How to set a password on a Google spreadsheet. Free Google Drive Tools You May Not Use. Actions on files and folders in Google Drive

The issue of security plays a very important role for a large number of users. Many people set restrictions on access to the device itself, but this is not always necessary. Sometimes you need to set a password for a certain application. In this article we will look at several ways in which this task is accomplished.

A password must be set if you are concerned about the safety of important information or want to hide it from prying eyes. There are several simple solutions to this problem. They are completed in just a few steps. Unfortunately, without installing third-party software, most devices do not provide additional protection for these programs. At the same time, on smartphones from some popular manufacturers, whose proprietary shell differs from “pure” Android, it is still possible to set a password for applications using standard means. In addition, in the settings of a number of mobile programs where security plays an extremely important role, you can also set a password to launch them.


Don't forget about the standard Android security system, which allows you to securely lock your device. This is done in a few simple steps:

So, having decided on the basic theory, let’s move on to a practical and more detailed consideration of all existing methods of blocking applications on Android devices.

Method 1: AppLock

AppLock is free, easy to use, and even an inexperienced user can figure out the controls. It supports installing additional protection on any device application. This process is very simple:

The disadvantage of this method is that by default a password is not set on the device itself, so another user simply uninstalling AppLock will reset all settings and the installed protection will disappear.

Method 2: CM Locker

CM Locker is a little similar to the representative from the previous method, but it has its own unique functionality and some additional tools. The protection is set as follows:

Among the additional functions, I would like to note a tool for cleaning background applications and customizing the display of important notifications.

Method 3: Standard system tools

As mentioned above, manufacturers of some smartphones and tablets running Android OS provide their users with the standard ability to protect applications by setting a password. Let's look at how this is done using the example of devices, or rather, proprietary shells of two well-known Chinese brands and one Taiwanese.

Meizu (Flyme)

  1. Open "Settings" your smartphone, scroll down the list of options available there to the block "Device" and find the item "Fingerprints and Security". Go to it.
  2. Select subsection "Application protection" and move the toggle switch located at the top to the active position.
  3. In the window that appears, enter a four-, five-, or six-digit password that you want to use in the future to block applications.
  4. Find the element you want to protect and check the checkbox located to the right of it.
  5. Now, when you try to open a locked application, you will be required to provide the previously specified password. Only after this will you be able to access all its capabilities.

Xiaomi (MIUI)

  1. As above, open "Settings" mobile device, scroll through their list almost to the very bottom, right down to the block "Applications", in which select the item "Application protection".
  2. You'll see a list of all the apps you can lock, but before you can, you'll need to set a common password. To do this, tap on the corresponding button located at the very bottom of the screen and enter the code expression. By default, you will be prompted to enter a graphic key, but if you wish, you can change "Method of protection" by clicking on the link of the same name. In addition to the key, a password and PIN code are available to choose from.
  3. Having decided on the type of protection, enter the code expression and confirm it by pressing both times "Further" to go to the next step.

    Note: To ensure additional security, the specified code can be linked to your Mi account - this will help you reset and recover your password in case you forget it. In addition, if the phone has a fingerprint scanner, it will be suggested to use it as the main means of protection. Whether to do this or not - decide for yourself.

  4. Scroll through the list of apps installed on your device and find the one you want to password protect. Move the switch located to the right of its name to the active position - this way you will activate password protection of the application.
  5. From now on, each time you start the program, you will need to enter a code expression in order to be able to use it.

ASUS (ZEN UI)
In their proprietary shell, the developers of the eminent Taiwanese company also allow you to protect installed applications from third-party interference, and this can be done in two different ways at once. The first involves setting a graphic password or PIN code, and the potential burglar will also be filmed on the Camera. The second one is practically no different from those discussed above - this is the usual setting of a password, or rather, a PIN code. Both security options are available in "Settings", directly in their section "Application protection"(or AppLock Mode).

Standard protection measures work similarly on mobile devices from any other manufacturer. Of course, provided that they added such an opportunity to the proprietary shell.

