Google Docs (in Italian it is called Google Docs ) has been the main alternative to Microsoft Office for years, which compared to the suite with Word, Excel and Powerpoint you can use for free without downloading anything, directly via the internet.
In addition to being a complete application for writing documents and creating presentations and spreadsheets, the Google Docs suite includes special tools and very powerful functions, sometimes even absent in Office, which make it much more than just an alternative, but an option that is important to remember when needed.
These functions arise thanks to the integration that Google makes with its numerous online products, including above all research and Google Drive, to which Google Docs is closely linked.
Although we have already talked a lot about these web applications, even with a guide to use Google Docs and Google Drive, it is worth returning to the topic with the 10 best functions and special tricks found in Google Docs, to do some operations otherwise difficult or not possible with Office and similar programs.
1) Write dictating verbally
This is one of the best features available in Google Docs, which thanks to the highly advanced and precise Google speech recognition tacnology, allows everyone to write a text or document simply by dictating it verbally.
Voice typing is found in the Tools menu, requires you to use Google Chrome and works great in Italian.
We have already talked about this function in the article on how to dictate to write documents verbally on every "speech-to-text" computer.
2) Remove and smooth the text formatting
If you copy and paste a text from another Word file or from a website, this also includes formatting, i.e. the font, the size and all the various adjustments such as bold, italics and more.
To remove the formatting of a text from Google Docs just select the text and then go to the Format menu to find the option that cancels the formatting.
In addition, Google Docs has a very useful option to standardize the formatting of the text so that it is the same for the whole document.
Without selecting anything, just go to Format > Paragraph Styles > Normal Text > Update Normal Text .
3) Add other writing fonts
Google Docs provides hundreds of fonts (writing fonts) for writing a document.
From the font selection menu, on the top toolbar, you can scroll through the list and press on Other fonts to find all the Google Fonts with preview.
4) Create a shared document super fast
If we have to work on a sheet of ideas with someone, if we need a registration sheet to share with many people, if we want as a blackboard in which to write and comment, then we can easily create a shared document, in which all the participants they can write.
To do this, just create a new document in Google Docs and then use the Share button giving the modification permission to whoever sees it.
You can then let anyone who has the link be able to share it (simply by pressing Get link, then changing from can see to can edit ) or specify which people can access it using their email addresses.
On a shared document, you can press the button at the top right of the pencil to switch the edit mode to the tips mode.
In this way, everything you write does not modify the document, but becomes a suggestion or comment that the other person can accept or reject.
On a shared document it is also possible to draw someone's attention by tagging it in the comment, through the symbol @ or the + followed by an email address.
That person will receive the email to check the change or comment.
5) Insert links to other parts of article such as bookmarks
For long documents, adding bookmarks helps you move from one point to another very quickly.
Going to Insert> Bookmark you can add an internal link to the document.
A small blue icon will be added to the left edge of the document.
By clicking on the blue icon, you can then right-click on the word Link to copy the link if you want to share it, so that you can open the document at that point.
It is also possible to recall that link in the document itself by creating a link from the Insert> Link menu.
6) Google Docs mode offline
This is a feature that has been active for several years now making Google Docs almost a program installed on your PC, even without an internet connection.
Yes this mode we have written a guide to open Google Docs files and documents without internet, only possible on Chrome.
With the offline mode activated, you can view and edit documents, sheets, slides and drawings even on a PC without internet and the files will be synchronized the next time you go online.
7) Create automatic substitutions of words and characters
Going to Tools> Preferences you can see a list of substitutions already set, such as numbers with fractions, arrows or TM words to say Trade Marks.
It is a faster way to save and write those special characters that are not found on the standard keyboard.
In addition to those already present, it is possible to add some customized substitutions so that, if I write a certain acronym, the characters are automatically displayed in another style.
8) Find the meaning and definition of each word
The Google dictionary is integrated into Google Docs.
By right clicking on a word, you can then click on "Define" to open the dictionary on the side and know the meaning, the definition, the synonyms of that word, without leaving the Google Docs page.
9) Search for words, phrases and images on the internet from Google Docs
You can also choose the Explore option, to do a Google search for that word.
All open links will open in a new tab and can be inserted into the document using the key with quotation marks ( Quote ).
Note that if you search for a word, you can also search for Google Images .
The beauty of this function is that every image found can be dragged onto the document using the mouse, in an ultra fast and simple way.
10) Revision history to review the changes made
If you work on a document for a long time, making many changes, you can review all the changes and additions made by going to the File menu> View revision history .
Any changes made that are listed in chronological order can then be quickly reset to cancel the change.
If you think about it, you can still go back to the most recent change, without any problem, because the choice of a previous version simply becomes a new change in the revision history list.
In addition to these 10 important functions, it is also worth mentioning, from other articles, that:
- You can use extensions in Google Docs like the one to quickly create the table of contents or index of the document, the one to translate a document into other languages, create bulleted lists, use highlighter, add a map, add a bibliography and much more.
- Google Keep can be integrated into Google Docs to import the notes and notes taken with the mobile phone into the documents.
- Applications can be used to open files with Google Docs on PC as the default Office program, using applications to create documents, sheets and slides.
