SharePoint Document Issues

How to Remove SharePoint Co-Authoring Initials and Highlighted Squares

John Wilson Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to hide or remove the highlighted squares and user initials that appear around links and list items in SharePoint during document collaboration.

How to Remove SharePoint Co-Authoring Initials and Highlighted Squares

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing or editing shared lists and documents in a SharePoint team environment.
Observed behavior: Highlighted squares and user initials continuously appear on the interface to indicate other people who have access to or are actively editing the content.

Before you start

Understand that these visual indicators are native features designed by Microsoft to prevent editing conflicts during real-time collaboration. Checking your site permissions or changing basic view settings will not alter this core interface behavior.

Solution 1Recommended

Understanding SharePoint Co-Authoring Limitations

Currently, there is no built-in setting to disable or hide the active user indicators in SharePoint. The recommended action is to submit feature feedback to Microsoft.

SharePoint displays highlighted squares and user initials to show who has access to or is currently editing a list or document. This is a hardcoded part of the modern SharePoint co-authoring interface designed to enhance real-time collaboration.

Unfortunately, Microsoft does not provide any native site settings, library settings, or user preferences to hide these collaborating-user indicators. If this UI element is disruptive to your workflow, you must submit a feature request to the development team.

Acknowledge the feature limitation

Recognize that the highlighted squares and initials cannot be disabled through your SharePoint site settings or document library advanced settings.

Submit a feature request

Navigate to the Microsoft Feedback Portal (https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/) and search for the SharePoint forum. Submit a new request asking the developers to add a toggle switch for hiding co-authoring indicators.

Understanding SharePoint Co-Authoring Limitations

Workaround: If you need to view or edit the document without seeing other active users, you can select the file, click 'Download' from the command bar, and open the local copy offline on your computer.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Enjoy Distraction-Free Editing with WPS Office

If SharePoint's constant co-authoring pop-ups and highlighted initials distract your workflow, consider using WPS Office for your local document management. It offers a clean, lightweight interface for focused work while remaining fully compatible with all Microsoft Office file formats.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office installer for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process in seconds.
3. Open your files offline: Open your downloaded SharePoint documents directly in WPS Office to edit them in a clean, isolated environment without co-authoring distractions.

Free, lightweight, and incredibly fast to launchFully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)Clean, user-friendly interface designed for distraction-free editingSeamless migration with no learning curve required

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do initials appear on my SharePoint documents?

Initials and highlighted squares are a core part of SharePoint's real-time co-authoring feature. They visually indicate that other users currently have the document open or are actively making edits, helping to prevent conflicting changes.

Can the SharePoint site administrator disable these co-authoring indicators?

No, even site administrators with full control cannot disable these visual indicators. They are baked into the modern SharePoint interface and apply across all tenants globally.

Does 'checking out' a document in SharePoint remove the initials?

Checking out a document gives you exclusive editing rights and prevents others from modifying it, which will stop active co-authoring indicators from appearing while you work. However, this restricts teamwork entirely until you check the document back in.

Document & File Issues