What are anonymous animals on Google Drive and how to control them

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If you've ever been working peacefully on a document, spreadsheet, or presentation and suddenly seen a icon of an animal with a strange name in the upper right cornerIt's very likely you got a little scare. These curious visitors are called... “anonymous animals” from Google Drive And, although they may attract attention, they don't necessarily mean that you've been hacked or anything like that.

Google has decided to add a touch of humor to something as serious as permission management by showing unidentified users as Animals with cute names: anonymous skunk, anonymous koala, anonymous rabbit, anonymous kraken…Behind each of these is a real person viewing your file, but for various reasons, they don't appear with their name or Google account. Let's take a closer look at what they are exactly, why they appear, and how you can keep everything under control.

What are anonymous animals on Google Drive?

Anonymous animals are, basically, Users who are viewing or editing a Google file (Docs, Sheets, or Slides) without being logged in with an account visible to youInstead of displaying their name and profile picture, Google represents them with the silhouette of an animal and a label such as "anonymous walrus" or "anonymous squirrel".

This happens especially when the document is shared via a public link or accessible to anyone who has the linkIn those cases, Google can't always link user activity to a specific name for you, so it uses this system of anonymous "pets" to indicate that someone else is in the file at that moment.

Behind every animal there is a user who may simply be reading or also editing the content, according to the permissions configured for the fileThe anonymous animal system does not add risk in itself; what makes the difference is the type of access you have allowed to the document.

For a while Google only used Colors to distinguish each person connected to a shared documentWith the evolution of its collaborative tools, the company decided to make it more visual and intuitive and began associating each unidentified user with an animal, in addition to giving it its own icon.

The list is quite long and varied: mountain goat, iguana, koala, lemur, crocodile, anteater, dinosaur, dolphin, duck, elephant, ferret, fox, frog, giraffe, hedgehog, hippopotamus, hyena, jackal, leopard, tiger, llama, manatee, mink, monkey, orangutan, otter, panda, penguin, armadillo, axolotl, badger, bat, beaver, buffalo, camel, chameleon, cheetah, squirrel, chinchilla, chupacabra, cormorant, coyote, crow, dingo, platypus, python, raccoon, rhinoceros, sheep, shrew, skunk, turtle, walrus, wolf, pocket gopher…Each of these names may appear as "anonymous" within your documents.

Why do unknown users or anonymous animals appear?

When you see a user you don't recognize, whether a strange name or simply an anonymous animalThis is usually due to how you shared the file and how the other person accessed it. Google lists several typical situations where this can happen, and it's helpful to be aware of them to avoid surprises.

One of the most frequent reasons is that the file has been shared with a distribution list or mailing listIn these cases, the document is sent to an entire group (for example, a work team or a class) and, when someone from that list accesses the file via the general link, they may appear as an anonymous user if there is no individual invitation or they do not log in with their usual account.

It is also very common for an anonymous animal to appear because the file It has been shared with someone who does not have a Google account or is not logged inIf that person opens the link, they will be able to access it according to the permissions you have given them (view, comment or edit), but Google will not be able to show you their real name at the top, hence the choice of an animal.

Another very common scenario is that someone with editing permissions or access to the link has forwarded that link to third partiesImagine you share a work document with a colleague, and they, in turn, pass the link to another person on their team without telling you. That new person can log in as an anonymous user and appear to you as "anonymous fox" or any other animal while reviewing the content.

It's also possible that you might see an unfamiliar name instead of your usual contact because That person has changed the name of their Google account.If you suspect it might be someone you know, you can check their email address from the "Sharing" settings within the file itself to find out.

In many cases, the origin of these accesses is that the file is located configured as “public on the web” or “anyone with the link”In these sharing modes, anyone who receives the link, copies it, or finds it can enter and view (or even edit) the file according to the options you have selected, even though the system displays it as an anonymous animal.

How Google identifies anonymous animals

When you see animal icons in the top bar of Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, it's actually Google is indicating the presence of users accessing the archive without a personal invitation or without being recognized with their profile visible to you.This does not mean that the system knows nothing about them, but rather that you, as the owner or editor, will only see them through that generic representation.

Google clearly distinguishes between individually invited users and users who enter via a shared linkPeople you've sent a personal email invitation to will appear with their name and, if they have one, their profile picture. However, those who access the site only through a general link and without a direct invitation will appear as anonymous animals.

This behavior also applies when the document is open to “anyone who has the link” or “anyone on the Internet can find and see it”In those cases, you don't individually control who enters, so Google doesn't list their real names, but groups them under these animal aliases so you know how many people are connected at the same time and in which parts of the document they are moving.

The system of colors and animals allows you to see at a glance. Identify which sections of the text each user is reviewing in real time.Each anonymous animal will have its own cursor, selection, and icon color, so that even if you don't see its real name, you can still follow its actions within the file.

It's important to note that you can only see people's real names if You give them explicit permission to access via personalized invitation or if they are part of a mailing list associated with specific email addresses. Otherwise, they will continue to appear as anonymous animals, even though you might be able to guess who they are from the context.

If at any time you want to check whether a strange name that appears in your file corresponds to someone you know, you can Open the "Share" dialog box and review the emails that have access.In that section, by placing the mouse pointer over a user, you will be able to see their email address and thus recognize if it is the person you thought it was.

Typical situations in which anonymous animals appear

In practice, anonymous animals tend to appear whenever there is a Intensive use of shared links and documents configured for broad accessThis is very common in study environments, collaborative work, or open projects where it is desirable for many people to be able to view or edit at the same time.

