How To Hide Comments in Google Docs [Step-by-Step Guide]

Are comments or suggestions in your document distracting you? Not to worry! This post explores how to hide comments in Google Docs with three easy methods. Follow along to learn how to minimize their visibility for optimal focus.

TLDR: To hide comments in your Google Docs document, simply go to the “View” menu and toggle the “Show comments” option.

Why Should You Hide Comments in Google Docs?

Comments are great ways to draw attention to errors and improve the overall quality of a document. However, when comments become numerous or lengthy, they can quickly become distracting.

By hiding comments, you can improve the readability and comprehension of your document, allowing you to concentrate better on your work.

How To Hide Comments in Google Docs

There are three ways you can make Google Docs hide comments:

1. Switching the viewing mode
2. Toggling off the comments
3. Resolving the comments temporarily

Let’s take a look at each of them.

Method 1: Changing the View Mode

If you need to check out the document, you can modify your current access mode. Google Docs offers three of them:

• Editing: Grants full access to all document features (e.g., sharing, deleting).
• Suggesting: Users can leave comments and suggestions on the document, but only the owner can accept or decline them.
• Viewing: Users can only view documents. No changes or comments can be made in this mode.

Out of these three access modes, the only option that completely removes the comments from sight is “Viewing.” Here’s how you can access it:

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Choose “View” > “Mode” > “Viewing.”

Alternatively, you can click on the drop-down menu located under the “Share” button (usually denoted by a pen icon), then choose “Viewing.”

Related: How to Share Google Docs [Quick Step-by-Step Guide]

Method 2: Disabling the “Show Comments” Option

You can also toggle off the “Show comments” feature. This method is particularly helpful when editing the document without seeing the comments. Here’s how to turn off comments on Google Docs.

1. On your document, click on “View” on the menu bar.
2. Click “Show comments” and ensure it doesn’t have a checkmark on the left side.

Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + J on Windows (or Command + Option + Shift + J for Macs).

Note: Some users report not seeing comments on Google Docs. If this is the case, go to the same menu to make them visible, but ensure that the “Show comments” option is checked.

Method 3: Resolve Google Doc Comments Temporarily

While it’s likely the most inefficient way to hide comments in Google Docs, this method works if you only deal with a handful of comments. You can only resolve your personal comments in a document. To resolve other users’ comments, you must have edit permissions.

1. Go to a specific comment in your document.
2. Click on the check mark (the “Resolve” button) beside the commenter’s name.

Be mindful when using this method: Resolving a comment notifies the original commenter, implying you have acknowledged their suggestions (even if you didn’t).

If you’re ready to check the comments you’ve temporarily erased, access them by opening the comments history. Click on the message thread icon at the upper-right corner of your screen.

How To Accept Comments and Suggestions in Google Docs

If you agree with the comments and suggestions made on your document, acknowledge them with a few easy steps.

Acknowledging Comments

To accept comments, you have two options: Resolve the comment (as demonstrated below) or reply to the commenter for a discussion.

1. Inside your Google Docs document, click the checkmark in the upper-right corner of a comment card (found on the right margin).

2. To reply to the comment, type your response in the text box (below the comment card).

As of this writing, Google Docs doesn’t have a feature that allows you to resolve all comments in bulk. However, a feature like this does exist for edit suggestions, which we’ll discuss in the next section.

Accepting Suggestions

To implement a single edit suggestion, click on the “Accept suggestion” button, denoted by a checkmark symbol.

Google Docs also allows you to accept all suggestions in bulk. To achieve this, follow the instructions below:

1. Open your Google Docs document.
2. Choose “Tools” > “Review suggested edits.”

3. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Alt + O + U on Windows (or Ctrl + Command + O + U for Macs).
4. Hit the “Accept All” button on the panel that’s displayed in the upper-right corner of your screen.

How To Remove Comments in Google Docs

If you disagree with the comments and suggestions in your documents, you can always choose to remove — or reject — them.

How To Delete Comments in Google Docs

To remove comments, you’ll need editor-level access to the document. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to delete Google Docs comments:

1. Navigate to the specific comment or suggestion you want to delete (normally displayed on the right side of your document page).
2. Click on the vertical three-dot icon (⋮) in the top-right corner of the comment card.
3. Select “Delete” from the list.

4. Hit the “Delete” button to confirm your choice.

Related: Step-by-Step Google Sheets Permissions Guide [Easy]

How To Turn Off Suggestions on Google Docs

To remove all the suggestions in one go, you can also follow the steps we’ve discussed for accepting suggestions in bulk. To get started, follow these steps:

1. On your Google Docs document, choose “Tools” > “Review suggested edits.”

2. This time, click on the “Reject All” button instead of “Accept All.”

How To Display Resolved Comments in Google Docs

Google Docs saves your document’s comment history, including all comments and suggestions (whether they’re made, resolved, accepted, or rejected). You can simply open the comment history to display the resolved comments in your file. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to your Google document
2. Click on “Open comment history,” denoted by a message icon in the same area as the “Share” button.
3. Alternatively, press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + A on Windows (or Command + Option + Shift + A for Mac) to display the comment history.
4. Click on the drop-down beside “Comments” (this is usually displayed as “All”).
5. Select “Resolved” from the available options in the list. After that, you’ll be able to view all the comments that have been resolved in your document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Viewers See Comments in Google Docs?

People with viewing permission cannot see comments in Google Docs. This is the case — even if you tag them using their email addresses in a comment. To let them view the comments, change their access permissions to either commenter or editor.

How Do I Unhide Hidden Comments in Google Docs?

To view comments in your document on Google Docs, follow these steps:

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Click on “View” in the menu bar.
3. Select “Show comments” from the drop-down menu.

By choosing “Show comments,” the comments in your document will become visible, allowing you to read and interact with them.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! You’ve just learned how to hide comments in Google Docs. Now, you can make your editing work more efficient by removing distracting comments!

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