Tech Tips from Tony Vincent by Tony

tonyv — 2023-08-01 14:19:13 UTC

ChatGPT's default uses all user-entered data to train its models. You can turn this off by going to Setting → Data controls → Chat history & training → Off. This also means your chats will not be saved for later use.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:34:38 UTC

After inserting a photo onto a blank slide, go to Tools → Explore. Click the full bleed image option and the photo is automatically resized and cropped to take up the entire slide. Double-click the image to adjust the crop.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:36:05 UTC

In macOS, you can batch rename files. Command-click multiple files (or Command + A to select all in a folder). Go to File → Rename. Use the dialog box to replace or add text and to append numbers or dates.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:36:22 UTC

Subtly refine what you look like on a Zoom video call. In the desktop app, go to Settings → Video and checkmark "Touch up my appearance." Drag the slider to adjust the intensity.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:36:35 UTC

Want a simple explanation to a complicated concept? Prompt ChatGPT, Bard, or your AI of choice to "Explain ____ like I'm a five year old."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:36:47 UTC

In Google Classroom, the first image you add to an announcement is displayed larger in the Stream. This is great for grabbing students' attention. And, yes, an animated GIF can be a display image.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:36:57 UTC

Play a YouTube video on a continuous loop: Right-click the video while it plays and choose Loop.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:37:06 UTC

Share a Google Form so others can make copies without giving them edit access to the original form: Move the form into a folder in Google Drive. Share the folder so that anyone is a viewer. Change /edit to /copy in the form's URL—that's link you give others.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:37:20 UTC

Find images with transparent backgrounds. Do a Google search, click Images, click Tools, choose Color, and select Transparent.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:37:34 UTC

Having a difficult time positioning an element exactly where you want it in Canva? Hold down Ctrl or ⌘ while dragging. This prevents automatic aligning.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:38:51 UTC

Print a batch of certificates in Canva Pro/Edu:

1️⃣ Use a certificate template or design your own.

2️⃣ Go to the Bulk Create app and input or upload names.

3️⃣ Connect the data to a text box.

4️⃣ Click Generate to make a certificate for each person.

5️⃣ Download as PDF.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:40:06 UTC

You don't need to exit Canva to add a QR code to your design. Canva has its own QR code generator. To access it, simply click on Apps within the editor and search for "QR code".

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:40:17 UTC

Want a brighter smile? Upload your photo to Canva. With the photo selected, click Edit image. Search for Face Retouch and click the icon. Click Whiten Teeth. Drag the slider to adjust to intensity before clicking Apply. Download the image or use in a Canva project.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:40:37 UTC

Click to select/highlight an item in Google Drive. Then press...

o to open
n to rename
p to preview
s to star or unstar
. to share
z to move to a folder

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:40:51 UTC

Set a timer for your music to stop playing on iPhone and iPad. While your music is playing, open the Clock app and tap Timer. Set how long you want music to play. Tap "When Timer Ends" and set it to "Stop Playing." Then tap Start.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:41:02 UTC

Bundle non-urgent notifications and receive a summary of them at times of your choosing on iPhone. Go to Settings → Notifications → Scheduled Summary.

(Calls and time sensitive notifications will be delivered immediately, even for apps in your summary.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:41:20 UTC

If ChatGPT is over capacity, blocked, or unavailable to you, you can use Canva Education or Canva Pro instead. Start a new Canva Doc, click the plus button, and choose Magic Write. (Magic Write is built on GPT-3.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:41:36 UTC

Clicking another person’s avatar in Google Slides' top bar allows you to follow and move with them as they navigate and make changes to a presentation. Click the avatar again to stop following.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:41:49 UTC

On iPhone and iPad you can create a shortcut that automatically expands into your email address. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and tap the +. Enter your email as the phrase and a shortcut like "@@" (make it easy to type).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:42:07 UTC

Making a poster or anchor chart on large paper? Tape it to your whiteboard and project your design from your computer. Trace the design with marker.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:42:20 UTC

Get your sticky note to lay flat by peeling it away starting on the left or right side of the pad. (Peeling away from the bottom causes the paper to curl where the adhesive is.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:42:30 UTC

A Google Doc's background doesn't have to be white. Go to File, choose Page setup, and pick a page color. Be sure the text color contrasts with the background color for readability.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:43:20 UTC

You can go to a specific slide by typing the slide number and pressing Enter or Return when in Slideshow/Present mode in Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote. You could write down a list of key slide numbers as a reference before presenting.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:43:34 UTC

If a cell with a checkbox is selected in Google Sheets, press the spacebar to toggle it checked or unchecked. Pressing the spacebar also works when multiple cells with checkboxes are selected.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:43:49 UTC

Get a link to your Canva creation so that others can make a copy and edit the design. Click Share → More → Template link.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:45:00 UTC

To make multi-word hashtags more legible, consider using CamelCase.

