Google Docs is a free utility that allows you to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, which allow its use through the cloud.
In this way, Google allows users to offer the possibility of creating the document, spreadsheet or presentation they need and to be able to access them from any mobile device or computer. In addition, it has the advantage that it allows several people to work on the same document simultaneously.
In order to have access to Google Docs, it is enough to have an email account in Gmail, which is also free. Once the Gmail account is created, it is enough to access the Google account and create the document that is needed. These files are stored in the cloud, so there will be no problem that they can be lost.
Main features of Google Docs
Google Docs is a tool that has numerous advantages and interesting features that are worth learning about, such as the following:
- It’s free. Its use does not have any cost, so you can create all kinds of documents, presentations and spreadsheets, without limits and without paying anything for it.
- Automatically saved changes. All changes you make to documents are saved automatically, so you won’t have any crashes where a program crashes and you lose everything you’ve worked on. In Google Docs everything is saved automatically.
- No installation. It is not necessary to install any type of program or extension. It is only necessary to have an internet connection and have a Gmail account.
- Availability of information. You can access your documents and consult or edit them whenever you want, from any place and device. All documents are stored on Google servers, so you will not need any storage device.
- Less use of PC resources. Another of its main advantages is that by not storing information in the computer’s memory, it makes less use of the computer’s resources, with the advantage that this entails in terms of its operation and performance.
- Compatibility. The documents that are saved in Google Docs offer great compatibility and it is possible to download them in an easy and simple way if necessary or print them directly if desired.
- Updates. Google Docs is constantly undergoing updates focused on improving performance, fixing bugs, and improving features. These updates do not depend on you in any way, nor do you have to take any action. They are made automatically on Google servers.
- Team work. Google Docs allows one or more users to work on the same document. This greatly facilitates group work, both professional and academic.
- Import files. The Google Docs word processor allows you to import text files from any computer. However, these files must have been created with Open Office or Microsoft Office.
- Organization. The Google tool has a very effective document organization system. It allows you to create folders, share and hide documents, highlight others, etc.
Share documents from Google Docs
One of the great features of Google Docs is that it allows you to share documents with other people, either so that they can see them or so that they can collaborate on editing them.
Doing so is a very simple task, since all you have to do is press the Share button that appears at the top right of the document to be shared.
This will bring up a window through which you can either select the link provided by the program or send invitations to share to those people’s email.
When you provide a link to that document to a person, Google will require them to request your authorization in order to access it. In this way, Google Docs offers security in the process, so as to prevent outsiders from gaining access to a certain document just by having the link that it has managed to obtain in some other way.
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Comments and chat in Google Docs
Likewise, in Google Docs it is possible to see live how other people make changes to a document. In addition, from the Comments button anyone who is in the document can talk about the project. In addition, you can see the users who are viewing the document just by going to the top of it.
In any case, it is possible to configure it to receive notifications when a person makes changes to the document or when they interact or chat through the comment system.
This function is really useful to be able to hold conversations in large work groups, whether they are professionals or academics.
Tanner Abraham
Data Scientist and Software Engineer with a focus on experimental projects in new budding technologies that incorporate machine learning and quantum computing into web applications.
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