Method 4: Basic features of some applications

Certain Android mobile applications have the ability to set a password to launch them by default. First of all, these include bank clients (Sberbank, Alfa-Bank, etc.) and programs close to them in purpose, that is, those related to finance (for example, WebMoney, Qiwi). A similar protection function is available in some social network clients and instant messengers.


The security methods provided in a particular program may differ - for example, in one case it is a password, in another - a PIN code, in a third - a graphic key, etc. In addition, the same mobile banking clients allow you to replace any from the selected (or initially available) security options to an even more secure fingerprint scan. That is, instead of a password (or a similar value), when you try to launch an application and to open it, you just need to put your finger on the scanner.


Due to external and functional differences between Android programs, we cannot provide you with general instructions for setting a password. All that can be recommended in this case is to look into the settings and find there an item related to protection, security, PIN code, password, etc., that is, something that is directly related to our topic today, and The screenshots attached in this part of the article will help you understand the general algorithm of actions.

Conclusion

This concludes our instructions. Of course, there are several other software solutions you could consider to password protect applications, but they are all practically the same and offer the same capabilities. That is why, as an example, we used only the most convenient and popular representatives of this segment, as well as the standard capabilities of the operating system and some programs.

11.07.2013

Five free, easy-to-use tools let you encrypt data, listen to music, view slides, automatically create backups, share files, and more

The Google Drive service is only about a year old, but it is already very popular. If you have a Google account, it's very easy to use and the prices are noticeably lower than Dropbox. For 100 GB of storage, you'll only have to pay $5 a month (Google also offers 25 GB of storage for Gmail as a bonus). At Dropbox, 100 GB will cost 2 times more.

Like the Chrome browser, Google Drive becomes even more useful when you complement it with third-party extensions and services.

Some extensions run right on your computer, others run in Chrome, and others run on a remote server, but they all help make your Google Drive experience more enjoyable and efficient.

BoxCryptor

Are you concerned about privacy issues and are concerned about the security of files hosted on a remote server? This is quite natural, but it should not become an obstacle on the way to the cloud. The desktop application, Windows BoxCryptor, creates an encrypted folder that can be placed in the Google Drive folder.

After creating a folder and defining a password, move the files you want to protect into it. BoxCryptor will encrypt them according to the AES-256 standard. To unlock a folder and gain access to the files located there, just launch BoxCryptor, go to the encrypted folder and enter the password.

When you try to open files without a password, an error message appears on the screen. But BoxCryptor only hides the contents of the files: their names and format remain publicly available. Therefore, in order to increase confidentiality, it makes sense to rename files so that they do not attract prying eyes.

Please note that encrypted files can only be accessed after entering the password. If you forget your password, your files will be lost forever.

Therefore, it should be quite complex, but memorable.

DriveTunes

Storing music in the cloud allows you to listen to it wherever you have an Internet connection. However, Google Drive does not yet have its own music player. To listen to melodies you need to either install the appropriate application on your computer or use a portable music player. An alternative option would be the DriveTunes Chrome extension.

When using the Chrome browser (both with a full installation and in a portable version), install the DriveTunes program, which will play the role of a music player for the Google Drive folder. The application automatically detects all music files and displays a list of them in an easy-to-view interface. To listen to a song, just double-click on it.

DriveTunes is a very simple player, with only a pause/play button, a next track button, and a volume button. Don't expect artistic presentation of albums, or support for equalizers and playlists. He can only play music, and that's where his capabilities are limited. Currently, only two audio formats are playable, but the DriveTunes download page claims that the next version will also support Ogg and FLAC files.

Google Slides

According to Google's download page, Slides is great for designing "from a colorful 6-page booklet to a 600-page presentation that can make anyone sleepy." In other words, there are no restrictions on file sizes (as long as you have enough free space on Google Drive, of course). Slide presentations can be created on a variety of topics, including animation. In addition, you have the opportunity to leave comments in the file for your colleagues. This is much more convenient and efficient than endlessly exchanging emails and immersing yourself in tedious conference calls.

The best part is that you no longer have to automatically press the save button. Google Slides instantly saves everything you do in real time - PowerPoint creators take note.

IFTTT

Hosting files and backups in cloud storage is a great idea, but it is also an extra hassle that users too often simply forget about. Free web service IFTTT (an abbreviation for If This Then That– “if... then...”) promises to simplify the tasks facing you by moving them to the background. Once you choose the appropriate scenario, you won't have to think about it anymore.