Examples: #TipTuesday #EdTech #TeacherTwitter

Image CC BY-SA 4.0 by Emoji One.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:45:25 UTC

Use your Gmail account with multiple addresses. Just add a plus sign (+) and any word before the @ sign in your Gmail address. All messages arrive in your current inbox. You can then set up filters to route or handle the messages based on the address.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:46:33 UTC

When in Photo mode in iPhone's Camera app, simply hold down the white circle to record video. Recording stops when you release.

You can drag the white circle to the right so you don't have to keep holding down the circle.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:48:27 UTC

From your Canva Projects screen, click Add New → Import from App → Google Drive. You can then import a Google Slides presentation and continue editing it with Canva's tools, elements, and styles.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:49:09 UTC

Save a Canva design to Google Drive and it opens in Google Slides. It takes several clicks to export, and the fonts and formatting might not exactly match the original.

Share → More → Google Drive → Choose folder → Change File Type to PPTX → Save.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:49:22 UTC

If you're not printing in Google Docs, then your document doesn't need to show you page breaks. Go to File → Page Setup and choose Pageless.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:49:33 UTC

If your computer is running macOS 13/Ventura, then you can instantly remove the background of a photo in the Photos app. Open a photo and right-click on the image. Choose Copy subject. Now you can paste the isolated subject into any app.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:49:43 UTC

Before students start searching the internet, have a class discussion to develop a list of search queries.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:50:17 UTC

There's a free version of Microsoft Office that you can use in your web browser and in the mobile app. The apps are missing some features, but I'm happy to see that PowerPoint online includes the morph transition.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:50:49 UTC

Fast.com is a quick way to check your internet download speed. Take note of the Mbps when your speed is good so you have a baseline.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:51:06 UTC

Add a video from YouTube or Google Drive to a Google Doc.

Open a Google Slide and go to Insert → Video. Copy the video.

In a Google Doc, go to Insert → Drawing → New. Paste and click Save. A video thumbnail is inserted. It can be double clicked and then played.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:51:15 UTC

On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → Safari → Close Tabs. You can change from Manually to After One Day, After One Week, or After One Month. This might help you cut your own tab clutter or the clutter on youngsters' devices.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:51:39 UTC

Holding down Control or Command when you click a link in your browser opens the link in a new tab 🗂️. Holding down Shift when you click a link your browser opens the link in a new window 🪟.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:52:01 UTC

If you're using a Mac you can quickly push everything out of the way to reveal your desktop by spreading your thumb and three fingers apart on your trackpad.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:52:18 UTC

Jazz up a list of items in PowerPoint by entering the list into a plain text box. With the text selected click Convert to Smart Art from the Home tab to see various design options.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:52:28 UTC

Link to a specific slide in Google Slides by opening the slide and copying the URL from the address bar. This works because every slide has its own URL.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:52:41 UTC

If your iPhone is running iOS 16, go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Keyboard Feedback and turn on Haptic. Now you'll feel a tiny vibration each time you tap a key.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:52:53 UTC

Right-click a file you've uploaded to Google Drive, choose File information, and click Manage Versions. Click "Upload New Version" and replace with the same type of file (image, PDF, video, audio). The shared link to the original file now displays the new file.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:53:06 UTC

Press the zero key on your keyboard to instantly restart a video on YouTube.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:53:57 UTC

Search for and add emojis as you are typing in a Google Doc. Type "@" followed by a descriptor, such as "@cool."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:54:09 UTC

When using Markup on iPhone or iPad, draw with your finger or Apple Pencil and then pause. A perfect version of the shape you drew snaps into place, replacing the drawing. Works for circles, rectangles, triangles, lines, arcs, arrows, hearts, stars, and clouds.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:54:19 UTC

Easily mute or unmute a YouTube video or ad by pressing M on your keyboard.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:54:42 UTC

Do a Google search for cat. Click the black paw in the orange circle. Then click anywhere on the screen.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:55:52 UTC

Remove the background from a picture in PowerPoint. On the toolbar, select Picture Format → Remove Background for automatic background removal. Then, if necessary, you can draw lines to indicate areas to keep and remove.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:56:06 UTC

