20 Google Drive Hacks to Boost Your Productivity (Part III)

Google Drive is an incredibly versatile tool that can enhance your productivity in countless ways. From keeping your calendar organized to consolidating all your work in one convenient location, Google Drive has got you covered.

But did you know that there are some lesser-known tips and tricks that can take your Google Drive experience to the next level? Prepare to be amazed as I unveil a list of secrets that will supercharge your productivity.

1. Access files without an internet connection

One of the best hidden gems of Google Drive is its ability to allow you to access your files even when you’re offline. This can prove to be a lifesaver when you find yourself on a plane or in an area with no internet access.

To begin, open Google Drive on your computer. Look for the gear icon in the top-right corner and click on it to open Settings. From there, select the General tab and scroll down until you find the Offline section. In that section, you’ll see an option to create, open, and edit files offline. Make sure to check the box next to that option. Now, even when you’re not connected to the internet, you’ll still be able to access your files and work on them.

Next, let’s talk about sharing files on Google Drive. With this feature, you have the power to share files with others while also controlling their access. For example, you can give someone permission to view a file without allowing them to make any changes to it. It’s a handy way to collaborate and keep your files secure.



1. Hey there! If you want to share a file, just head over to Google Documents and click on the Share button in the top-right corner. This will open the file in Google Drive.
2. Now, it’s time to invite some people to collaborate! Enter their email addresses and choose what level of access you want them to have.
3. Once you’ve done that, click on Editor and a drop-down menu will pop up. From there, you can choose whether the person can be a Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
4. Oh, and if you want, you can also let people know you’ve shared the file with them by checking the Notify people option.
5. But wait, there’s more! You can also share the document using a link. Just click on the Get Link bar and customize the share settings to your liking.
6. Finally, when everything’s set, just click Done and you’re good to go. Your document is now shared!

3. Work together on documents and projects

Gone are the days when we had to go back and forth with emails just to make changes to a single document or project. Now, you can collaborate with others in real-time using Google Drive. When you share a file on Google Drive, you can give your co-editors permission to make modifications and updates.

And the best part is, there are other ways you can share too:



There are several ways to share your file using Google Drive. Here are the options:

1. File – Click here to see more sharing options.
2. Download – Download your file in a different format, like a Word document, PDF, or HTML text.
3. Publish to the web – Create a simple webpage with your document.
4. Email as an attachment – Send your file as an email attachment.
5. Email collaborators – Send an email with a link to your file.

Google Drive also offers great collaboration tools to make working with others easy. You can chat, comment, and see revision history. Refer to the image below for more information:



1. Comment

If you want to see all the comments about the file in chronological order, just click the Comment button. You can also leave new comments or respond to existing ones.

2. Share

When you hover your cursor over the Share button, you’ll find a description of the current visibility settings for the file. To change the file’s sharing settings, simply click the Share button. You can share the file with others, change its visibility, or generate a link to share.

3. Currently Viewing and Chat

If you want to chat with others who are currently viewing the file, just click here (see number 3 in the figure). It’s important to note that chats aren’t stored in the Comments section.

4. Cursor

When one of your collaborators is editing the file, you’ll see a brightly colored cursor indicating their presence. Any changes they make will be visible to you in real-time.

5. Adding Comments

Did you know that you can leave little messages for your co-workers in specific parts of a file? Yup! It’s true. These messages are called comments. When you leave a comment, everyone you’re working with can see it and even respond to it. Here’s how you do it:

1. First, find the text that you want to comment on.
2. Right-click on the text, and a menu will appear.
3. From the menu, select “Comment.”

That’s it! Now, your collaborators can reply to your comment or resolve it if they don’t have anything to add. It’s a great way to discuss ideas, provide feedback, or ask questions.

4. Chat while collaborating

Guess what else you can do while working together on a document? You can chat! Google Drive has a super cool real-time chat feature that lets you talk to your co-workers right in the same document. Need to ask a question or get someone’s opinion? Just use the chat feature. Here’s how:

1. Open your Google Drive file, whether it’s a document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
2. Look for the “Chat” option at the top right of the screen.
3. If there are other people in the file with you, the chat feature will be available. You can click on it to start chatting.

Now you can chat and collaborate at the same time. It’s like having a conversation while you work. How cool is that?

Alright, here’s what you need to do: just type your message in the chatbox. Once you’re done, you can close the chat window by clicking on “Close” in the top right corner. Oh, and by the way, just so you know, anyone who has access to this file can see the chats, but don’t worry, they won’t be saved anywhere. So go ahead, start chatting!



