This guide explains how to stop sharing a Microsoft Excel document on desktop, iPhone, and Android platforms.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Desktop
Step 1. Open Excel
The program icon is green with a white "X". To open a shared document that you want to make private, you need to upload it from OneDrive.
Step 2. Click Open Other Workbooks
You should see this entry on the left side of the page.
If you have recently opened the document, it will appear in the list in the left section of the page; just click on the version written under "OneDrive"
Step 3. Click OneDrive
This is a save path on this page.
Step 4. Click the document you want to stop sharing
It will open in Excel.
You may have to click a few folders to get to the location of the file, depending on where the OneDrive is saved
Step 5. Make sure you have opened a shared document
If the file name in the top bar of the Excel window says "[Shared]" to the right, the document is currently shared.
Step 6. Click the Share tab
It is located on the right side of the Excel toolbar, at the top of the window.
Step 7. Right-click (or two-finger) on a user
This will open a context menu.
Step 8. Click Delete User
This removes the selected user from the document sharing list.
Repeat this for all users in this section
Step 9. Click the Review tab
It is one of the items in the toolbar at the top of the Excel window.
Step 10. Click Share Workbook
This option is located in the "Revisions" section of the tab Revision.
Step 11. Uncheck the box at the top of the window
The corresponding entry is "Allow changes from multiple users and merge workbooks at the same time".
Step 12. Click OK
This will stop sharing your document completely and even users you haven't manually removed will no longer be able to access it.
Method 2 of 3: iPhone
Step 1. Open Excel
The app icon is green with a white "X". If you're signed into your Microsoft account, you'll see the last tab you left open.
If you are not logged in, press Log in when you can and enter your Microsoft account email address and password, then press Log in and finally Get started with Excel.
Step 2. Press the Open tab
It is located in the lower right corner of the screen.
If Excel opens to a document, first press the "Back" button in the upper left corner of the screen
Step 3. Press OneDrive - Personal
It should be the first item on the page.
If you don't see OneDrive - Personal, press again You open.
Step 4. Press the shared document
It will open.
You may need to open some folders to get to where you saved the document, if it is different from the default OneDrive folder
Step 5. Press the person icon
It is located in the upper right corner of the screen. The "Share" page will open.
Step 6. Press Shared with
This option is located near the center of the page.
You have to wait a moment for the option to appear, especially if you are using a slow internet connection
Step 7. Press a user's name
Anyone listed on this page can access the document.
Step 8. Press Delete
This will remove the selected user from the sharing list.
Step 9. Repeat this for all users
Once all are removed, the Excel document will no longer be shared.
Method 3 of 3: Android
Step 1. Open Excel
The app icon is green with a white "X". If you're signed in to your Microsoft account, you'll see the last tab you left open.
If you are not logged in, press Log in when you can and enter your Microsoft account email and password, then press Log in and finally Get started with Excel.
Step 2. Press Open Other Workbooks
It is located in the lower left corner of the screen.
If there is already a document open, press File in the upper left corner of the screen, then press You open instead of Open other workbooks.
Step 3. Press OneDrive - Personal
The default OneDrive location will open.
Step 4. Press the document you want to make private
It will open within Excel.
Depending on the location of the document within the OneDrive directory, you may need to open some folders to find it
Step 5. Press the "Share" icon
It's a person-looking button at the top of the screen. A drop-down menu will open.
Do not press the person icon in the upper right corner of the screen; that's your profile button
Step 6. Press Manage
This item is among the top of the drop-down menu.
Step 7. Press ⋮
It is located to the right of the users name.
Step 8. Press Stop Sharing
This will remove the selected user from the sharing list.
Step 9. Stop sharing with all other users
After removing all participants from the sharing list, the document will revert to being private.