Identify and learn more about popular landmarks, art, plants, flowers, pets, and other objects that appear in your photos. When viewing in Apple's Photos app, sparkles on the ⓘ icon indicate that Visual Lookup info is available. Tap the icon to view Siri Knowledge.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:56:25 UTC

Hold down Control or Command and click your browser's Back arrow to open the previous page in a new background tab.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:56:52 UTC

The Unicode Standard has thousands of characters you can use anywhere you can enter text. It's not just emojis, there are arrows, stars, symbols, geometric shapes, and so much more. ↻✷⚢▦¶

Find and copy characters from http://unicode-table.com.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:57:07 UTC

If you know a website has been updated, but you're not seeing the changes after reloading the page, try a hard refresh. In Chrome hold down Control on Windows and Chromebooks or Shift on Mac while clicking the Reload ↻ button.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 20:57:28 UTC

Don't want ads to play during a YouTube video? Add the video to a new Wakelet collection. Share the link. When the link is opened, the embedded video won't play ads before, during, or after the video.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:08:36 UTC

Edit a PDF by uploading it to Google Drive. Right-click and choose Open with Google Docs. Edit the text. Then File → Download as PDF Document. Works best with PDFs with simple formatting.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:08:59 UTC

You can scan text directly into the Notes app on iPhone or iPad. In a note, tap the Camera button in the toolbar. Tap Scan Text. When the text appears in your note, tap Insert. You can then edit the text if needed.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:09:12 UTC

When drawing shapes or word art, consider making the border transparent for a cleaner look.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:09:31 UTC

Pinch a photo on iPhone or iPad with three fingers to copy it. Pinch out with three fingers to paste.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:09:43 UTC

On iPhone or iPad, swipe down on a list with two fingers to select multiples items. Works in many apps with things like messages, emails, notes, and files.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:10:20 UTC

Rearrange the order of apps in Chrome's Apps Launched (also known as waffle menu) by simply dragging them around.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:10:36 UTC

Set the default text style to be used in your new Google Docs. In a document, format some text with the font and size you want. Select the text. Click Normal Text → Update normal text to match. Then click Normal text again → Options → Save as my default styles.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:10:57 UTC

Have a presentation in Canva? After clicking Present, you can activate magic keyboard shortcuts:

Timers → press a number for minutes)
Blur → B
Confetti → C
Shhh Animation → Q
Drumroll → D
Mic drop → M
List of shortcuts → ?

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:11:22 UTC

Here's a fast way to add a new slide in Google Slides: Click one of your existing slides in the filmstrip and then press Enter or Return on your keyboard.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:11:41 UTC

Looking at a webpage, email, note, or message that you want to come back to later? Ask Siri, "Remind me about this ___." Specify when, for example: in an hour, tomorrow, Tuesday at 2pm.

Tapping the icon in the reminder opens the content that was on your screen.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:11:55 UTC

If your iPhone or iPad screen is too dim to see, ask Siri to "increase screen brightness to 100%."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:12:17 UTC

Got open tabs that you'll want to come back to? Go to the Bookmarks menu in Chrome and and choose "Bookmark all tabs" or Control/Command + Shift + D to save all the current window's open tabs into a new folder.

Later, you can right-click the folder and "Open all."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:12:31 UTC

Instead of holding down buttons, ask Siri to take a screenshot on iPhone or iPad.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:12:42 UTC

Click the lock next to a website's address in Google Chrome. You can view and block cookies and change permissions. You can also toggle any notifications on or off.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:12:54 UTC

You can create a shareable link that goes directly to text that you've highlighted on a page in Chrome.

Click, hold, and drag your mouse over text on a page. Right-click on the highlighted text and select "Copy link to highlight." (May not work for some content.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:13:19 UTC

Making a website? Test it to see how it functions without images. In Chrome go to Settings → Security & Privacy → Site Settings → Images and click "Don't allow sites to show images." Refresh your site. You'll be able to see which images are missing alt text.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:13:41 UTC

On a Chromebook? Press the Launcher key + V to see the last 5 things you copied.

