with the content rather than simply distributing it.
Removes the Files > Version history menu in Google Docs using xFanatical Safe Doc
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Version history option in Google Docs
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Show editors menu in Google Docs
Disallow Version History option in Google Sheets
The Version History feature in Google Sheets is useful for tracking changes and restoring previous versions, but it can be problematic in environments where data integrity, security, and accountability are crucial. In educational settings, students might revert projects to earlier versions to bypass peer contributions or avoid feedback. By disallowing the Version History option, administrators can prevent misuse, ensure changes remain final, and maintain better control over data integrity.
Disallows the Files > Version history menu in Google Sheets using xFanatical Safe Doc
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Show edit history menu in Google Sheets
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Version history option in Google Sheets
Inactivate Version History option for student in Google Slides
In Google Slides, the Version History feature lets users access and restore previous versions of a presentation, which can be distracting and lead to misuse, especially in classroom settings. Students may use this feature to undo group members' work, revert to incomplete drafts, or avoid teacher revisions during collaborative projects.
By inactivating the Version History option, educators can ensure students remain focused on the current task, prevent tampering with group contributions, and maintain a clear record of progress.
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Files > Version history menu in Google Slides
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Version history option in Google Slides
Constrain on the Version History option in Google Drawings
The Version History feature in Google Drawings can be valuable for tracking changes, but it poses risks in educational and collaborative settings. Students might exploit this feature to revert to earlier drafts, avoiding peer feedback and disrupting teamwork on projects.
To prevent misuse of the Version History feature, you can use xFanatical Safe Doc by enabling the BlockDocsVersionHistory policy. Setting this policy to true will disable access to Version History, ensuring that students cannot revert to previous versions and thereby maintaining integrity and encouraging authentic collaboration on projects.
xFanatical Safe Doc removes the Files > Version history menu in Google Drawings
Removes the Version history option in Google Drawings using xFanatical Safe Doc
Block Version History in Google Sites
The Version History feature in Google Sites allows users to track and revert changes made to a website, which can be beneficial for managing updates and revisions. However, in educational contexts, students could misuse Version History to revert to earlier versions of their projects, undermining the iterative learning process and avoiding necessary feedback from instructors.
Removes the Version history menu in Google Sites using xFanatical Safe Doc
How to block Version History in GWFE using xFanatical Safe Doc
Step 1: Install Safe Doc:
The first step is to install Safe Doc in your Google Workspace environment. Safe Doc is a browser extension that seamlessly integrates with Google workspace, providing enhanced control and security features.
Step 2: Configure Safe Doc settings:
Once Safe Doc is installed, you can configure its settings to disable Version History in Google Workspace.
Step 3: Access Google Admin Console:
Now, navigate to the Google Admin Console. In the Google Admin Console, click on Devices followed by Chrome. Then, select Apps & Extensions and click on Users & Browsers.
Step 4: Copy the Policy:
Locate the policy that you wish to apply and copy it. The policy will display in a specific format similar to the example provided below:
"BlockDocsVersionHistory": {
"Value": true
}
Step 5: Save the Policy:
After applying the policy, click the Save button to apply it.
How to configure Safe Doc?
Ensure the deployment of Safe Doc on your students' Chrome browsers, and review the xFanatical Safe Doc Configuration document for detailed instructions.
Conclusion
In summary, blocking the Version History feature across Google Workspace applications is a proactive measure that enhances security, accountability, and integrity educational settings. By preventing users from reverting to previous versions, educators can foster a more authentic learning experience, ensuring that students engage fully with their assignments and peer feedback. Implementing these restrictions with xFanatical Safe Doc supports a focused and productive environment where users can confidently create and collaborate without the temptation to circumvent the revision process.
To learn more about how xFanatical Safe Doc can help enhance online safety in your educational institution, visit our website Safe Doc
Safe Doc