Step 5: Delegate tasks using comments

When you need to assign a task to someone, simply add a comment to the document. Comments are a useful tool for keeping track of what needs to be done and who is responsible for doing it.



1. To start, open the document and find the Comment button in the bottom-right corner. Click on it to leave a comment.
2. Next, type out your comment and press the Enter key to submit it.

6. Make use of templates

Google Drive offers various templates that can help you create different types of documents quickly and effortlessly. For instance, you can find templates specifically designed for resumes, invoices, and meeting agendas. Here’s how you can use them:



1. Hey there! Let’s start by opening Google Drive. Look for the “New” button in the top-left corner and give it a click. This will give us access to all the cool templates.
2. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see a screen with different options. Go ahead and select “Template” to find the specific template you’re looking for.

7. Time-saving keyboard shortcuts

Working with documents on Google Drive can be even easier if you use keyboard shortcuts. Instead of clicking around, you can just press a few keys to get things done. For example, if you want to save a document, simply press Ctrl+S on your keyboard.

1. To find out all the keyboard shortcuts available, head to Google Drive and look for the “Help” button in the top-right corner.
2. Then, in the search box, type “Keyboard shortcuts” and hit enter. You’ll see a bunch of results with all the shortcuts you can use. Pretty handy, right?

I have a useful tip for you! Take a look at the list below and choose the one that matches your needs. Afterward, simply click on “Enter”.

Tip 8: Access the OCR feature

Guess what? Google Drive has a great tool called Optical Character Recognition (OCR) that can do wonders for you. This feature, available on the web and Android, can extract text from images. Unfortunately, it’s not available on iOS.



1. Just upload a picture or PDF to Google Drive and right-click on the files. Choose Open with.
2. Then, select Google Doc to convert the image/PDF into a document that can be edited as text.

9. Make your files your own

In Google Drive, you can personalize your files by changing the text font, size, and color. You can even add an image to your files. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the document and click on the Format button.
2. Then, choose Text and make your desired changes.

To add a picture, just click on the “Insert” button, then choose “Image.” You’ll see different options for adding the image.

[{width=”800″ height=”537″}]

You can also star files and folders to make them easier to find later. Here’s how:

1. Open the file or folder and click the “Star” button.

2. The star will turn yellow, showing that it has been starred.

If you want to see all your starred files and folders, just open Google Drive and click on the “Starred” button in the left-side navigation panel.

1. Hey, take a look at this cool feature – all your starred files and folders are right here, in one convenient place.

11. Wanna find stuff fast? Try advanced search.

With advanced search, finding files and folders is a piece of cake. Say you wanna find files that got updated in the last week? Easy. How about files with a certain word or phrase? No problem. Advanced search has got you covered.



1. To use the advanced search, open Google Drive and go to the search bar. It’s easy to find!
2. Type in your search keywords and press Enter. Google Drive will find all the matching files for you.
3. Or, if you want to be more specific, you can choose the search options. Just click on the search options to open a detailed search form. Fill out the form with the details you want, and then click on the Search button.

12. Attach a file to a Google Calendar event

Did you know that you can attach files to your Google Calendar events? It’s a really handy feature that allows you to keep all your important documents in one place.



1. To attach a file, just open up Google Calendar and create or edit an event.
2. Once you’re in the event, click on the Add button and choose File attachment. Pick the file you want to attach.

13. Keep an eye on what’s happening in Google Drive and go back to previous versions

If you want to see what’s been going on in your Google Drive or go back to an older version of a file, you have a couple of options: Activity and Versions. Activity lets you see a list of recent changes made to your files, while Versions gives you access to previous versions of a file. To check out the activity:



1. To get started, open up Google Drive and find the View Details button in the top-left corner. Click on it.
2. Next, select Activity.
3. If you want to use the Versions feature, open the file you want to keep track of and click on the File button in the top corner.
4. Then choose Version history.

When you’re in the version history, you’ll see two options: Name current version (Name this version to keep track of it in version history) and See version history. If you click on See version history, you’ll be able to see the entire work history on your screen.

14. Try voice typing

If you’d rather not use your hands to type, you can use the voice typing feature in Google Drive.



To begin voice typing, follow these steps:

1. First, open Google Drive and click on the “New” button. From there, select “Google Docs.”

2. Now, within the document, go to the “Tools” menu. You’ll see a list of options available to you.

3. Locate and click on “Voice Typing” in the menu.

4. Once you’ve selected voice typing, you can start speaking, and your words will be transcribed into the document for you!



