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Google Docs

11 Feb 2014

Access and edit your documents from anywhere, by leaving them on the Google Docs drive.

Google Drive allows users to create and edit documents online so you can access your files from anywhere. It also allows for users to collaborate with other users in real time.

How to setup a Google Docs account

To access Google Docs, you’ll need a Gmail address. This doesn’t have to be your main address, it just needs to be an email that you can use to login to your Google account. If you’re planning on asking people to share documents with you, they’ll need this address.

  1. Go to www.gmail.com
  2. Click ‘create an account’ in the top right corner.
  3. Fill out the appropriate fields – there will be some fields that are compulsory.
  4. Once you’re taken to the next screen, click ‘Continue to Gmail’.

Accessing Google Drive

Once you’re in your inbox screen, you’ll see your email address displayed in the top right corner.

Next to that, you’ll see a box of small squares.

When you click on that, a drop-down menu will appear. Select ‘Drive’

Creating documents

There are two ways that you can create documents on Google Drive – either creating them online, using Google Docs, or creating them in an offline program such as Microsoft Word and uploading it.

Create documents online

On the left of your screen, is a menu. At the top is a ‘Create’ button.

Once you’ve clicked that, click on the option you would like to create – either Document, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Form or Drawing.

Once you’ve selected what you want, you’ll be taken to another screen. Create and edit the document as you would normally.

Creating documents offline

All you have to do in this situation, is create the document as you would normally in the program of your choice.

When in the Google Drive screen, next to the ‘Create’ button is another button with an up-arrow on it. Click that and select ‘Files’. 

Follow the prompts to upload your file.

Your files will then show up in your Google Drive home screen and you’ll be able to edit them online.

Editing online

To edit your documents online, you need to make sure you have opened them using Google Sheets or Google Docs.

  • Rather than clicking on the name of your file, click the box to the left of it. A tick will appear.
  • At the top of your screen, there is a ‘More’ button, click that. A drop-down menu will appear.
  • Select ‘Open with’ and then either Google Sheets or Google Docs.

The document will then open in another tab on your screen ready for editing.

Sharing your documents

To share your document with other people:

  • Select the file by clicking the box to the left and waiting for the tick to appear.
  • Head to the ‘More’ button again and select ‘Share’
  • Once you’ve done this, another window will appear.
  • You can invite people using their email addresses.
  • When you enter their email address, there is an option to the right on how the new user can access the document – ‘Can edit’, ‘Can comment’ or ‘Can view’. Select which option you want and click ‘Share & save’.

Remember, if you want other people to be able to actually edit the document, select ‘Can edit’.