P.S. The Launcher key is below Tab. It is marked with a circle or a magnifying glass.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:13:52 UTC

Can't figure out how to turn on or off the flashlight on your iPhone? Ask Siri to do it.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:14:10 UTC

Making a Venn diagram? Instead of using overlapping ovals, try using overlapping rectangles. It's easier to fit text inside.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:14:29 UTC

Crop/mask an image with a shape, like a heart. With an image selected in Google Slides or Google Drawings, click the arrow next to the Crop tool in the toolbar and choose a shape.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:14:58 UTC

I prefer to type my Siri requests rather than speak them on my Mac. To enable this, go to System Preferences, choose Accessibility, and in the left side menu, select Siri. Check the box for Enable Type to Siri.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:15:21 UTC

You can add Wordle to your iPhone's Home screen. With the page open in Safari, tap the Share button and choose Add to Home Screen. Now you have a Wordle icon.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:15:32 UTC

Allow Safari on iPhone or iPad to automatically close tabs that haven't been recently viewed.

Open the Settings app, tap Safari, and change the Close Tabs setting from Manual to After One Week or After One Month.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:16:07 UTC

Format a table in Google Docs. Right-click in a table and choose Table Properties. A side panel opens with row, column, color, and alignment options.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:16:31 UTC

See a map of the photos you've taken with your iPhone.

1. Open Photos app.
2. Click Albums.
3. Scroll down to "People & Places."
4. Tap Places.
5. Tap the Map tab.
6. Zoom in to see more precise locations.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:16:51 UTC

Simply double-click a shape in Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote to type inside.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:17:14 UTC

Make your Google account more secure by using Security Checkup to get personalized recommendations.

https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup/1?pli=1

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:17:42 UTC

Go to fonts.google.com and enter text into the "Type something" field to see the fonts sampled with your own text.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:18:05 UTC

There's no built-in calculator app for iPad, but you can use Spotlight to calculate. From the Home screen, swipe down on the middle of the screen. Enter your math problem and the answer is instantly displayed.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:18:32 UTC

See only your Google Slides documents in your Google Drive by going to slides.google.com.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:18:51 UTC

Enlarge your workspace in Google Slides by hiding the left side panel. Click the View menu and uncheck "Show filmstrip."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:19:42 UTC

Quickly enter today's date into a Google Doc by typing

@today and pressing Enter/Return. @yesterday and @tomorrow work in the same way.

@today

→ Nov 23, 2021

@yesterday

→ Nov 22, 2021
@tomorrow → Nov 24, 2021

Click the date and click the to change the format.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:19:53 UTC

Set a minimum or maximum character count for a response in Google Forms. The form won't submit unless the response fits the rule.

Make the Short Answer or Paragraph question required, click the 3 dots, turn on Response Validation, and choose Length.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:20:02 UTC

Playing a YouTube video for your class? Those at the back of the room might have a hard time seeing the captions. You can drag the captions to the top of the screen and press + on your keyboard to increase the text size.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:20:11 UTC

Add a hyphen after the t in a video's YouTube link, making it yout-ube. You'll be redirected to a new URL where the video fills the window, is presented without ads and suggested videos, and loops playback.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:20:27 UTC

Have you tried touching and holding a word in a photo in the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad? You can actually select, look up, translate, copy, and paste the text! This does require iOS 15, and Apple calls it Live Text.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:20:38 UTC

Don't ruin the alignment on your slide! In Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote, press Shift while dragging an object for the movement to be only horizontal or vertical.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:20:56 UTC

In most cases when voice typing (like in Google Docs or on an iPhone/iPad), saying "new line" is like pressing the Return or Enter key to add a line break.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:23:09 UTC

Edit the text in a PDF with Canva.

1. Go to Canva.com.
2. Click Create a Design.
3. Choose Import file and upload a PDF.
4. Open the new design and edit the text.
5. Download or print your edited file.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:24:13 UTC

Change the theme in Gmail so that your personal and school accounts look different. This might keep you from sending an email from the wrong account.

In Gmail, go to ⚙️ → See all settings → Themes → Set theme.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:25:39 UTC

When presenting in Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote, press B on your keyboard to pause and show a black screen. Press W to pause and show a white screen. Pressing any key resumes your presentation.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:26:01 UTC

Click the little triangle next to a sheet's name in Google Sheets. One of the options is "Change color." The color you pick will appear under the sheet's name.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:27:09 UTC

Long press the Timer icon in iPhone's Control Center to easily set and start a timer.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:27:37 UTC

Try pressing and holding an app's icon on your iPhone or iPad. You might discover some time-saving shortcuts.