- You can use the Google Drive and Photos Backup program for PC and Mac to synchronize the uploaded documents.
In addition to being a complete application for writing documents and creating presentations and spreadsheets, the Google Docs suite includes special tools and very powerful functions, sometimes even absent in Office, which make it much more than just an alternative, but an option that is important to remember when needed.
These functions arise thanks to the integration that Google makes with its numerous online products, including above all research and Google Drive, to which Google Docs is closely linked.
Although we have already talked a lot about these web applications, even with a guide to use Google Docs and Google Drive, it is worth returning to the topic with the 10 best functions and special tricks found in Google Docs, to do some operations otherwise difficult or not possible with Office and similar programs.
1) Write dictating verbally
This is one of the best features available in Google Docs, which thanks to the highly advanced and precise Google speech recognition tacnology, allows everyone to write a text or document simply by dictating it verbally.
Voice typing is found in the Tools menu, requires you to use Google Chrome and works great in Italian.
We have already talked about this function in the article on how to dictate to write documents verbally on every "speech-to-text" computer.
2) Remove and smooth the text formatting
If you copy and paste a text from another Word file or from a website, this also includes formatting, i.e. the font, the size and all the various adjustments such as bold, italics and more.
To remove the formatting of a text from Google Docs just select the text and then go to the Format menu to find the option that cancels the formatting.
In addition, Google Docs has a very useful option to standardize the formatting of the text so that it is the same for the whole document.
Without selecting anything, just go to Format > Paragraph Styles > Normal Text > Update Normal Text .
3) Add other writing fonts
Google Docs provides hundreds of fonts (writing fonts) for writing a document.
From the font selection menu, on the top toolbar, you can scroll through the list and press on Other fonts to find all the Google Fonts with preview.
4) Create a shared document super fast
If we have to work on a sheet of ideas with someone, if we need a registration sheet to share with many people, if we want as a blackboard in which to write and comment, then we can easily create a shared document, in which all the participants they can write.
To do this, just create a new document in Google Docs and then use the Share button giving the modification permission to whoever sees it.
You can then let anyone who has the link be able to share it (simply by pressing Get link, then changing from can see to can edit ) or specify which people can access it using their email addresses.
On a shared document, you can press the button at the top right of the pencil to switch the edit mode to the tips mode.
In this way, everything you write does not modify the document, but becomes a suggestion or comment that the other person can accept or reject.
On a shared document it is also possible to draw someone's attention by tagging it in the comment, through the symbol @ or the + followed by an email address.
That person will receive the email to check the change or comment.
5) Insert links to other parts of article such as bookmarks
For long documents, adding bookmarks helps you move from one point to another very quickly.
Going to Insert> Bookmark you can add an internal link to the document.
A small blue icon will be added to the left edge of the document.
By clicking on the blue icon, you can then right-click on the word Link to copy the link if you want to share it, so that you can open the document at that point.
It is also possible to recall that link in the document itself by creating a link from the Insert> Link menu.
6) Google Docs mode offline
This is a feature that has been active for several years now making Google Docs almost a program installed on your PC, even without an internet connection.
Yes this mode we have written a guide to open Google Docs files and documents without internet, only possible on Chrome.
With the offline mode activated, you can view and edit documents, sheets, slides and drawings even on a PC without internet and the files will be synchronized the next time you go online.
7) Create automatic substitutions of words and characters
Going to Tools> Preferences you can see a list of substitutions already set, such as numbers with fractions, arrows or TM words to say Trade Marks.
It is a faster way to save and write those special characters that are not found on the standard keyboard.
In addition to those already present, it is possible to add some customized substitutions so that, if I write a certain acronym, the characters are automatically displayed in another style.
8) Find the meaning and definition of each word
The Google dictionary is integrated into Google Docs.
By right clicking on a word, you can then click on "Define" to open the dictionary on the side and know the meaning, the definition, the synonyms of that word, without leaving the Google Docs page.
9) Search for words, phrases and images on the internet from Google Docs
You can also choose the Explore option, to do a Google search for that word.
All open links will open in a new tab and can be inserted into the document using the key with quotation marks ( Quote ).
Note that if you search for a word, you can also search for Google Images .
The beauty of this function is that every image found can be dragged onto the document using the mouse, in an ultra fast and simple way.
10) Revision history to review the changes made
If you work on a document for a long time, making many changes, you can review all the changes and additions made by going to the File menu> View revision history .
Any changes made that are listed in chronological order can then be quickly reset to cancel the change.
If you think about it, you can still go back to the most recent change, without any problem, because the choice of a previous version simply becomes a new change in the revision history list.
In addition to these 10 important functions, it is also worth mentioning, from other articles, that:
- You can use extensions in Google Docs like the one to quickly create the table of contents or index of the document, the one to translate a document into other languages, create bulleted lists, use highlighter, add a map, add a bibliography and much more.
- Google Keep can be integrated into Google Docs to import the notes and notes taken with the mobile phone into the documents.
- Applications can be used to open files with Google Docs on PC as the default Office program, using applications to create documents, sheets and slides.
- You can use the Google Drive and Photos Backup program for PC and Mac to synchronize the uploaded documents.
