Most everyone knows some basic keyboard shortcuts. Ctrl + C for copy, Ctrl + V for paste, Alt + F4 to close an application or other active item and the infamous Ctrl + Alt + Delete for when things aren’t going so well.
You can use keyboard shortcuts to paste text without its original formatting, take a picture of your screen, create a virtual desktop and more. Tap or click here for seven shortcuts that will help you save even more time.
There are more ways to cut to the chase beyond a few keystrokes. You can open Google files such as Docs, Sheets, Slides and more from within your browser without going through multiple clicks. Keep reading to learn how.
Use shortcuts to create new files
There’s an easy way to open a new Google Doc file, Google’s version of a Word document. The same goes for opening a new Google Sheet (Google’s version of Excel).
One shortcut opens your Google Calendar with a new blank calendar entry for you to fill in, which is faster than going through your calendar itself or Google Drive.
You can use dictation to save even more time when doing multiple tasks simultaneously. Tap or click here for instructions on dictating in Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
First, make sure you are signed in to your Google account. Now open your Chrome browser and type in the name of a Google application followed by “.new” in the browser’s URL bar.
For example, you can open a Google Doc by typing “document.new.” There are even shorter versions of these names that you can use.
Here’s a handy list for reference. You can use any of the following shortcuts for each application:
- Google Docs: document.new, docs.new, doc.new
- Google Sheets: spreadsheet.new, sheets.new, sheet.new
- Google Slides: presentation.new, slides.new, slide.new
- Google Forms: forms.new, form.new
- Google Keep: keep.new, notes.new, note.new
- Google Calendar: meeting.new, cal.new
- Google Meeting: meet.new
Keep reading
Skip the keyboard: How to dictate in Microsoft Word and Google Docs
Google Drive could start blocking files it says are against its terms of service