For example, long pressing the Settings icon shows a menu to jump right into Wi-Fi and Battery settings.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:27:53 UTC

Got an image in Google Docs that you want to save as a JPG, PNG, or GIF file? Right-click the image and choose "Save to Keep." Then right-click the image in the Keep side panel and choose "Save Image As..."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:28:05 UTC

With the Camera app open on iPhone, hold down the Volume Down button to instantly start recording a video. Releasing the button ends the recording.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:28:22 UTC

You can change the wake word for getting Alexa's attention. Ask her to change the wake word to Amazon, Computer, Echo, or Ziggy. (Changing the wake word is needed if you have someone named "Alexa" that you talk about often.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:28:40 UTC

Skip typing .com when entering a web address. The keyboard shortcut Control + Enter/Return completes the .com address and begins to load the page.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:31:09 UTC

Pasted text into Google Docs or Slides? You can clear the formatting by selecting the text and clicking Format → Clear formatting. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut Control or Command and \.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:31:19 UTC

In many apps you can add, edit, or modify a hyperlink by selecting text or an image and then using the keyboard shortcut of Control/Command + K.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:32:20 UTC

Want rulers and measurements to be in centimeters instead of inches in Google Slides?

In Google Slides go to File → Language and change the language to English (United Kingdom). Refresh the page.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:33:29 UTC

Use the New Tab Redirect extension to open a Jamboard file where you keep a list of tasks and reminders. Seeing your to do list in the app you use most (Chrome) can be really helpful. Each time you open a new tab, it's there!

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:33:38 UTC

On a Mac? Press Shift + Command + 5 to display screenshot and screen recording tools. You can choose to capture the entire screen, a window, or portion of the screen.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:33:49 UTC

You can link to a specific cell in Google Sheets. Right-click or two-finger click the cell and choose "Get link to this cell."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:34:00 UTC

If you've zoomed into your browser window and want to make everything default size again, press Control or Command + 0 (zero).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:34:15 UTC

In Portrait mode on iPhone, tap the Depth button (the button with the letter f) and then drag the slider to change how blurry the background looks.

You can adjust the blur after taking the photo. In the Photos app, tap Edit and then tap the Depth button.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:34:30 UTC

You can center align text with a keyboard shortcut. Hold down Control or Command + Shift + E.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:34:58 UTC

If your keyboard doesn't have a Delete Forward key (Del or ⌦), which erases characters to the right of the cursor, you can try a keyboard shortcut.

Mac:
Fn (Function) + Delete

Chromebook:
Alt + Backspace

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:35:17 UTC

Want hyperlinked text in Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, or Drawing to be a different color? Highlight the linked text and change the text color (just like you would for normal text).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:35:36 UTC

Want to see where a Bitly or TinyURL will redirect you without following the link? Add a plus sign to the end of the URL. The full web address will be displayed (then you can decide if you're going to click it).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:36:14 UTC

Is it just you, or is that Google product down? Bookmark the Google Workspace Status Dashboard so you can quickly find out. google.com/appsstatus

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:36:40 UTC

A Live Photo on iPhone snaps multiple photos before and after you take the shot. You might like one of these other photos better.

Open Photos and open a Live Photo. Tap Edit and then tap the concentric circles ⦾. Move the white frame to change the Key Photo.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:37:06 UTC

Added too many fonts to Google Workspace? In any document click the Fonts menu and choose More fonts. Under "My fonts" click the Xs next to the fonts you want to remove. Then click OK.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:37:42 UTC

Install the Google Docs Offline extension to back up your documents. If your internet goes out, you can keep working.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:40:10 UTC

Paste an emoji into a Google search. Click the Emojipedia result to see how that emoji will look on different platforms (Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:41:16 UTC

Want to keep all your open tabs after you close Chrome or restart your computer? Go to Settings and and scroll down to "On startup." Choose "Continue where you left off."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:41:27 UTC

If you're running macOS Big Sur, you can right-click your desktop, choose Import from iPhone or iPad, and click Scan Documents. The camera opens on your device. Snap a photo of a document and it appears on your desktop as a PDF.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:41:45 UTC

Need to quickly make a new Jamboard document? Go to jam.new in your web browser.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:42:08 UTC

Is your Google Drive filling up? Open the link below to see all your Drive files sorted by size. See if there are any large files you no longer need and delete them.

drive.google.com/drive/u/0/quota

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:44:21 UTC

Create your own background for Jamboard in Google Slides or Google Drawings. Go to File → Page setup → Custom and enter 1920 x 1080 pixels.

