Whether crafting a compelling blog post, piecing together an academic paper, or simply keeping your social media updates concise, managing your word count is crucial. Google Docs, one of the most widely used writing tools, offers seamless solutions for this task. But how exactly can you check the word count on Google Docs?
In this blog post, we will guide you through the simple steps to check the word count on Google Docs, whether you use a laptop or desktop computer or access the Google Docs app from your Android or iOS device.
So, at any time, you will know both the number of words you have typed and the number of characters and pages.
Let’s see how you can do this.
How to check Word Count on Google Docs
Check the word count on the web version of Google Docs
In an open Google Docs document, go to the Tools menu and then Word Count.
The window that will appear shows your document’s current settings. To display the word counts of your document, click on the Display word count while typing option and then on OK.
The word count you’ve typed so far will now appear in the lower-left corner of the document and will automatically update as you type.
By clicking on the ‘arrow,’ you can see even more metrics, such as the number of pages, characters, and non-space characters.
To hide the word count box, click the corresponding Hide word count option, as shown in the image above.
Unfortunately, this setting needs to be enabled every time you open a Google document, even if it’s the same document you already enabled. If you like shortcuts, combine Win+Shift+C on Windows or Command+Shift+C on macOS to toggle the show or hide switch in your document.
Check Google Docs word count on Android
Launch your Google Docs app on your Android smartphone or tablet and open the Google Doc you are working on.
Tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, then tap the Word count option.
You can view your document’s number of words, characters, and characters (excluding spaces).
Check Google Docs word count on iOS and iPadOS
Launch your Google Docs app on your iPhone or iPad and open the Google Doc you are working on.
Tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, then tap the Word count option.
You can view your document’s number of words, characters, and characters (excluding spaces).
Check Google Docs word count on selected text
Whether editing a document on Google Docs’s web version or the Android or iOS app, you can view the word count for just a portion of the document you want.
Select the text on Google Docs and follow the abovementioned steps for every case.
Understanding how Google Docs’ word count feature works can greatly enhance your writing, especially when precision is required for assignments, reports, or publications.
