The Microsoft Office suite and its flagship word processing software are still popular choices for home and business computing, but competition from Google’s rival collection is rising. In particular, Google Docs is widely available, easy to use, and of course, it’s free.
If you're a long-time Word user, and you've finally decided to give Docs a try, there are a few features you might struggle to find. In this post, we'll show exactly where to look.
Is It Easy to Switch from Microsoft Word to Google Docs?
While there are other word processing programs available, Word and Docs are the most common. Docs may not have quite as many features as its Microsoft competitor, especially for formatting, but schools and workplaces are still starting to use it more often.
For the most part, Microsoft Word and Google Docs function in the same way.
The layout and menus are similar and users who switch between them generally have an easy time figuring things out. In both programs, you'll find common features in the menu bars at the top of the screen.
Word calls this the "Ribbon" while Docs calls it the "Toolbar."
When you switch to Docs, you'll still be able to find many tools and features in the same place as Word.
For example, you can still print or share from the File tab. Or you can still use the Edit tab to select, copy, and paste. Go to the Insert tab in both programs to create a table, add a header, or number your pages.
Differences Between Word and Docs
For most people, the transition to Docs will be pretty easy. But if you’ve been using Word for a long time, Google Docs could still take some getting used to.
At first glance, the Word Ribbon looks like it has more options; the Docs toolbar is a little simpler and there are a few features you might not be able to find. In some cases, you might even need a workaround to accomplish certain functions. But most of what you need is in there somewhere.
Here are a few tips to help you find hidden features and to get your bearings when switching from Word to Google Docs.
1. Saving a Document
One of the most important tasks you ever learned to do in Word was to save your document. Click on File > Save or Save As.
In Docs, you won't find that option under the File tab in the toolbar. Instead, if you're logged into your Google account, the program saves automatically, as you type.
You can double-check by looking at the cloud icon next to your document title. If there is a checkmark in the cloud, your file has been saved. Google will even tell you how many minutes ago it was edited.
2. Checking the Word Count
For students, writers, and others who need to keep an eye on the length of their document, this one’s kind of important. Word makes it easy to see the number of words as you go. They are automatically displayed in the bottom-left corner of the page.
In Docs, you have to select the words you want to count, go to Tools, and click Word Count.
At this point, you can put a checkmark in the box next to Display Word Count While Typing, and a popup will appear in the bottom left corner. Then you can see your word count and characters as you work.
3. Using a Thesaurus
In Word, synonyms are an easy right-click away but Docs doesn’t offer a built-in thesaurus. However, you can select a word, go to Tools, and use the explore function, but it takes you out of your document, which is a bit distracting.
Alternatively, you can add a thesaurus to Google Docs if you use this tool often.
Go to Add-Ons, click Get Add-ons, and type thesaurus in the search bar.
Choose a thesaurus and click Install > Continue. Google will ask you to select your account. Then click Install again.
There’s still no easy right-click option to use the thesaurus but it's quicker than it was. Select the word you want to look up, click Add-ons > Thesaurus > Search Selected Term and a popup will appear to your right.
If you don’t like the thesaurus you selected, simply click Add-ons > Manage Add-ons. Find the thesaurus you want to remove, click the three-dot menu, and click Uninstall > Uninstall App.
4. Focusing on Your Work
When you are using Word, you can click the Focus button in the bottom status bar to get a clean writing space with no distractions. Unfortunately, Google Docs has more inherent distractions than Word because you can see all of your browser tabs, but there also isn’t an easy way to eliminate them.
If you prefer a tidier workspace, you can install a browser extension like Distraction Free that will do the trick. This extension is available for Chrome or Edge.
If you’re working in Chrome, click on the three-dot menu in the top right corner of your screen. Then click More Tools > Extensions.
Click Open Chrome Web Store and type Distraction Free in the search bar. Click on Distraction Free Mode > Add to Chrome > Add Extension.
You can also download the extension in Microsoft Edge by clicking on the three-dot menu > Extensions. If you can't find it by searching in the Edge extensions, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
You'll see the following message: Can't find what you're looking for? You can also get extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
Just click on Chrome Web Store and follow the instructions above. (Yes, you will click Add to Chrome even though you are adding the extension in Edge.)
Back in Docs, click the box to the right of your document title to enter distraction-free mode. You'll still see your browser tabs here, but you can click the box in the top left corner to toggle full-screen distraction-free mode to hide them.
When you are ready to exit full-screen mode, click the box icon again, and click Exit.
5. Inserting a Text Box
To insert a text box in Word, you simply click Insert > Text Box on the ribbon. You can insert text boxes in Docs too, but they are a little harder to find and require a few extra steps.
Click Insert > Drawing > New. Click on the T icon. Then, draw your text box by clicking and dragging the lines. Then enter your text and click Save and Close. The text box you created will appear in your document where you can move it, rotate it, and edit as necessary.
6. Creating Wordart
If you love the text editing capabilities in Word, you’ll be happy to know WordArt is available in Docs too. It isn’t quite as robust as the Word version, but you can still change borders and fill, rotate your text, and insert shapes, arrows, and callouts.
To get WordArt in Docs, click Insert > Drawing > New. Under the Actions tab, click Word art.
Type your text in the box and hit Enter. Edit the fill and border colors, line weight, and font. To rotate your text, click on the circle above the text box and drag to turn the box in either direction.
Click Save and Close to insert the WordArt into your document.
7. Changing the Case
Sometimes, when you've written a long chunk of text, you may need to change the capitalization, to emphasize words or to add a title. In Word, you can change the case by clicking the Aa in the ribbon at the top of the page. In Docs, this task requires a few extra clicks.
Click on Format > Text > Capitalization. Then you can choose UPPERCASE, lowercase, or Title Case.
Google Docs is a Great Alternative to Microsoft Word
If you're thinking of switching from Word to Docs to save money, or if you need to use Docs for work or school, we hope these tips help you transition easily.
Now that you've learned a few quick tricks to use it efficiently, you can discover all that Google Docs has to offer. It is a robust word processing program, especially considering the price tag, and it has plenty of neat features of its own.