You can download as a PNG and set it as the background in a new Jamboard document.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:44:31 UTC

Pause a YouTube video and then press the period key to advance one frame at a time. Press the comma key to go back one frame at a time.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:44:48 UTC

You can use an iPad as a second screen for your Mac (if your iPad and Mac meet the system requirements).

support.apple.com/en-us/HT210380

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:47:55 UTC

You can put a new picture in place of an image in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings by right-clicking and choosing Replace Image.

Super handy for reusing documents or when you want images to have the same placement, crop, and properties.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:48:06 UTC

You can cut pages out of a PDF when viewing in Chrome. First, click Print. Change destination to Save as PDF. Under Pages, choose Custom. Enter the pages you want to keep. For example, entering "1-2, 4-5" cuts out Page 3. Then Save.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:48:14 UTC

Already have a script written out for you YouTube video? Copy the text. Then Edit the video. Click Subtitles and delete any auto-generated titles. Then click Add → Autosync and paste your script. Click Assign Timings.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:49:01 UTC

Hold down the Windows key and V to see a history of things you've copied.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:49:29 UTC

Add a layer of protection to items on Jamboard by covering them with a blank text box.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:49:54 UTC

Quickly create or resume notes by pressing the Notes icon in Control Center on iPhone & iPad.

Here's the setup:

Settings → Control Center → +Notes. Then, Settings → Notes → Access Notes from Lock Screen → Choose "Always create New Note" or "Resume Last Note."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:50:08 UTC

If you shuffle option order in Google Forms, but sure to reword any "All of the above" responses to "All of the options" and "None of the above" to "None of the options."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:50:21 UTC

Attached documents and links in Google Classroom are NOT included in guardian email summaries.

However, URLs pasted into the description/body of a post ARE included in guardian email summaries.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:50:32 UTC

Hold down Shift while drawing with the Pen tool in Jamboard to draw a straight line.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:51:06 UTC

Have you downloaded as an image from Google Slides or Drawings and it turns out small/blurry? Increase the resolution! Go to File → Page setup → Custom. Double the length & width.

You may need to adjust border and line weights.

Then download as an image.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:51:37 UTC

Exclude Pinterest from Google Search results with the Unpinterested extension for Chrome. It appends every search with -site:pinterest.*

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:51:56 UTC

You probably speak around 120 words per minute. If you're writing a script and want to know about how long you will be speaking, get the word count and divide by 120.

P.S. You can paste your script into wordcounter.io to get a word count.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:53:59 UTC

On iPhone go to Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap. From there you can set an action to happen when you double-tap or triple-tap the back of your iPhone.

For example, I have set a double-tap to scroll down and a triple-tap to turn on the flashlight.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:54:43 UTC

Search just a single website with Google by typing site: and then the site's address followed by search terms.

Example...
site:http://shapegrams.com octopus

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:55:24 UTC

Digitally preview your U.S. Postal Service mail and packages. Sign up for Informed Delivery and see greyscale images of what will soon arrive in your mailbox. It's a free service from USPS.

.
informeddelivery.usps.com

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:55:38 UTC

You can reorder the items on the right side of your Mac's menubar. Simply hold down Command and drag.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:55:51 UTC

Change the spacing between a bullet point and its text in Google Slides by going to Format Options → Text Fitting. Then change the Hanging value.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:56:13 UTC

Hold down Control or Command when clicking a bookmarks folder in Chrome. Each bookmark in the folder will open in a new tab.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:57:28 UTC

Creating a template for students to complete in Google Slides? Go to Slide menu → Edit theme to design the background on a master layout. Close the master and add what you want students to edit on the slide. This prevents students from accidentally changing the background.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:57:38 UTC

Need to delete the last digit you entered into iPhone's calculator? Simply swipe left or right over the number area. (Also works in the Phone app.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:58:20 UTC

Hold down Shift while clicking in Google Slides, Google Drawings, PowerPoint, Keynote, etc. to select multiple objects. Then you can move, group, stylize, order, or copy all at once.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:58:33 UTC

In Google Slides you can go to the File menu and choose to download as Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx). Then you can open the presentation in PowerPoint or Keynote.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 21:58:44 UTC

Append your YouTube search with

, short

to filter results to videos that are less than 4 minutes in duration.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:00:22 UTC

In Google Sheets you can use the function:

=GOOGLETRANSLATE(A1, "en","fr")

To translate the English text in cell A1 to French. The functions works using two letter country codes (es, es, ru, de, he, etc).

