Google Docs Gets Multiple Text Selection Feature With Latest Update

Last Updated on September 13, 2024 by Rajendra Hiwale

Google Docs has been getting various features, from markdown editing, watermark options, document summaries, and more. The search giant is now adding another feature with its latest update, which will allow you to select multiple sections of text in one go.

Google says that this new functionality will increase your productivity. It will let you edit documents faster without having to bother with repetitive tasks.

The tech firm states in its blog post, “In Google Docs, you can now make multiple text selections at once, and apply actions such as delete, copy, paste, or format to all selections. This will make formatting and editing documents faster by eliminating the need to make repetitive changes, increasing your overall productivity”.

How To Use Multiple Text Selection In Google Docs

This function is similar to the one in Microsoft Word, which allows for multiple selections by holding down CTRL while selecting the text. However, the controls are a bit more convoluted in Docs. After selecting one section of text, PC and ChromeOS users will first have to press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left/Right arrow. They will then need to use the left and right arrows to move to another section. Mac users will have to press Ctrl + Command (⌘) + Shift + Left/Right arrow after selecting a portion of the text.

In the past few months, the search giant has been rolling out various features for Google Docs. Recently, the app gained auto-generated summaries, which provides a short description of the document. It also added Gmail’s phishing and malware warnings to the app.

Google has started pushing out the feature from May 25. As it is a phased rollout, it may take up to 15 days for the update to reach everyone.

What do you think of the latest update rolling out to Google Docs? Let us know in the comments.