The service requires preliminary configuration, but after everything is done, you can sit quietly, periodically observing what is happening. The IFTTT Google Drive section is chock-full of automation tools (called recipes) offered by other users. Free copying and adjustment of recipes is allowed. If you can't find what you want to find, and if you can't adapt existing recipes to your needs, you can create one from scratch your own recipe. Let's say you need to save all your tweets in a CSV file hosted in Google storage. To do this, you open Twitter and give IFTTT access to your tweets, then instruct IFTTT to move the tweets to Google Drive (which must also be accessible by IFTTT).

IFTTT recipes cover most popular web services. And the developers are constantly adding more and more new features here, so it makes sense to check the IFTTT site often.

Open Drive

Many Google Drive users share their files with others, causing Google Drive to become a huge file-sharing network. But in order to request a copy of the file you are interested in, you need to know about its existence. But getting the relevant information is not so easy.

For a company whose core business is built on search, this may seem strange, but you don't have the ability to search for other people's files inside Drive and effectively use Google's regular search engines.

To address these shortcomings, Mcom Multicartes offers the Chrome Open Drive extension, which provides an interface that simplifies the process of searching for public files.

With Open Drive, you can simultaneously search for files in other cloud storage services (Dropbox, Skydrive Evernote and Box) and then move the found files to your Google Drive account. The more cloud services are involved in the search, the longer the procedure takes.

Having received a list of found files, you can download them to your computer, copy them to Google Drive storage, create a list of links to documents, or simply open them. If your search doesn't produce the results you want, you have the option of submitting a request to the Open Drive Google Plus community.

As with any other search engine, a lot of junk appears in the search results along with grains of gold. In practice, in most situations, the Open Drive extension was able to find relevant files. And simultaneous search in several cloud services from the same interface creates additional convenience.

Google Drive is more than just file storage

The tools listed above will help you improve the efficiency of free cloud file storage and increase the return you get from it. They help you encrypt cloud-hosted files, listen to music, search public files, automate your personal and professional life, and create eye-catching presentations.

Let's look at how to set a password on the Google Chrome browser to prevent others from gaining access to your data (cookies and website passwords).

If someone else uses your laptop or computer, then this user can view bookmarks, browser history, mail, log into social network accounts (if you are logged in, you are not logged out, or passwords are saved in the browser).

This is an unpleasant situation, especially if the laptop is lost and a stranger uses it. The solution to this situation is to set a password to log into the browser.

Google Chrome Password

The Google Chrome browser supports a convenient user profile management system. This system allows each user profile to have its own isolated passwords from sites, bookmarks, browser history and other elements. The installed Chrome already has one user profile, even if you have not started synchronization with your Google account.

In this tutorial, we'll take a closer look at how to set Chrome user profiles to require a password and gain the ability to manage all individual profiles. There are users in Google Chrome without a Google account, but subsequent actions require that the main user has such an account and is logged into the browser under it.

Enable password request

In the profile management system we are considering (version 57), there is no option to set a password for Chrome, but in the browser settings there is a function that allows you to activate the new profile management system. This will ensure the desired result.

We perform the following procedure:

  • Enter chrome://flags/#enable-new-profile-management in the address bar of the browser, and in the “New profile management system” menu set it to “Enabled”. Then click on the “Restart” button located inside the page.
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  • Go to Google Chrome settings.
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  • In the “Users” menu, click on “Add user”.
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  • We set the username and check the section “Browse sites opened by this...” (if this item is not there, then you are not logged into Chrome using your Google account). You can also leave a checkmark to create a separate shortcut for a new profile that will launch without a password. Click “Next”, and then select “OK” when a message is displayed indicating the successful creation of a controlled profile.
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  • The list of profiles will look something like the one in the screenshot below.
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  • Now, to block your profile with a password and block access to personal data, click on your own username in the Chrome window header and select the “Log out and block” section.
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  • As a result, you will be able to see the login window for Chrome profiles, and a password will be set on the main user profile. This window will be shown every time you launch Google Chrome.

