Rebecca Ferrao

Posted on Mar 19, 2021 • Updated on Feb 24, 2022 • Originally published at remote.tools

Top tips to get the most out of Google apps

#watercooler #tutorial #productivity

Here's the thing, we all use Google products. From the wide array Google offers, at least one is made use of by most of us. Be it Google Search or Mail, Docs or Spreadsheets, Keep or Calendar, or whatever tool it may be that you make use of.

However, we are often limited by options simply because we don't know the features that Google products have to offer. If we did know all the shortcuts and tricks that Google products have to offer, it would surely help make us way more efficient in day to day tasks.

To help with this, find below some useful tips to help with using Google products:

Google Docs

1. Download images from Google Docs

Google Docs is used extensively by teams across the world for word processing, but downloading images from Google Docs documents can be a real pain. There is no 'Save Image As' option when you right-click on the image within the doc, which prevents you from downloading the image. So here, find the easiest way to accomplish it, and also two other simple and quick ways to download images from Google Docs.

2. Track changes in Google Docs

You would have come across the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word. This is a feature that is used to keep track of changes you make to a document. The proposed changes can be reviewed by a second person, who gets to decide whether or not to keep them. Now you're probably searching for the same feature in Google Docs. In this article, find the details on how you can track changes in Google Docs.

3. Make a graph on Google Docs

One extensively used feature of Microsoft Word and Excel is adding graphs and charts to a document/ sheet. Learn how to do the same on Google Docs, import charts from Spreadsheets, edit and add specific types of graphs or charts for PC, Mac, Chromebook, Android, and iOS devices with this guide.

4. How to Alphabetize in Google Docs‍

Whether you use Google Docs for personal use, such as keeping a journal, making lists, or for professional use, such as drafting letters or creating documents, it is always important to keep things organized.

But when you're using Google Docs to make lists, it can get frustrating for the reader if the list is not organized properly. Hence, you need to make sure that your lists are organized - be it numerically or alphabetically. Learn how to alphabetically organize your content in Google Docs here.

5. Change the default font in Google Docs

If you're a heavy user of Google Docs, you're probably well aware that the default font in Google Docs is Arial. It's also set at size 11 and has a line spacing of 1.15. Good for most professional use-cases, Arial can be a bit too drab and ordinary-looking. Learn how to change the default font in Google Docs here.

6. Hanging indent on Google Docs

Hanging indents are mostly used for academic writing, research papers, or a list article. They are also a requirement for certain styles like MLA and APA. The hanging indent makes it easier for a person to read the content, provides extra space to your margins, and saves time instead of making you use Tab or Space key. In this article, find how to do a hanging indent on Google Docs and the benefits of using it.

7. Change to Landscape in Google Docs

The orientation of a document refers to the location of the long edge of the page. Usually, there are two orientations - Portrait (Vertical) and Landscape (Horizontal). The most basic formatting option you have in a word processing tool is to change the orientation of a document. Google Docs also has this functionality and it allows you to change to landscape or portrait orientation, in just a few steps.

8. Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs‍

If you are a power-user of Google Docs and regularly create lengthy texts or documents, organizing them in a standardized manner becomes extremely important. However, you need to convey the organization of the content to your readers. Hence, adding a Table of Contents at the beginning of your Google Docs document is crucial. Learn how to, here.

9. Make Columns in Google Docs‍

If you are using Google Docs to create documents, reports or brochures, one way to organize your document and make maximum use of white space is to arrange the text in two or three columns.To make it really easy to split text into columns, Google has introduced a new feature that divides text into two or three vertical parts by using a column break, and modify as required. In this article, you'll learn how to make columns in Google Docs, and also how to format them easily.

10. Flip an image in Google Docs

Adding images to your document can be a great way to illustrate important data and information, or add decorative elements to the text. Images also make the document more engaging to read, while giving context and depth to the text. However, image editing and manipulating features in Google Docs are limited. Learn how to do it through this article.

11. Change the background color on Google Docs

Background colors make a document more attractive and distinct. By default, Google Docs has a white background color on each page. But, sometimes if you want to make a presentation or to create an appealing and colorful document, you would need to change the background color on your pages. Learn how to change background color on Google Docs in 3 simple steps.

