The best tips for remote workers using Google Workspace

If your company is using Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) for collaboration and productivity, you’re in luck: Google Workspace is chock-full of features that make remote work easier and more seamless for your team. While you may have been using apps like Gmail and Google Docs for some time, many of its most useful tools are still unknown and underutilized.

Want to boost your productivity and impress your boss? This list of Google Workspace tips should help — and some may even transform the way you work.

Tips for using Google Docs

  • Use Version History to review changes. Simply go to File > Version history to see who’s changed what. You can also use Name current version to mark milestone versions of a document.
  • Access Google Search directly from Google Docs. Don’t switch between browser tabs when doing research for a report! The Tools > Explore feature opens a side panel so you can quickly search for information. You can even drag-and-drop image search results directly into your document — complete with the source URL.
  • Dictate your ideas with voice typing. Do you express yourself better by speaking rather than writing? Again, under Tools, select Voice typing to make use of Google’s superb voice recognition technology and save time at work.

Tips for using Google Sheets

  • Gather information in a spreadsheet using Google Forms. Google Forms is an ultra-versatile tool: You can use it to create job application forms, customer polls, and even quizzes. Within any form, simply navigate to the Responses tab and click the green Create Spreadsheet icon to store responses for later analysis.
  • Learn new functions as you work. Google Sheets functions differ slightly from MS Excel ones, but you won’t have trouble learning to use it. When you type a function and the opening parenthesis, a handy pop-up will appear with a detailed explanation of the function. You’ll be a Google Sheets pro in no time!

Tips for using Google Drive

  • Review and comment on PDF files. Although Google Workspace doesn’t have a PDF editing app, it allows you to upload, open, and comment on PDF files. Instead of sending a PDF file around for review in Adobe Reader, anyone accessing a PDF in Google Drive can select text or highlight sections of a page for comment. This is an extremely useful feature that even Microsoft Onedrive doesn’t yet offer, and is particularly useful for creative teams.

Tips for Gmail and Google Calendar

  • Keep your conversations secure with Confidential Mode. This nifty little feature lets you prevent recipients from downloading or forwarding sensitive information (such as proposals and contracts). When composing an email, click the lock icon at the bottom bar. You can then set an expiry date for the email and optionally send an SMS passcode for accessing the email.
  • Check your Google Calendar within Gmail. See the Calendar icon on the right-side panel of your Gmail window? Clicking it opens a compact view of your calendar, so you can quickly check your availability for meetings.
  • Easily add Google Meet to appointments. If your company is using Google Workspace, they’re likely to be using Google Meet too. Whenever you’re adding an event to Google Calendar, you’ll see the Add Google Meet video conference option. This auto-generates an online meeting link that will be included in the event description for all guests to attend.
  • Start your workday with a daily agenda email. Stay on top of your schedule with an email reminding you of the day’s agenda. In Google Calendar, go to Settings > Calendar settings for each calendar. Under Other notifications, you can activate a daily agenda email.

Other useful Google Workspace tips

  • Activate offline access for Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Although Google Workspace apps are browser-based, you can keep working on Docs, Sheets, and Slides (via the Chrome browser) even when you’re not connected to the Internet. Here’s how: Install and activate the Google Docs Offline Chrome Extension. Then, go to Google Drive. Under Settings > Offline, check the box to turn on the ability to work offline.
  • Power up your productivity with Google Add-ons. One of the best things about Google Workspace is the abundance of add-ons. For instance, the Sortd add-on for Gmail lets you organize emails with a Kanban board, while the Power Tools add-on for Google Sheets will let you merge and split sheets, clean up data, add advanced formatting, and more.

With these Google Workspace tips, remote work should become a breeze!