How to Track Changes in Google Docs
Collaborating on documents? Google Docs has a powerful feature called "Suggesting mode" that works like Track Changes in Microsoft Word. This guide shows you how to track changes, review edits from collaborators, accept or reject suggestions, and view your document's complete edit history.
Quick Answer
To track changes in Google Docs: Click the pencil icon in the top right corner > Select "Suggesting" from the dropdown. All your edits will now appear as suggestions that the document owner can accept or reject.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+O then Ctrl+Alt+U (Windows) or Cmd+Option+O then Cmd+Option+U (Mac) to cycle through modes.
What is Suggesting Mode?
Suggesting mode is Google Docs' equivalent of Track Changes in Microsoft Word. When enabled, any edits you make appear as suggestions rather than direct changes. This allows the document owner or editor to review and approve each change.
The Three Editing Modes
Google Docs has three editing modes, controlled by the icon in the top right corner:
| Mode | Icon | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | Pencil icon | Direct editing, changes are applied immediately |
| Suggesting | Pencil with speech bubble | Changes appear as suggestions that can be accepted/rejected |
| Viewing | Eye icon | Read-only view, no editing possible |
How to Enable Suggesting Mode
- Open your Google Doc.
- Look at the top right corner of the toolbar (below the Share button).
- Click the pencil icon (or current mode indicator).
- Select "Suggesting" from the dropdown menu.
The icon will change to a pencil with a speech bubble, indicating you are in Suggesting mode.
What Suggestions Look Like
When you edit in Suggesting mode:
- Added text appears in a colored font (color varies by user)
- Deleted text appears with strikethrough
- Formatting changes appear as suggestions with descriptions
- A comment box appears in the margin showing who made the suggestion and when
Pro Tip: Each collaborator gets a different color for their suggestions, making it easy to identify who made which changes.
How to Review and Accept/Reject Changes
Once suggestions have been made, the document owner or editors can review and accept or reject each change.
Review Individual Suggestions
- Click on any suggestion in the document (the colored text or strikethrough).
- A popup will appear showing who made the suggestion and when.
- Click the checkmark (✓) to accept the change.
- Click the X to reject the change.
- Optionally, click the speech bubble to reply with a comment.
Accept or Reject All Suggestions
To handle all suggestions at once:
- Go to Edit in the menu bar.
- Scroll down to find Accept all suggestions or Reject all suggestions.
- Click your choice to apply to all pending suggestions.
| Action | How to Do It |
|---|---|
| Accept one suggestion | Click suggestion > Click checkmark |
| Reject one suggestion | Click suggestion > Click X |
| Accept all suggestions | Edit menu > Accept all suggestions |
| Reject all suggestions | Edit menu > Reject all suggestions |
| Reply to suggestion | Click suggestion > Click speech bubble > Type reply |
Note: Once you accept or reject a suggestion, it cannot be undone through the suggestion interface. However, you can use Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo immediately, or restore from version history later.
Version History: See All Past Changes
Google Docs automatically saves every edit as a version. You can view the complete history of changes, see who made them, and restore previous versions.
How to Access Version History
- Go to File > Version history > See version history.
- Or use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H (Windows) or Cmd+Option+Shift+H (Mac).
A panel will open on the right side showing all saved versions with timestamps and editor names.
What You Can Do in Version History
- View changes: Click any version to see the document at that point in time. Changes are highlighted in each editor's color.
- Restore a version: Click a version, then click "Restore this version" at the top.
- Name versions: Click the three dots next to a version and select "Name this version" to create a bookmark.
- Make a copy: Click the three dots and select "Make a copy" to save a specific version as a new document.
Pro Tip: Name important versions (like "Before client review" or "Final draft") to make them easier to find later. Named versions never get automatically condensed.
Compare Two Documents
Google Docs can compare two separate documents and show you the differences, which is useful when you have multiple versions saved as different files.
How to Compare Documents
- Open one of the documents you want to compare.
- Go to Tools > Compare documents.
- Click "My Drive" to select the other document to compare.