12. Change margins in Google Docs

The margin space is entirely blank, with no text or images, and is mainly used for aesthetic purposes, to make sure that the text doesn’t collide with the edge of the document. Also, if you want to print out a document and frame it or bind it, the margins will help you avoid any mess. Learn how to change margins in Google Docs on various devices using this guide.

13. Do a Superscript in Google Docs‍

In applications involving research and academics, it is very important to keep the Google Docs looking highly professional and intuitive. For this, text content such as citations, footnotes, mathematical formulae, chemical formulae, among others, require proper formatting. Hence, knowing how to add superscript or subscript text in Google Docs is very important. Learn how.

14. Search for a Word in Google Docs

The find and replace function lets you search any word or phrase within the Google Docs document, and replace it with a different term. Learn how to use the find and replace function in Google Docs, which lets you search any word or phrase within the Google Docs document, and replace it with a different term.

15. Add Page Numbers in Google Docs‍

Be it for web reading or printing out, adding page numbers to Google Docs documents helps keep them organised and lets readers navigate the contents easily. In this guide, find out how to add page numbers in Google Docs.

16. Double Space in Google Docs‍

There are many ways to make your Google Docs document look more aesthetically pleasing or professional. One way is to include more white space around and in between text, albeit in a structured fashion. To do this, you can either change the margin sizes (top, bottom, or sides) in your document, or you could even adjust the line spacing and paragraph spacing. Find out how to do it.

17. Make a Table in Google Docs‍

One key feature offered by Google Docs is the ability to create tables. If you’re a power user of Google Docs, you’ll most likely have encountered a situation where you needed to add tables into your documents. Find out how to make a table in Google Docs. Effectively create, format, and delete tables in your documents through these simple steps.

18. Insert a Text Box in Google Docs‍

Although we’ve been accustomed to the popular “text box” in MS Powerpoint and Google Slides, many users don’t know how to insert text box in Google Docs. Most users don’t even know that a text box can actually be added to Google Docs documents. But don’t fret, in this article, find a step-by-step walkthrough on how to add a text box in Google Docs.

Google Calendar

1. Print Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an amazing tool that you can access across multiple platforms and with ease. It makes it easier to collaborate with people across different locations, schedule events or tasks, or even notify your team that you will not be in office for the day. If there arises a time when you need a hard copy of your Google Calendar, though, you can easily do so thought the steps given in this guide.

Gmail

1. Set up Gmail Auto Reply

To appear professional within your team or to your clients or customers, it is critical to be highly responsive to all email messages. Being prompt and quick in responding to emails is courteous, and makes you appear more reliable. It also forces you to act and avoid procrastination, and even helps you achieve the coveted 'Inbox Zero'! In situations when you're on vacation, it is always better to reply to people that you are unavailable, and lead them to an alternate contact. Learn how to do so automatically with this guide.

Google Chrome

1. Reduce Memory consumed by Chrome

Google Chrome is one of the most widely used web browsers. It is known for its speed, performance, and easy-to-use interface. But, Chrome is also infamous for being a memory hog that ends up consuming most of a computer's resources. Learn why Chrome takes so much memory and read about the 6 fixes you can use to stop Chrome from using too much memory.

2. Allow Chrome to access the network in your firewall or antivirus settings

Although Chrome is quite a useful and popular tool, it isn’t completely free of errors and bugs. Since it is a go-to browsing tool for many, these errors could tend to completely ruin the user experience. In this article, earn how to tackle the error message, ‘Allow Chrome to access the network in your firewall or antivirus settings.' and have a smooth browsing experience.

3. Open recently closed tabs‍

Has it ever happened to you that you were in a hurry and accidentally closed the wrong tab? Or clicked on the close button in Google Chrome and ended up losing all your recently closed tabs? Or even, accidentally closed all the apps open in your PC in one go? It is definitely disheartening when the multitude of tabs kept open while you were researching an important topic have all now vanished. So what can you do about this? How can you open recently closed tabs? Learn here.

YouTube

1. Check how long you've been subscribed to someone on YouTube?‍

Has it ever happened to you that you’re scrolling past your YouTube feed and you see a channel that shows you’ve subscribed to it, but you have no idea when? Or maybe you found a band a long time before it became popular, and now want to brag to your friends about how long you’ve been following it. Your subscription history on YouTube is proof in these cases.
To help you in the quest of finding out when you subscribed to a channel, check out this step-by-step guide on how to check how long you’ve been subscribed to someone on YouTube.