Google Docs – How to Use it like a Pro

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What Is Google Docs? How to Use it like a Pro

Google Docs
Google Docs

Google Docs is Google’s online office suite’s word processor. It’s a free replacement for Microsoft Word. It also has more features than you may think.

What is Google Docs?

Google Docs is a free Web-based program for creating documents and spreadsheets. You can use Google Docs to import, create, edit, and update documents and spreadsheets in a variety of fonts and file formats, mixing text with formulas, lists, tables, and photos. Google Docs may be accessed via computer, Android, iPhone, and iPad. If you are new to Google Docs, please follow the instructions below. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Google Docs.

The collaborative capabilities of Google Docs distinguish it from its main desktop competition, Microsoft Word. Google Docs was among the first word processors to provide collaborative online document editing.

Google has made it ridiculously simple to share documents across platforms and collaborate on them in real time from a browser window. To read or edit Google documents you share with them, your collaborators need not even require a Google account.

Furthermore, Google Docs add-ons allow you to extend functionality and add missing capabilities.

How to Make Use of Google Docs

You can use Google Docs in the same way that you would use Word documents. Create new papers, use Google Docs templates, interact in real-time with your team, and share documents. We’ll go through the fundamentals here.

How to Create a Google Document

To begin creating a new Google Doc, go to docs.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Once on the Google Docs start screen, you can create a new blank document or select a template.

To perform the same thing from within an existing Google Doc, go to File > New > Document or File > New > From template.

You can also edit several characteristics of the document, including the page orientation, via the File menu.

How to use Google Docs – Computer

Google Docs is an online word processor that allows you to create and format documents as well as collaborate with others. You may utilize Google Docs by following this step-by-step guide.

Stage 1: Create a document

To create a new document, follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1:  Open the Docs home screen on your computer by going to docs.google.com.

Step 2: Then, in the upper left corner, under Start a new document, click New.

Aside from the procedures outlined above, you may also create new documents by visiting the URL docs.google.com/create. You can update and format a document after you’ve created it.

Stage 2: Format and edit

The following are the steps you can take to edit a document:

Step 1: Open a Google Docs document on your PC.

Step 2: After opening a document, choose a word and either double-click it or use your cursor to select the text you wish to modify.

Step 3: Begin editing.

Step 4: To undo or redo an action, go to the top of the page and click Undo or Redo.

Note: If you’re editing a document on a touch screen device, such as a Pixel Book, double-tap the document to begin typing. In a document, you can add and update text, paragraphs, spacing, and other elements, such as:

Stage 3: Font or paragraph formatting

Include a title, a heading, or a table of contents.

How to Use Google Docs on an Android Device

With the Google Docs app for Android, you can now create, view, and edit Google documents as well as Microsoft Word files. You can take the following steps:

Stage 1: Get the Google Docs app.

To download the Google Docs app, follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Open the Google Play app on your Android phone or tablet.

Step 2: Look for the Google Docs app.

Step 3: Select Install.

Stage 2: Get Started

You can create a document after downloading the program. Here’s how to use a Google template on an Android device.

Step 1: Launch the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides application.

Step 2: Tap New (+) in the lower right corner.

Step 3: Next, select a template.

Step 4: Select the template you want to use.

You may also utilize the Google Forms templates by going to forms.google.com on a PC. Once you’ve begun, you can format paragraphs and fonts. You can also provide a title, a heading, or a table of contents.

Stage 3: Document editing: Android

Step 1: Open a Google Docs document on your Android phone or tablet.

Step 2: After you’ve opened a file, select Edit.

Step 3: Double-tap a word to choose it. To pick more text, move the blue markers.

Step 4: Begin editing.

Step 5: To undo or redo an action, click the Undo or Redo button.

You may also work with other file formats.

Stage 4: Share and work with others

You may share files and folders with others and control who can view, change, or comment on them.

How to Use Google Docs on the iPhone and iPad

The Google Docs app for iPhone and iPad, like Android, allows you to create, view, and edit Google documents as well as Microsoft Word files.

Stage 1: Get the Google Docs app.

On your iPhone or iPad, download the Google Docs app.

Step 1: Launch the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.

Step 2: Navigate to the Google Docs app Docs.

Step 3: Download and install the app.

Stage 2: Get started

You can begin using the app after it has been loaded on your smartphone. Here’s how to make advantage of a Google template.

Step 1: Launch the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app on your iPhone or iPad.

Step 2: Tap New (+) in the lower right corner.

Step 3: Next, select a template.

Step 4: Select the template you want to use.

google-docs-template
google-docs-template

Once you’ve begun, you can format paragraphs and fonts. You can also provide a title, a heading, or a table of contents. Here’s how to edit a document on an iPhone or iPad.

