As a Google Docs user and one who is constantly on the go, I find myself doing more document creating and editing on my Nexus 6 and Nexus 7 than I do within Chrome. One glaring gap between the web version and the Android version however was document templates in all of the Docs suite: Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Sheets. That gap is filled now in the latest update to all three apps, bringing to your phone or tablet templates to make your document creating faster and easier.
Starting now, when you go to create a new document, spreadsheet, or presentation on your Android or iOS device (by clicking the red “+” button in the bottom right corner of your screen), you’ll be given the option to choose a template. These templates will be the same as those available to you in Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, including a meeting agenda, pitch deck, expense report, and more.
No longer do you have to go to the website to do this – a big benefit if you are working offline on your phone or tablet and when you need to create new content.
If you are considering a move to the Google apps over Microsoft Office, you may want to take a look at my 4-part series on my transition over the summer.
My Migration to Google Docs Part 1 – The Setup
My Migration to Google Docs Part 2 – Google Docs on All The Toys
My Migration to Google Docs Part 3 – Between the Google Sheets
My Migration to Google Docs Part 4 – Sliding to Google Slides
Google Docs Template Selector Has Dozens of Templates Available
In all three apps, when you tap the red “+” you will now see an option to select a template for your new document, spreadsheet or presentation. Tapping that blue icon brings you to the template selection where you can scroll through the available templates. In Docs for example there are 27 different templates to chose from, ranging from formal letters to a resume. And because the
Google Docs Template Selection
syncing between the Chrome and Android versions of the apps and files is seamless, you don’t have to worry about formats in these templates getting wonky (technical term) as you work with them on your different devices.
The updates to the Android apps are rolling out to the Google Play Store now so it may be a day or two before you see them hit your device via an OTA update. In addition to the templates, there are a few minor bug fixes and improvements in each of the apps so even if the templates aren’t a big deal to you, you should still get them for performance improvements.