- Select the document and click Compare.
- Google Docs creates a new document showing all differences as suggestions.
The comparison document uses Suggesting mode formatting: additions appear in colored text, deletions in strikethrough. You can review and accept/reject changes as needed.
Track Changes on Mobile
You can use Suggesting mode in the Google Docs mobile app on iOS and Android.
Enable Suggesting Mode on Mobile
- Open the Google Docs app and open your document.
- Tap the three dots menu (⋮) in the top right corner.
- Tap "Suggest changes" to enable Suggesting mode.
- Edit the document as normal. Changes will appear as suggestions.
Review Suggestions on Mobile
- Tap on any colored suggestion text.
- A popup appears with the suggestion details.
- Tap the checkmark to accept or X to reject.
- You can also tap to add a reply.
| Feature | iOS | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Suggesting mode | ⋮ > Suggest changes | ⋮ > Suggest changes |
| View suggestions | Tap colored text | Tap colored text |
| Accept/Reject | Tap checkmark/X | Tap checkmark/X |
| Version history | ⋮ > Details & Activity | ⋮ > Details & Activity |
Tips & Best Practices
Use Suggesting mode for collaborative editing
When multiple people work on a document, have everyone use Suggesting mode. One person (usually the document owner) can then review and accept changes.
Reply to suggestions for clarity
If a suggestion needs context, click the reply button to explain your reasoning. This helps reviewers understand why you made the change.
Name important versions
Before major reviews or submissions, name your version (File > Version history > Name current version). This creates a restore point you can easily find later.
Set editing permissions appropriately
Share documents as "Commenter" if you only want people to suggest changes, or "Editor" if they can also accept/reject suggestions.
Review suggestions before accepting all
While "Accept all suggestions" is convenient, review them first to avoid accepting unwanted changes. You cannot easily undo bulk acceptance.
Use comments for discussions
For questions or discussions that are not direct edits, use comments (Ctrl+Alt+M) instead of suggestions. This keeps edit tracking clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I track changes in Google Docs?
Click the pencil icon in the top right corner and select "Suggesting". All edits will appear as suggestions that can be accepted or rejected by the document owner or editors.
What is the equivalent of Track Changes in Google Docs?
Google Docs uses "Suggesting mode" which functions like Track Changes in Microsoft Word. It shows additions in colored text and deletions with strikethrough, and allows accepting or rejecting each change.
How do I see who made changes in a Google Doc?
Each suggestion shows the name of the person who made it in the margin popup. For historical changes, go to File > Version history > See version history to see who edited what and when.
How do I turn on track changes (Suggesting mode)?
Click the pencil icon in the top right corner and select "Suggesting". The icon will change to a pencil with a speech bubble to indicate Suggesting mode is active.
How do I accept or reject changes in Google Docs?
Click any suggestion to see a popup with checkmark (accept) and X (reject) buttons. For all suggestions at once, use Edit > Accept all suggestions or Reject all suggestions.
Can I track changes on the Google Docs mobile app?
Yes. Tap the three dots menu and select "Suggest changes" to enable Suggesting mode. Tap suggestions to accept or reject them.
Can I restore a previous version of my Google Doc?
Yes. Go to File > Version history > See version history, click the version you want, then click "Restore this version". You can also make a copy of any past version.
How do I compare two Google Docs?
Open one document, go to Tools > Compare documents, select the other document. Google Docs creates a new file showing all differences as suggestions.
Summary
Tracking changes in Google Docs is straightforward with these tools:
- Suggesting mode: Click the pencil icon > Select "Suggesting" to make edits appear as trackable suggestions
- Accept/Reject: Click suggestions to accept (✓) or reject (X) individually, or use Edit menu for bulk actions
- Version history: File > Version history to see all past edits and restore if needed
- Compare documents: Tools > Compare documents to see differences between two files
- Mobile: Three dots menu > Suggest changes
Suggesting mode is essential for collaborative document editing, allowing teams to propose changes while maintaining control over what gets approved.
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