What does Google mean to you? Perhaps you search the Internet in a similar way, or maybe Google Docs is your main word processing program. It’s only your email provider? As far as many people go with Google, but the tech giant offers much more than that.
Google fans looking to get the most out of their online experience will know that there are so many new worlds to discover, especially when it comes to Docs, Google’s online office suite.
Let’s dive into some of Google’s unseen capabilities. We’ll take a look at what you can do with Google Docs, but also check out some fun extras from elsewhere in the Google universe.
go beyond text documents
Google Docs is much more than just a word processor, it’s a whole suite of programs that have steadily become more powerful over the years of development. Expand your horizons the next time you need to start a spreadsheet, create a presentation, create a form, or create a digital drawing. All of these options are open to you when you start a new project in Docs.
You can use Google’s easy-to-use templates for everything from resumes to brochures to book reports. You can find these on your main Google Docs page. These tools are especially useful for people who have a budget that doesn’t have access to a suite like Microsoft Office.
Concerned about privacy? Here’s how to erase everything you searched for on Google.
direct google docs
Why type when you can just speak your mind instead? Google Docs will take dictation as long as you have a microphone connected to your computer and you are using the Chrome browser. Go to the Tools menu and select “Voice Typing” to get started. Your browser may ask for permission to use your mic.
Dictation works surprisingly well if you take the time to speak clearly and don’t rush. You can add basic punctuation by saying “period,” “comma,” “exclamation point,” “question mark,” “new line,” or “new paragraph.” If you want to use voice typing a lot, it’s wise to brush up on some of its more advanced capabilities with Google’s voice-command guide.
collaborate with others
Working in Google Docs doesn’t mean you have to fly alone. It offers some powerful collaboration options that let you share documents. Check out the “Share” option and you can either invite people directly or get a shareable link for your document. You can specify whether collaborators can only read a document, just comment on it, or if they can even edit it.
To help keep track of changes, you can go to the File menu and select “Version History.” From here, you can choose the name of the version you’re working on or view the history to see who did what and when. Collaboration is great for working teams, but you can also use it in your personal life. You can bring the whole family together to plan a birthday party or work on a holiday dinner menu via Google Docs.
translate entire document
You just wrote a Google Docs report in English, but you need to share it with someone who speaks Spanish. Go to Tools menu, select “Translate document” and choose which language you want. Google will create the translation in a separate document. Just keep in mind that machine translation isn’t perfect, but it can usually fill the idea.
translate by drawing
In addition to Docs, Google offers a different way to translate a foreign language. Go to Google Translate in your browser or open the Google Translate app on your mobile device. In your browser, look for a drop-down menu below the translation box that lets you select handwriting as the input tool. In the app, it looks like a little pen icon. Now you can type any word or symbol in another language and get the translation.
Learn about Google Lens
Lens is one of the new tools from Google. It first came to Android, but more recently it has been rolled out for iOS devices as well. The main way to access Lens is through the Google Photos app, although you can also find it tied to Google Assistant on some major phones.
To use Lens, open your Photos app, select an image, and select the icon that looks like an unfinished square with a dot in the middle and a smaller dot in the lower right corner. Lens will analyze the picture and offer the relevant search results.
Lens has some nifty capabilities beyond just the search function. It can recognize cat and dog breeds, identify flowers, scan business cards to add to your contacts (for Android phones), tell you more about landmarks, and even That also helps you add events to your calendar when you photograph a flyer.
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