How to Download a Google Doc

As part of Google’s online office suite, you will never have to remember to save a document because Google will save it to your Google Drive automatically. As a result, there is no Save button.

Having said that, you can Make a Copy, Email, or Download your Google Doc from the File menu.

How to Download Google Docs

Google Drive is where Google stores your documents. Instead, click to File > Download and select your preferred file type to download a Google Doc to your computer.

Emailing a Google Doc

If you wish to download the document to email it to someone, you can do so directly from the document. Navigate to File > Email > Email this file / Email collaborators, select the file format to attach, and provide the regular email information.

How to Share a Google Doc

We recommend sharing a document rather than emailing it. This is due to the fact that sharing allows everyone to see and work on the same version of the document. You avoid making conflicting copies or duplicating your work this way. As previously stated, the receiver does not require a Google account to view or change the document.

We recommend sharing a document rather than emailing it. This is due to the fact that sharing allows everyone to see and work on the same version of the document. You avoid making conflicting copies or duplicating your work this way. As previously stated, the receiver does not require a Google account to view or change the document.

Rather of sharing the document with individuals, you can share it with groups by using the Get link menu to create a link. Your private Google Docs will be shared with Anyone by default.

If your Google account is associated with a company (here: MakeUseOf.com), it will be shared within that company. Click Change or Share with… to change those settings and grant Viewer, Commenter, or Editor Access to users of the link.

When you’re finished, click the Copy option in the lower right corner. The URL has been copied to your clipboard.

You may also use this make a copy approach to save yourself some work if you want to share a copy of your Google Doc with several collaborators since you don’t want them to make changes to the original document.

Tracking Changes in Google Docs

You’ll want to track changes to your Google Docs if you make frequent modifications to it or if you share it with others.

Version History

Google Docs handles this automatically by tracking the version history of your document. To open a menu that reveals all the changes Google has documented for your document, go to File > Version History > See version history.

When changes were made, who made them, and when they were made are all marked in the document.

You may even name the current version to simply undo any subsequent modifications. Alternatively, go to File > Version History > Name current version, enter a name, and save.

To rename a version, go to the version history menu and click on the date or name of the version. You can then enable a setting in the version history menu to only show named versions.

The most basic kind of change tracking is version history. You can restore the versions of a document by choosing it and clicking the Restore This Version button. Individual changes within each version cannot be accepted or rejected. If you want that functionality, you must utilize a separate feature: modes.

Suggestion Mode

Google Docs has three modes: Editing, Suggesting, and Viewing. The default mode is editing. To change modes, go to View > Mode or click the pen icon in the far right corner of the tools menu. Use the Suggesting to control individual modifications.

When you make changes in Suggesting mode, a comment will appear on the right side of the document, along with the option to accept or reject the recommendation. You can also respond in writing to each change.

All modifications made in this mode are tracked individually in the version history under the corresponding document version. This way, you can review and restore rejected modifications, but you’ll have to restore that version of the document, which means you’ll lose all subsequent changes.

When sharing the document, set their access to can comment to force your collaborators to use the Suggestion mode.

Printing from Google Docs

Google-Docs-Printing.
Google-Docs-Printing.

Printing from Google Docs is the same as printing from any other document on your computer. To print a Google document, open it and then choose File > Print, press the Ctrl + P keyboard shortcut, or click the print icon in the tools menu.

Each of these options will bring up the print menu. Choose your printer and settings from here, then print as usual.

Offline Editing in Google Docs

To edit your Google Docs offline, you must first meet a few basic requirements. To begin, you must be online while configuring offline access. You must also be using Google Chrome outside of incognito mode, have the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension installed and enabled, and have adequate free storage space to save your work.

After that, go to docs.google.com, click the hamburger menu in the top left, select Settings, and make sure the slider next to Offline is set to On.

Every document you begin working on will now be available offline, at least momentarily, on your computer. If your document is available offline, the cloud icon next to the document name indicates it.

When your internet connection goes down, you’ll see a crossed-out cloud with the message “Working offline.” When you rejoin to the internet, any changes you make will be synchronized.

With the Google Docs Offline extension activated, you may browse the list of all your documents at docs.google.com even while you’re not connected to the internet. All documents that are always available offline will be marked with a checkbox. To control the Available offline option, click the three-dot menu.

All documents you open will also be cached by the Google Docs Offline plugin. If your internet connection goes down, you’ll still be able to browse documents that aren’t expressly marked as offline.

In that situation, you can make the document permanently available offline, even if you are not connected to the internet. Meanwhile, documents that have not been cached and are not available offline will appear muted.

You may also use the Google Drive Backup and Sync tool to backup and sync Google Docs files to your computer or mobile device.