Disable 'observe' mode

As the design system team, we have permissions for almost all files within our organisation, and a mutual understanding with designers that we may look around and check out what’s being created in order to gauge priorities for future releases and find use cases to consider. However nobody enjoys being aware of other users floating around their file while they work, and we don’t enjoy intruding while others are at work, to the point where we’ll often leave and try again later if we see the file owner actively working.
A “ghost mode” would allow us to drop in, get what we need and leave without disrupting anyone’s work.

Seriously, this is annoying. Almost four years later and this massive flaw of a privacy violation feature hasn’t been properly addressed.

This is ridiculous. Please ADJUST this garbage of a feature.

This would be worse! Then you wouldn’t even be aware if someone is watching you. As far as I’m aware Figma saves multiple points of work? Surely there could be a way for other teams who need access to files to only be able to view say, the end of the previous days work. Giving your team, in your example, ample information to make decisions about priorities? Leaving the designer free to work without the sole crushing anxiety of possibly being spied on.

How is it possible that everyone has been asking for this to be removed for YEARS! When we pay so much for this service I think we deserve to be heard. TAKE THIS RUBBISH FEATURE OFF!!!

I know the designers I work with, and we’d all be cool with the option to simply not be constantly aware of one another. When I’m working on designs I also don’t mind people watching (so long as this doesn’t lead to them messaging me about what I’m doing), but I do mind seeing them hop around me as I do it.

This realtime observation thing is an abomination! Never felt so uncomfortable using a tool like this one, my first days using Figma and I’m very disapointed with this.

this doesn’t work well if you use variables or layer styles.

It would be great to have this feature, as it’s a must have.

 New css to hide:

.multiplayer_view--multiplayerView---Lf04 {display: none;}

Use Case: Designers/PMs in enterprises need to share designs to multiple customers who copy/past designs to customise it. Customers should not know from each other.

Problem: In Figma you see the cursor, comments from other people, observing other viewers. 

Proposed feature: ‘Confidential shared file’ option to disable observe mode & seeing who has access to the file & who is in the file in viewing mode.

The current Observation Mode in Figma is only useful in very specific cases—mainly when someone is explaining something without using screen sharing. Outside of this, it serves little to no practical benefit and can actually create a negative experience for designers.  

One of the biggest downsides of Observation Mode is the constant feeling of being watched. Designing is a creative and iterative process, and knowing that someone could be passively observing your every move can be uncomfortable, distracting, and even stressful. It’s akin to having a colleague stand behind you and watch over your shoulder while you work, which is rarely a productive or welcome experience.  

Some users resort to working in a separate file to avoid this issue, but that comes with its own serious drawbacks:  
- Losing critical component links and connections to the main file  
- Potentially breaking the design structure  
- Increased effort to merge changes back into the original file  

Given these significant downsides, Figma should introduce a global option to completely disable Observation Mode for users who prefer to work without this level of visibility. This would allow teams to preserve the benefits of collaborative work while still giving individuals the autonomy to protect their creative process from unnecessary surveillance.  

This is a must-have feature that would enhance both privacy and workflow efficiency, making Figma a more user-friendly design tool for professionals.

I have researched and read all the comments and designed something for this! Disable Observe Mode Design Idea  I know there are many different issues, but in my opinion, the main problem is that we just don’t want to feel like someone is watching us while designing. At the very least, we should be able to disable observe mode for an hour or set who can observe us—just like the 'Do Not Disturb' mode on Apple devices. 

I’m having this same issue with Miro

https://community.miro.com/ideas/hide-my-cursor-4709

One commenter there says Mural has quite granular controls over the collaborative features / cursors.

Clearly these collaboration features are a sticking point across all platforms that implement them.

I can’t believe there isn’t a proper fix for this yet. For me this is worse than a missing feature, because it’s a feature that actively makes me uncomfortable in the product and makes me want to use something else.

Still not possible after 4 years?

Funny to see all those AI features but no essentials and basics “features” like this one...

Not trying to start an argument here, but I’m not sure what some people are asking for who wish to fully hide.

Working on a collaboration tool without visibility makes absolutely no sense. If project file layouts changed without any indication that someone was editing them, working on a shared project would be nearly impossible. Imagine designing a website while three anonymous users randomly edit elements—without any visibility of who is doing what. That would never work.

Being anonymous in files (cursor only) is almost just as problematic for various reasons.

My team and I have been using Figma for over five years, and I’ve never heard anyone say that multiplayer mode / observe feature violates their privacy or makes them feel uncomfortable. The entire point of Figma is collaboration and visibility.

If the collaboration feature feels like a spying tool, I’d suggest reflecting on your workflow and whether the working environment is the right fit.

Personally, I hope we never see this feature implemented.

 I’ve never heard anyone say that multiplayer mode / observe feature violates their privacy or makes them feel uncomfortable

Yet here we are in this thread, which has been active for 4 years.

The entire point of Figma is collaboration and visibility.

No it’s not. It’s a design tool, just like all the creative design tools that survived perfectly fine in isolation for decades before it came along.

The collaboration is a feature, a poorly thought out one, that could be much more useful if there were granular controls so you can adapt it to how you and your team like to work.

Good for you if you’re team is happy with it. We just want better controls.

If it’s done properly you have nothing to worry about and you and your team still work however you like.

Since figma isn't doing anything about it. I found a small "hack" to avoid your boss from looking over your shoulder all the time. I go to the page in figma where I want to edit something. Turn of my WiFi, do the design changes and then go online in figma. It's not a great hack but it's better than having your boss seeing your every px move. This will make sure you can use components and styles that you are using already (compared to having a separate figma file)

Let's hope figma will prioritise this soon. 

How is this still not possible?!

I wish Figma would stop shipping “flashy” things like AI and redesigning an interface that worked just fine, and started focusing on things that matter and actually improve our day to day work life