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Even if you’re already familiar with the multi-user capabilities, keyboard shortcuts, and other features of Google Docs. There may be some handy tricks you haven’t heard. From the built-in web browser to its transcription feature. Here are 13 helpful tips that will turn you into a proven Google Docs wizard.
OPEN A NEW GOOGLE DOC IN ONE STEP.
Opening a new Google Doc isn’t very hard to do. But there is a way to make it a one-step process. Instead of navigating to a blank page through your Google Drive, type “docs. new” or “doc. new” into your web browser’s search bar. It will take you to a new document. (You can also open a new Google Sheet with “sheet. new” or a new Slide with “slide. New”).
INCLUDE A HANDWRITTEN SIGNATURE OR EDITED IMAGE.
Under “Enter,” scroll down to “Drawing” and press “New.” Hover over the “Line” menu and select “Scribble,” which will give you a blank box to write your signature. It may not be your best handwriting. Especially if you’re using a mouse or trackpad rather than a touchscreen. But it’s better than printing your document, signing your name with a pen, and the whole page needs to be scanned.
The 3d drawing function can also use if you want to change an image. For example, say you want to circle a specific location on a map, you can drag and drop an image (or import one from your files) into your new drawing and insert a shape or an arrow from the toolbar options.
KEEP THE WORD COUNT ON DISPLAY RIGHT IN YOUR DOCUMENT.
For those of you who find yourself checking the word count after almost every sentence you type-whether. You’re writing something with a strict word limit or just caring for a slightly neurotic habit, save yourself the trouble of multiple visits to the “Tools” section and check the “Show word count as you type” box, which is below the pop-up count box. Words. You’ll see the word count in the lower-left corner of the screen, and you can expand it to see the character count and other statistics. If you’re not ready to commit to an omnipresent word count, you can still bypass the toolbar by pressing “Control + Shift + C.”
USE A KEYBOARD SHORTCUT TO PASTE TEXT WITHOUT FORMATTING.
Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, you can paste text that matches your existing text by pressing “Control + Shift + V” (“Command + Shift + V” on a Mac). That way, for example, a quote you copied from an article written in 14-point Comic Sans will appear in 11-point Arial (or whatever you set as your font). For similar time-saving magic, check out “Keyboard Shortcuts” in the “Help” menu.
ASSIGN EDITS TO SPECIFIC PEOPLE.
There’s a small pencil icon in the top right corner of your screen that gives you the option to work in “Suggest” mode, where everything you’ve typed is rendered as a suggested edit. Each edit gets its feedback box along the right side of the document, with the option to accept, reject, or respond to the change. Suppose you’re collaborating with multiple people on a project. In that case, you can assign an edit to a specific user by typing “+” in the response box and entering an email address-Google will then send an email that notifies the person that there is a suggestion waiting for them.
REVERT TO AN EARLIER VERSION OF YOUR GOOGLE DOCS.
Not only does Google automatically save your changes to the document as you make them, but it also has a record of all those changes. You can access previous versions of your Google Doc by going to “File,” “Version history,” and “View version history.” You can expand any earlier draft to see specific edits highlighted in the Doc. When it is made and who made it, which is especially useful if more than one person the editor.
SEARCH THE INTERNET OR LOOK UP A WORD WITHOUT OPENING A NEW WINDOW.
You can reduce the number of tabs you’re juggling with two Google Doc hacks the built-in internet browser and the built-in dictionary. The internet browser is under “Tools” and “Explore” (or “Control + Alt + Shift + I,” or “Command + Option + Shift + I” on a Mac), and it also searches through your Google Drive. You can access the dictionary under “Tools” and “Dictionary” or use the “Control + Shift + Y” shortcut (“Command + Shift + Y” on a Mac). You can also access any feature by right-clicking on any word or phrase in your Doc and selecting “Explore” or “Define.”
CREATE YOUR SHORTHAND BY CUSTOMIZING THE AUTOCORRECT FEATURES.
Select “Preferences” under “Tools,” and you’ll be able to check or uncheck general preferences like “Automatic capitalization of words,” “Automatic correct spelling,” and more. For a more personalized autocorrect action, change to the “Substitutes” tab. There, you can focus on Google to automatically replace any provided word, letter, or symbol with one of your selection. If, for example, you need Google to add an emphasis forever to be in Beyoncé, type Beyonce in the “Replace” column and Beyoncé in the “On” column.
CUT SPELL-CHECKING ERRORS BY ADDING WORDS TO YOUR DICTIONARY.
To stop Google from continuing to register certain unique words or names as spelling errors, add them to your “Personal Dictionary,” listed under “Tools,” and then “Spelling and grammar. “If a word has already been marked as an error in your Google Doc. You can also add it to your dictionary by right-clicking and selecting “Add (word) to Dictionary.”
CONVERT YOUR GOOGLE DOC TO A DIFFERENT FILE TYPE.
Prefer to work with Google Docs, but your manager always requests Microsoft Word files? You can download your Google Doc as a Word document by going to “File” and “Download”. There are also options to convert it to a PDF, a web page, a simple text file, and more. Before you send it to anyone, we recommend giving it a read-through to make sure the formatting is properly translated.
TRANSLATE AUDIO FILES WITH GOOGLE’S VOICE TYPING FEATURE.
While Google’s voice typing capabilities don’t extend to deciphering an audio file played aloud on a speaker. The process is certainly easier than pausing the audio every few seconds too many -you can type each word. In your navigation bar, go to “Tools” and then “Voice typing,” and make sure your microphone is enabled. Plugin your headphones, play your audio file, and dictate what’s said-Google will translate everything for you. The feature can also be useful for people with arthritis or other disabilities that make it difficult to use a keyboard.
ENABLE OFFLINE EDITING.
Even if you don’t plan to be anywhere without internet access shortly, Wi-Fi or power outages can happen unexpectedly. So it’s a good idea to enable offline editing just in case. To perform this, install the Google Docs Offline extension, continue to your Google Docs homepage, visit the main menu icon (three horizontal lines in the upper left corner), and select “Settings”. Then, press the gray “Offline” button to obtain it slide to the right and turn blue.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHER HANDY ADD-ONS.
If you select “Get add-ons” under “Add-ons” in your Google Doc toolbar. You’ll be able to search for add-ons or browse Google’s most popular ones. Some of the highest-rated offers include Lucidchart, which helps you build flowcharts, diagrams, and more within your Doc; EasyBib, which automatically generates bibliography citations in APA, Chicago, or MLA format; and Doc to Form, which allows you to easily convert information from a Google Doc to a Google Form (Google’s platform for online surveys).