List of language codes.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:00:42 UTC

Getting unnecessary emails from Google Classroom? Click the menu (the 3 line in the top left) and click Settings at the bottom. Turn off certain kinds of notifications. Expand the Class Notifications section to turn off notifications for a specific class.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:00:56 UTC

While playing a YouTube video, press C on the keyboard to toggle captions on and off.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:01:07 UTC

Shade every other row in Google Sheets by clicking the Format menu and choosing Alternating colors. Click a default style or specify your own colors.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:01:23 UTC

Reduce the file size of JPG and PNG images before inserting into your documents with TinyPNG's smart compression: tinypng.com

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:01:37 UTC

You can declutter your #GoogleClassroom Stream by reserving it just for announcements. Have assignments and materials appear only on the Classwork page (instead of two places):

In the class click Settings → Classwork on the Steam → Hide notifications.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:02:03 UTC

Before screen recording a browser tab, resize it to fit exactly into the standard 16:9 frame aspect ratio. You can set an exact width and height with the Window Resizer Chrome extension.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:02:16 UTC

Periodically curate your starred files and folders. Open your Google Drive and click Starred from the left menu. Right-click items you no longer need starred and choose Remove from Starred.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:02:26 UTC

Star folders in Google Drive that you access frequently. Then, when you copy or move files, it's quick to select a starred folder.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:02:53 UTC

Recording audio or video? Drink water or apple juice before recording. Pause while recording and drink more if you can. Lack of moisture causes smacking and other distracting mouth noises.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:03:17 UTC

Canva has free color tools. Check out the Color Palette Generator, Color Palette Ideas, Color Wheel, and Color Meanings.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:03:45 UTC

Are your photos turning out kind of blurry? Perhaps you need to wipe off your phone's camera lens.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:04:06 UTC

Changing /edit to /preview?rm=minimal in Google Slides presents the slideshow without the navigation bar at the bottom. This is handy when you do not want your audience to skip slides.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:04:23 UTC

Use the Impact font when designing your own meme. It’s the fonts that most memes use.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:04:50 UTC

Are you going to shuffle the question order in a Google Form? Put name, email, and any other personal info questions in one section. Put questions in another section so they don't get shuffled together.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:05:05 UTC

Go to Setting → General → Storage to see if you are close to running out of space on iPhone or iPad.

If you are low on storage, click Enable for "Offload Unused Apps."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:05:55 UTC

Click Present in Google Slides. Then click Captions. Your computer listens and spoken words appear on the screen!

Click the arrow next to the Captions button to position the text at the top of the screen and to increase text size.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:06:08 UTC

In Google Slides, click Insert → Audio and choose an mp3, m4a, or wav file from your Google Drive. An audio icon is added to the slide. Click it to play audio!

Sharing the Slides document? Be sure to also share the audio file so others can hear it.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:06:29 UTC

You can have Google search results automatically open in new tabs. Go to google.com, click Settings in the bottom right, choose Search Settings, check the box next to "Open each selected result in a new browser window," and click Save.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:07:04 UTC

Save a webpage (even a really long one) as a PDF with iOS. Take a screenshot and tap the thumbnail that appears. Then tap the Full Page tab. Tap Done to save the PDF to Files.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:07:15 UTC

Perhaps captions would be better positioned at the top of a YouTube video? Reposition captions by dragging them with your mouse.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:07:23 UTC

Viewing captions on YouTube? Make the text larger by pressing the + button on your keyboard. Press - to make the text smaller.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:07:39 UTC

Want to start a new project in Canva? Simply go to this URL: canva.new.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:07:56 UTC

Hold down the Control or Option key while dragging a corner to resize an object in Google Slides, Google Drawings, PowerPoint, and Keynote. The object will resize from the center instead of from the corner.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:08:15 UTC

You can translate the captions from any YouTube video into many languages. While viewing a video with captions on, click Setting ⚙️ → Subtitles → Auto-translate and choose a language.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:08:32 UTC

Pressing the Tab key in Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Drawings cycles through selecting objects on the slide. This is great for selecting an object that is behind another.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:08:50 UTC

Send unknown callers directly to voicemail on an iPhone. Go to Settings → Phone and turn on Silence Unknown Callers.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:09:27 UTC

Display the word count as you type in Google Docs. Go to Tools → Word Count and checkmark "Display word count while typing." The count is displayed in the lower left corner.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:10:48 UTC

Receive an email when your Google Form has new responses: While editing your form, click the Responses tab. Click More (the 3 dots) and check "Get email notifications for new responses."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:11:06 UTC

