You can cut down on the number of tabs you’re juggling with two Google Doc hacks: the built-in internet browser and the built-in dictionary. Search the internet or look up a word without opening a new window. You can access previous versions of your Google Doc by going to “File,” “Version history,” and “See version history.” There, you can expand any earlier draft to see the specific edits highlighted in the Doc-as well as when they were made and who made them, which is especially useful if more than one person is editing. Not only does Google automatically save your document changes as you make them, but it also keeps a record of all those changes. Revert to an earlier version of your Google Doc. If you’re collaborating with multiple people on a project, you can assign an edit to a specific user by typing “+” in the reply box and entering an email address-Google will then send an email notifying the person that there’s a suggestion waiting for them. Each edit gets its own comment box along the right side of the document, with the option to accept, reject, or reply to the change. In the upper right corner of your screen, there’s a little pencil icon that gives you the option to work in “Suggesting” mode, where everything you type renders as a suggested edit. Is this a disappointment to more than one person? / Ellen Gutoskey For similar time-saving magic, check out “Keyboard shortcuts” in the “Help” menu. That way, for example, a quote that you’ve copied from an article written in 14-point Comic Sans will appear in 11-point Arial (or whatever you’ve set your font as). Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, you can paste text that matches your existing text by pressing “Control+Shift+V” (“Command+Shift+V” on a Mac). Use a keyboard shortcut to paste text without formatting. If you’re not quite ready to commit to an omnipresent word count, you can still avoid the toolbar by hitting “Control+Shift+C” (or “Command+Shift+C” on a Mac) and the word count box will automatically appear.
You’ll see the word count in the bottom left corner of the screen, and you can expand it to see the character count and other stats. Keep the word count on display right in your document.įor those of you who find yourselves checking the word count after virtually every sentence you type-whether you’re writing something with a strict word limit or just nursing a slightly neurotic habit-save yourself the trouble of multiple visits to the “Tools” section and check the box to “Display word count while typing,” which is at the bottom of the word count pop-up box.
Say, for example, you’d like to circle a certain 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 options in the toolbar. The drawing function can also come in handy if you’d like to modify an image. It might not be your very best handwriting-especially if you’re using a mouse or trackpad, rather than a touchscreen-but it’s definitely more efficient than printing your document out, signing your name with a pen, and having to scan the whole page. Under “Insert,” scroll down to “Drawing” and hit “New.” Hover over the “Line” menu and choose “Scribble,” which gives you a blank box to write your signature. You can add a funky pink shape to a map showing the location of Manhattan's only Dairy Queen, if you're so inclined.