Google Docs is an extremely useful and popular tool for writing down everything from quick notes to business proposals to entire novels. Google has been adding some new features to it like the generative AI feature called Help me write. Now, Google is bringing the ability to add handwritten annotations to Docs. This will allow you to better annotate your documents and provide feedback for other collaborators.
Help me write is a generative AI tool that’s powered by Google Gemini to generate any type of text based on your request. If you want to type a story or a proposal for you, you can simply request it. Also, just like with any generative AI tool, you can provide additional suggestions to refine the generated text. This feature is free to use for Google users, and it’s quickly accessible on the left side of your document.
Google is adding handwritten annotations to Docs
Sometimes, nothing’s better than good old-fashioned handwriting. If you are collaborating with a team of people, and you want to give feedback on certain sections, it’s easier to circle a sentence or draw an arrow than to highlight and type. This is something that Google acknowledges, and the company has just come up with a good solution.
Google is rolling out the ability to make handwritten annotations on Docs. This is only for people using the Android app. If you have a stylus, you can easily use this feature.
How to use the feature
Open the Google Docs app and look for the Annotate button on the top toolbar. It will be on the right side next to the Font button. When you do that, you’ll enter Annotate mode. You’ll see a little toolbar emerge from the right side of the screen. This will have certain tools to help you with adding your annotations.
There’s a pen tool that you can use for basic writing. You can adjust the color and the thickness of the point. Next, there’s a highlight tool that will let you easily highlight text. Under that, there is an erase button and a hide annotation button under that. To exit annotation mode, simply tap on the annotate button again.
While you can only use this feature on Android, iOS users can still view a document with markups, delete annotations, and show/hide annotations.
Availability
When this feature rolls out, it will be available for all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace individual subscribers, and users of personal Google accounts.
As for the rollout, there are two rollout schedules. Rapid rollout domains will start to see the feature hitting their devices over the next 14 days. People in the Scheduled rollout domain will start seeing the feature hit their devices within 15 days starting on March 11th.
2024-02-29 15:08:42