For example, if you are a teacher or trainer and you share a document with an entire class through a link on an educational platform or in a mass email.Most of your students can access it without you having to invite them individually. As they start accessing the document, you'll see "Anonymous Panda," "Anonymous Dolphin," "Anonymous Sheep," and others parading across the top as they consult or fill in the information.

In companies and work teams, it's also common to use generic links so that anyone on the team can access them. Perhaps someone from the human resources department shares a spreadsheet with the link in an internal chat so that anyone who needs it can consult it. If people don't log in with their main account or access isn't restricted to specific users, You will see those companions as anonymous animals.

In more open projects, such as public collaborative documents, forms with shared results, or community guides, anonymous animals are practically commonplace. Anyone with the link can join, and you'll only get a sense of how many are participating thanks to those animal icons that appear and disappear in real time.

There are also more casual cases, such as when you share a document with a friend who doesn't have a Gmail account, or who logs in from an incognito browser window without logging inEven if it's someone you trust, Google will see them as an anonymous visitor and will therefore assign them one of these cute animal aliases.

Risks and misunderstandings: Are anonymous animals dangerous?

Seeing an "anonymous kraken" or an "anonymous skunk" lurking around your document might give the impression that someone has broken in without permission, but in reality The presence of anonymous animals does not, in itself, imply any hacking or security breach.It's simply Google's way of showing users whose identity isn't associated with a name visible to you.

The potential problem lies not in the animal itself, but in the sharing permissions that the file has configuredIf the document is open as public or accessible to anyone with the link, it is normal for anonymous animals to appear, because that means you have allowed that type of broad access.

Now, if in a file you considered private you start to see anonymous users you didn't expectThis could be a sign that the document is being shared with more people than you thought, or that someone with access has forwarded it without telling you. In that case, you should review the sharing settings and adjust the permissions.

Another common misconception is that, because they are anonymous, these users cannot leave a trace or have no limits. In reality, their ability to act within the archive depends on what you have set: If they only have read permission, they will not be able to edit or delete anything.If you have allowed them to edit, they will be able to modify the content, but like any other editor.

From a privacy standpoint, Google internally logs activity to maintain service security, but you'll only see the "animal" as such. If you're worried about who might be viewing a sensitive document, the solution isn't so much to "hunt" the anonymous animal as Properly restrict who can receive the link and what they can do within the file..

How to limit who can view or edit your file

If you want to reduce or eliminate the appearance of anonymous animals in your documents, the key is Adjust sharing permissions so that only the people you choose can access them.Google Drive offers several options to control this with considerable precision.

The safest way to manage access is send personalized invitations to specific email addressesInstead of sharing a public link, you add users one by one who should view, comment on, or edit the file. That way, when they access it, they'll appear with their names and not as anonymous users.

Another key measure is Avoid, whenever possible, the "anyone with the link can view/edit" mode.This setting is very convenient for quick sharing, but it opens the door to the link circulating more than intended, and you end up with strangers—or at least unidentified people—inside your document.

If you've already shared a file and start seeing too many unknown users, you can Change permissions at any time using the “Share” buttonThere you can revoke general access, limit it to only certain people, change the access level from "editor" to "reader," or even stop sharing the file altogether.

In documents where you only want people to read but not touch anything, it is recommended to configure the option to read onlyThus, even if someone accesses the site via a broad link and appears as an anonymous user, they will not be able to modify the content. This is especially useful for reports, manuals, or informational documents that do not require collaborative editing.

Finally, it's worth taking a look at the advanced sharing options in Google DriveFrom there you can see who can share the file, who can add new users, and if there are any inherited permissions from parent folders that might be affecting it. A quick review of these options can save you a lot of trouble with access.

Best practices to avoid surprises with anonymous animals

Beyond correctly configuring permissions, there are a number of best practices that will help you Keep your Google Drive documents under control and minimize the appearance of unexpected usersIt's not about living in fear, but about being clear about who enters and why.

One of the first recommendations is Think carefully about who you are going to give access to before sharing a linkIf the content is sensitive or personal, it's best to take a few seconds to enter the email addresses of the specific people who should see it, instead of resorting to the typical "anyone with the link can access it".

Whenever you can, try Send files through personalized invitations, not public links.This simple gesture ensures that, when you open the document, you see the real names of the people connected and not a collection of animals whose identities you don't quite know.

Another good habit is Review the default permissions you grant when sharing from entire folders.Sometimes an entire folder is open to far more people than you realize, and when you create a new file within it, it inherits that configuration. This can result in documents that are created with broader access permissions than intended.

If you work in a team, it can be helpful to agree on some internal rules on how links are sharedFor example, deciding that documents should not be forwarded outside the group without first consulting the owner, or that files containing sensitive data should never be left in "anyone with the link" mode. These small rules significantly reduce the risk of unexpected access.

Finally, if you come across an anonymous animal in an important file, take it as a sign to Take a moment to review the sharing settings and confirm that everything is as it should be.It doesn't have to be anything serious, but it's a good excuse to make sure that only the right people can see or edit that content.

Understanding what anonymous animals are, why they appear, and how to manage them allows you to Take advantage of Google Drive's real-time collaboration without losing sight of the security and privacy of your filesWith properly configured permissions and responsible use of links, these animals will cease to be a mysterious threat and will become just a cute curiosity indicating that there are other people working with you on the same document.