15. Translating documents into different languages

Did you know that Google Drive has a feature that allows you to translate documents into different languages? It’s super easy to use and can help you communicate better with people from all over the world. Here’s how you can use it:



1. To translate a document, open it and click on the Tools menu at the top.
2. Next, choose Translate document. You can select the languages you want to translate between.

16. Save files and images to Google Drive on Mobile

One great thing about Google Drive is that you can use it on your phone. This means you can easily save files and images to your Google Drive account while you’re out and about. Here’s how:

1. Open the file or image you want to save and tap the Share button.
2. Then tap “Add to Drive”. You’ll need to sign in to your Google Drive account. Once you’re signed in, the file or image will be saved to your Google Drive account.

17. Attaching files to Gmail

Hey there! Did you know that you can easily attach files from Google Drive to your Gmail messages? It’s super convenient because it lets you collaborate on documents or share photos with your loved ones, friends, or colleagues.

Now, let me show you how you can do it:



Okay, let me try rewriting it with a fresh voice:

1. First, I’ll open Gmail and start composing a new message.
2. Next, I’ll click on the drop-down menu and choose “Google Drive”.
3. Then, I’ll pick the files I want to attach.
4. After that, I’ll decide how I want to send the file at the bottom of the page:
5. If it’s a file from Google Drive, including documents made with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms, I can just send a link to it.
6. If it’s a file that wasn’t created with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms, I can attach it.
7. Once I’m finished, I’ll click on “Insert”.

When I attach a Google Drive file to my message in Gmail, it checks if the people I’m sending the message to can access the file. If they can’t, I’ll be asked to change the file’s sharing settings before I send the message.

18. How to Automatically Generate a Table of Contents

Did you know that Google Drive can help you create a table of contents? It’s not something you’d expect, but it actually works really well. With this useful feature, you can automatically generate a table of contents for your long documents.

A table of contents shows you the organization of your document. You have the power to add or remove the table of contents whenever you want.



1. First, open up a Google Docs document on your computer. Find the spot where you want to put the table of contents in the document.
2. Next, go to the Insert tab and scroll down to find Table of Contents. You can even choose how you want the table of contents to look.
3. If you change your mind and want to delete the table of contents, just right-click on it and select Delete table of contents.

Did you know? You can still access files you’ve deleted!

If you delete a file from your Google Drive account, don’t worry! You can still find it in the Trash folder. The Trash folder is a special place in Google Drive where all your deleted files go.

The Trash folder is exclusively yours. That means you can get to it from any device or computer linked to your Google Drive account. After 30 days, all files in the Trash folder are automatically deleted.

To find the Trash folder:



1. First, open up Google Drive and head over to the Trash section on the left side of the screen.
2. When you get there, you’ll find a whole list of files that you’ve deleted from your account. From this list, you can easily bring back any files you want.

Step 2: Edit Documents and Spreadsheets with the Mobile App

If you ever find yourself needing to access and edit documents or spreadsheets while on the move, Google Drive has got you covered with its handy mobile app.

Both Android and iOS users can take advantage of the Google Drive mobile app. You can easily download and use the app on your phone or tablet, and it’s completely free.

Conclusion: Stay Productive Anywhere

Hey there! Have you ever heard of Google Drive? It’s a really cool tool that lets you store and share files with others. I’m here to give you some awesome tips and tricks to help you get the most out of using Google Drive.

First things first, let’s talk about creating and editing documents and spreadsheets. With Google Drive, you can create all sorts of files like Word documents and Excel spreadsheets right in your web browser. No need for fancy software! Plus, you can collaborate with others in real-time, so it’s super easy to work on projects together.

Next up, let’s cover attaching files to Gmail messages. If you have a file stored in Google Drive that you want to send to someone, you can easily attach it to an email. Just click the “Drive” icon while composing your message and select the file you want to attach. It’s a quick and convenient way to share files with others.

Now, what if you accidentally deleted a file from Google Drive? Don’t worry, there’s a way to get it back. Just go to your Google Drive homepage and click on the “Trash” option on the left-hand side. You’ll see a list of all your deleted files and you can restore them with just a few clicks. It’s like magic!

So there you have it – some awesome tips and tricks for using Google Drive. I hope you found these helpful and that they make your Google Drive experience even better. Happy storing and sharing!