Google Docs is a very popular file sharing site. Through Google Drive, people can create, share and monitor documents in real time. It provides ease for users updating in Google Docs. Whereas people best know it to be focused on sharing documents, there are several hidden features which people may find interesting and very useful about this site.

Offline Editing

Through Google Drive, users can upload and access their documents, including photos, videos, PDFs and Google Docs from different devices. A drive offers a storage limit of 5GB. Users can have more storage if they are willing to pay more.

Not all people know that Google actually allows them to view and edit Google Docs even when offline. Although a user is not connected online, they can still create new documents, edit previously uploaded files even view and leave comments.

For people to access offline editing, they have to use the latest version of ChromeOS or Chrome. They have to load drive.google.com via Chrome, access "More" found in the left side of the screen then proceed with "Offline." Choose the "Get the app" button. This will direct the user to the Chrome web store. Select "Add to Chrome" found in the upper-right corner.

Once installation is complete, the user will be directed to a Chrome Page plus the Google Drive app icon. To access the Drive, the user should select the Google Drive icon. Once the user sets up online editing, they can select and edit existing documents or create new files without access to the internet. The chances will synch once there is internet access.

Research Pane

The research pane allows people to go to Google Search directly through Google documents. Research pane access can be found in the Tootles menu. Users should highlight the specific word they want to research first. They can also right click on the word.

Google Draw

It is also possible for people to create, share and edit drawings via Google Draw. Users only need to select the "Draw" option from the "Create" menu. The option lets the users to edit drawings online. They can also invite others to check their edits. Users can publish their drawings via internet. They can also download them through either JPEG images or PDF files. Other things users can do include adding shapes, text, scribbles, arrows and images from the Web or their hard drive. The drawings can be added to presentations, spreadsheets and other Google documents.

Revision History

Users can actually keep track of the changes they made over Google Documents. They just need to go to the File Menu and select "See Revision History." Shortcut keys include Ctrl + Alt+Shift + G. Users can select individual revision and can restore a previous version of the document with just a click away.

Scan Receipts

Users can install Google Drive on their iPhone or Android device to scan receipts. Simply access the "Add New " menu, photograph the document and the Drive will convert the document to PDF file for documentation.

These are just some of the ways users can further take advantage of Google Drive.