Google Docs gains link previews, smart compose, and Office file support

Google also announced the rollout of dark mode for iOS.

What you need to know

• Google today detailed a couple of features it was bringing to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on mobile.
• From today, it’ll add link previews and smart compose to its suite of productivity apps.
• The company also highlighted other new or otherwise noteworthy features, including Office file compatibility, a dark theme, and a new vertical view for presentations.

Google will let you be more productive on mobile as the company launches a couple of new features for Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. It has introduced Smart Compose, link previews, Office file support, and more. All of these features are either already present, or coming to iOS and Android shortly.

The former feature builds upon Google’s powerful word suggestion and lets the company suggest phrases that you’d be more or less likely to have written. Like with Smart Compose on Gmail, it will find its use in writing more standardized documents, although it may not work so well if you’re trying to be creative.

Next, we have link previews. You’ll be able to tap on a link in a Google Doc and see a short preview of what’s behind it. The aim of this is to streamline multitasking by keeping you on the same page and offering up pertinent information at a glance. You’ll still be able to tap into the link if you want, but you’ll now have more information about what you’re getting into. Both features will roll out to iOS and Android over the next couple of weeks (with the exception of link previews which is already on iOS.)

Google also announced the inclusion of Office file support on mobile. You now no longer have to convert an Office file to a Google Doc supported one to make changes to it on mobile. Just like on the web, you can now edit said file as is.

Other features Google highlighted today include:

• The new dark theme, already available on Android, it’ll be coming to iOS later in the year.
• Faster comment navigation, this is already on Android. Google will bring it to iOS in the next couple of months.
• Vertical slide navigation. You’ll be able to slide speedily around presentations with a new vertical overview mode. This is coming to Android in the coming weeks, and iOS in months.

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