Google is a household name and it has become an integral part of our lives now. We use it to search for different things, we use it for email, and more recently we use g-suite for work and business. G-suite is Google’s answer to Microsoft Office. It has a collection of applications that offer the same functionality as Microsoft Office, only more conveniently.
For starters, G-suite is free. You don’t have to pay a single cent to use it and the only thing required of you is to make a Gmail account. Once you’ve made a Gmail account, you simply open G-suite, pick the application you need, and get to work. The main offerings are Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google forms. Also included are Google calendar, Meet, Google Drive, and Google chat. All of these are free to use along with the 15Gbs of storage that Google provides. If you wish to add more to your arsenal, Google offers a few options for you to choose from.
One of the best features that Google Docs offers is convenience. Every single document is instantly saved to the cloud. What does this mean? Your work is being saved as you go so you don’t need to worry whether or not it was saved. If your computer dies or the power goes out, your work was already saved for you to pick up when you get back. If that wasn’t good enough, you can generate a unique link for your document and share it with friends and colleagues. For example, if you are working on a group report, you can create a google doc and share the link with everyone on the team. After, everyone with the link can concurrently be working on the document, making it incredibly convenient and simple.
Google Docs – Using It More Efficiently
Google docs can be considered one of the best word-processing apps there is. Let’s dive into how you can make the most of it!
Text Dictation
Many people are still unaware of text dictation. You turn on the mic, speak into it, and Google docs convert it into readable text. When using text dictation, whatever you say is typed and saved automatically. Naturally, there might be an odd error here and there but these can be edited once you are done speaking. Moreover, the features are not limited simply to what you speak. You can also dictate commands such as ‘go to the end of the line’ and ‘select paragraph’ among others. This makes it a hands-free effort to create your documents.
Other text commands include ones to:
- Format the document
- Edit the document
- Select text and manipulate it in different ways
- Moving around the document.
- Start or stop voice typing,
These commands are further broken down into several different commands which can streamline the process of creating a google document. There are many more to go around here.
Using Templates
One of the finest features of Google Docs is templates. This feature extends across much of the g-suite. Templates have been created for you to have a pre-made format for different types of documents. You can pick from resumes, letters, proposals, essays, reports, lessons plan, meeting notes, brochures, newsletters, freelancer agreements, manuals, and more.
Using these templates saves you a lot of time creating the document from scratch. Moreover, these templates are incredibly convenient to use and with the auto-save feature, everything you write into these templates is already backed up.
Video Call Integration
In a post-pandemic world, virtual communication and learning are incredibly important. Using Google Meet, you can simply click the little video-call icon in the top right corner of the document. This will start a video call with everyone collaborating on the document. This is ideal for students preparing for an exam. Everyone has the document in front of them, they have their cameras on, and they can prepare together. Whenever a video call starts, the document isn’t pushed to the back. Instead, every collaborator can see it during the video call.
Substitutions
When working on Google docs, chances are you’re working on something important. This could be work, school, or your blog or book. Regardless, there are times when you might have a deadline or you might be in the flow of things. In such a case, you can use the substitution tool in Google Docs. You can list down a set of different character combinations which google docs will replace with an alternative set of text. For example, if you right ‘btw’ it will instantly replace it with ‘by the way.’
To access this, open the tools menu in your doc. Click on preferences and then substitutions. A window will open, allowing you to set a list of substitutions according to what you want. Google docs give you the ability to add, remove, edit, enable, and disable substitutions according to what you want. This could allow you to create shortcuts for when you are typing and also make autocorrect a little better.
Document Expiration Date
Google Docs allows you to share your document with other people. It does this by creating a unique link that you can copy or email. Whoever has this link can access the document. Depending on your privacy settings, they can either view the document or also edit it. When someone has permission to edit the document, they can write, change, and comment on the document. Furthermore, if you want more control over the document and what is in it, you can restrict how long someone has access to a document. For example, if someone needs access to a document for 7 days only, you can adjust it accordingly.
The owner of the sheet can set a custom range if they want. However, if there is an expiration on a google doc, only suggestions and comments can be made. The person with permission cannot edit the document if there is an expiration date.
Bookmarks
Using Google Docs, you can insert a bookmark in different parts of the document to create a section in it. This bookmark is then available in the outline section of the document for you to access. Using bookmarks, you can navigate large documents and go to where you want or need to be. Once again, this saves you time and increases your efficiency.
Conclusion
Google Docs is one of the most underrated tools of the modern age. They are free to use, extremely powerful, and make collaboration incredibly simple. It doesn’t matter if you’re working on a high school book report or a proposal for a multinational company, Google docs are your best friend. Its auto-save feature prevents data loss, and its sharing features make it easier for different people to work on it with you. Google docs also have little features here and there which make it incredibly helpful in ways we might not immediately notice. However, once we get into it, there is no looking back from it.
To make the most out of Google Doc functionality, you need a quick, stable, and strong internet connection.
Interesting Related Article: “How to Create a Newsletter Using a Google Docs Newsletter Template“