Google Docs brings faster document editing and text formatting

(Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)

What you need to know

Google Docs is rolling out with a new feature to make editing easier.
Users can now select multiple sections of text and apply the same formatting to each selection.
The feature is available to all Workspace and Legacy G Suite customers.

Google Docs continues to be one of the best productivity apps on the web and definitely allows us to get our work done with ease. However, that doesn't mean it's perfect, and Google is constantly looking for ways to improve it. This latest feature adds a helpful new text selection feature that should make editing a bit faster.

Google announced on its Workspace blog that Docs users are now able to make multiple text selections within a document. The most useful part of the announcement is that this will enable users to delete, copy, paste, and format each selection simultaneously.

Google Docs select and format multiple sections of text — (Image credit: Google)

The method to select multiple items in Google Docs is different depending on the operating system you're using. For the best laptops running Windows or Chrome OS, select the first section of text and use Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left/right arrow to make the next selection. For MacOS users the combination is Ctrl + ⌘ + Shift + Left/right arrow. From there, you can make your edit or format the selected text.

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The new feature should appeal to power users, making it much faster to edit documents and save time. Instead of having to edit text one at a time, you're now able to edit multiple sections at the same time.

The new feature will be available for all Workspace users as well as Legacy G Suite Basic and Business users. Google says it will be turned on by default and will roll out within 15 days, starting on May 25, so it may not show up immediately.

Google recently added several new productivity features to Docs, including revamped dropdown chips and table templates to further improve workflows.

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.