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The profile created in points 3 - 4 of the above instructions will allow you to use the browser without access to your personal data, which is located in another profile. If you wish, you can log into Chrome with your own password, click on “Profile Control Panel” in the settings and set restrictions and permissions for the new user (for example, permission to open only certain sites), study his activity (which sites he went to), activate notifications about the activities of this user.

An app password is a 16-digit code that gives a third-party app or device access to your Google Account. Such passwords can only be used if two-step verification is enabled.

When are application passwords needed?

For security purposes, use the "Sign in with Google Account" option to connect apps to your account. If this option is not available, you can do the following:

  • Connect to your Google account using application passwords.
  • Use safe applications.

How to create and use application passwords

Note. After you enable two-step verification, you may receive an "Invalid password" message when you try to sign in to your account in some apps. You can solve the problem by creating an application password.

  1. Open the Google Account page.
  2. From the left navigation bar, select Safety.
  3. Under Sign in to your Google Account, click Application passwords. If this option is not available:
    • two-step verification is not configured for your account;
    • two-step authentication is configured only for electronic keys;
    • you are logged into a work, school, or other corporate account;
    • Your account uses Additional Protection.
  4. At the bottom of the page, click Application and select the desired option.
  5. Click Device and specify the model.
  6. Select Create.
  7. Follow the instructions to enter your app password (the 16-character code on the yellow line) into your device.
  8. Click Ready.

Typically, you only need to enter this password once, so you don’t have to remember it.

It is possible that you will not be able to use application passwords in insecure applications.

What are application passwords for?

Once you enable two-step verification, some apps may not be able to access your Google Account. Application passwords solve this problem.

Note. If your app has a "Sign in with Google Account" option, always use that to connect to your account.

What to do if you forgot your application password

Each such code is used only once. If the app or device asks for a password again, you can create one at any time.

What to do if you can't log into your account

Can't log in to a third party app? It may use insecure login technologies. Update the app and use the "Sign in with Google Account" option. You can also use

They asked me a question today, I quote: “ Ivan, good afternoon! Please tell me how to set a password for the Google Chrome browser? I want to limit Internet access for my child. Is this even possible? Thank you.“. The question was asked by Maria K. from Irkutsk.

Maria, as promised, I am writing an article about this. The answer to your question is that it is possible to set a password on Google Chrome! However, I want to warn you right away that if your child is smart, he can open the Internet Explorer browser and calmly visit any site that interests him. If your child is small and his computer knowledge is not enough to use another browser, then the option I described will suit you!

Now let's think about why else you can restrict access to the browser? I don't know about you, but I store all my passwords in the browser. Yes, I know that it’s not safe, that it’s not correct and all that... But I’m not particularly worried about this, since I change my passwords about once every two months. In 10 years of working on the Internet, my mail.ru account was hacked only once, but I never really used it.

So, why am I telling you about passwords... If you also store passwords in your browser and are afraid for their safety, and even more so if your computer has physical access to unauthorized persons (for example, a work computer), then you simply need to be able to block browser access.

Setting a password on Google Chrome using the LockWP extension

Now let's set up browser blocking. For these purposes I will use the LockWP plugin. An excellent plugin that copes with its responsibilities 100%.

After installation, you need to start setting it up. Press the button “ OK

In the next window you are asked to enable the extension for the “ Incognita“, to do this, follow the link (blue button)

and check the box

After which you will be automatically redirected to the information page. I advise you to read the information and then click the “ Further“. Now let's set up the extension

All you need to do is enter your password twice and specify your locking options. I did not turn on automatic blocking (it blocks when idle), I indicated minimizing when blocking. That's all! Press the button “ Save” and restart the browser.

When you launch it for the first time, the browser will open and immediately collapse, instead you will see a field for entering a password

Only if you enter the password correctly will you gain access to the browser. If you enter the password incorrectly, the browser will close. If you enter it correctly, the browser will open and you will be able to work in it without hindrance.

If you need to lock your browser, for example when you need to step away from your desk, you don't need to close it at all. You can simply right-click on any open page and select LockPW

That's all! Now you can set a password for the Google Chrome browser yourself and be safe! You can also