File Sharing Problems

Can You Hide Other Recipients in Shared Word or Excel Files?

Olivia Miller Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know if there is a setting to share a Word or Excel file with multiple people while hiding their identities from one another.

Can You Hide Other Recipients in Shared Word or Excel Files?

Product: Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel)
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing a single document or spreadsheet with selected recipients while attempting to maintain their privacy and hide their access status from other collaborators.
Observed behavior: Microsoft 365 currently lacks a built-in feature to hide shared access information, meaning recipients can typically see the identities of others who have access to the file.

Before you start

Verify your current sharing settings by clicking 'Manage Access' in your document to see exactly who currently has visibility before trying alternative sharing methods.

Solution 1Recommended

Manage File Permissions and Use Sharing Workarounds

Since Microsoft 365 does not natively support hiding recipients in a shared file link, you must use alternative distribution methods to ensure privacy.

Currently, Microsoft 365 sharing does not provide a setting that lets selected recipients access a Word or Excel file while hiding the identities of other people who have access.

If strictly maintaining recipient privacy is required for your workflow, you should avoid using centralized OneDrive or SharePoint sharing links. Instead, you can distribute individual offline copies.

Check current file permissions

Open your Word or Excel file, click the 'Share' button in the upper right corner, and select 'Manage Access' to review who can currently view or edit.

Distribute separate copies

To completely hide users from one another, go to 'File' > 'Save a Copy', create distinct versions of the document, and share them individually with each person.

Send via BCC in email

Alternatively, download the file to your computer and attach it to an email in Outlook. Place all recipient email addresses in the 'BCC' field to hide their identities.

Submit a feature request

Since this is a known limitation, you can submit a privacy feature request through the Microsoft OneDrive feedback portal for future consideration.

Manage File Permissions and Use Sharing Workarounds

Privacy Limitations with 'View Only': Setting a user's permission to 'View Only' prevents them from making edits, but it does not hide their email address or name from the 'Manage Access' panel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide collaborators by locking specific cells in Excel?

No. Locking specific cells or protecting a worksheet restricts editing, but it does not hide the identities of users who have been granted access to the shared file.

Does removing editing permissions hide a user?

Removing editing permissions (setting to 'View Only') only restricts modifications. The user's account information may still be visible in the 'Manage Access' list to others viewing the file.

Is there any Microsoft 365 update planned to allow anonymous sharing?

Microsoft has not officially announced a feature to hide specific recipients in shared files. However, users are actively encouraged to submit this privacy request via the OneDrive feedback portal to raise its priority.

Document & File Issues