See the last 24 hours of cloud movement on Google Earth for Web. Go to earth.google.com/web. Click Menu → Map Style and click "Turn on animated clouds."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:12:34 UTC

See if a Chrome extension is hogging power and memory. Click the three stacked dots icon, mouse over More Tools, and choose Task Manager. Consider removing or deactivating extensions that are taking up your computer's resources.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:12:55 UTC

The Lexend fonts are designed to improve reading speed, and you can add them to Google Docs and Slides. From the Font menu, click More fonts, search for Lexend, and checkmark the fonts.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:13:10 UTC

Have objects on your slide that you want evenly spaced apart? Select the items and then choose Distribute from the Arrange menu. Works in Google Slides, PowerPoint, and Keynote.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:13:22 UTC

Jump to the location of a collaborator's cursor in a Google Doc by clicking their profile icon in the top right corner.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:13:54 UTC

Want to print student work turned in through Google Classroom without opening and printing each document individually? Get PDF Mergy for Chrome. Select all files in the assignment folder in Google Drive. They will be merged into one PDF.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:14:15 UTC

If you have a Live photo in your iOS Photos app, swipe up while viewing. Tap Loop or Bounce to change the photo into a repeating or boomeranging video clip.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:14:41 UTC

To display the keyboard shortcut list in Google Drive or while editing a Google document, press Ctrl + / (Chrome OS, Windows) or ⌘ + / (Mac).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:15:04 UTC

If you insert a video from your Google Drive into Google Slides, be sure the video is shared so that anyone with the link can view. (Unless you are the only one who will be accessing the presentation.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:15:40 UTC

You can schedule an email or a reply to be sent at a later date and time in Gmail.

Compose your message and then click the arrow that's on the Send button. Click Schedule Send and then choose a date and time. The message is added to your Scheduled folder.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:15:52 UTC

Put your hand on your throat to determine if you're whispering or not. If you feel vibrations, you're talking. If you don't, you're whispering. Go ahead, try it!

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:17:16 UTC

Share a direct download for a PDF version of a Google Docs document by replacing /edit with /export?format=pdf

If you'd like the PDF to display in the browser, add https://docs.google.com/viewer?url= to the beginning of the link.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:17:49 UTC

Hold down Shift while pressing Enter/Return when at the end of a line within a bulleted list. This drops the text to the next line without adding a bullet in front of it.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:18:02 UTC

Apply a color pattern to the rows in a Google Sheets document.

Click the Format menu and choose Alternating Colors. A panel appears. Choose a default style or create a custom style with your own color choices.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:18:13 UTC

Give your Google Sheets headers a new look. Select the header row and click the Text Rotation button. Choose Tilt Up and adjust the Custom Angle to be between 15° and 45°.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:18:30 UTC

Would you like a larger arrowhead on a line you've drawn in Google Slides or Drawings? Click to select the line and go to Format menu → Borders and lines → Arrowhead size.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:19:12 UTC

Come across a link to a Google document that requires you to make a copy before viewing? Change the /copy in the URL to /edit. You'll see the document so you can decide if you want to copy it into your own Google Drive.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:19:55 UTC

Frustrated by automatic capitalization in Google Slides, Drawings, or Docs? While editing a document, go to Tools → Preferences and uncheck Automatically capitalize words.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:20:09 UTC

Designing a Google Slides or Drawings document where you want students to drag and drop words, phrases, or sentences? Type inside a shape instead of a text box. Shapes are easier to drag.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:21:41 UTC

With a NounPro subscription, you can use any of their simple icons royalty free. You can also customize any icon's color. NounPro is half the price for educators.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:21:53 UTC

Accidentally delete an email in iPhone or iPad's Mail app? Shake your device to undo.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:22:15 UTC

Deep-press the Note app's icon from the Home screen and you'll see the option for Scan Document. Position the document in camera view and iPhone detects the edges.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:23:22 UTC

Insert horizontal and/or vertical guide lines over a Google Slides or Drawings document to see if objects are aligned. Click the View menu and choose Guides → Show guides . After adding, drag the guide to see if objects are aligned.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:23:34 UTC

When you’re in an iOS app and want to access its settings, say “Settings” to Siri.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:24:00 UTC

Making a document for students to fill in? Before distributing to students, complete it yourself to make sure there's enough space for each response.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:24:18 UTC

Having trouble selecting an object that's behind other objects in Google Slides and Google Drawings? Try pressing Shift + Tab on your keyboard to select previous objects.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:24:37 UTC

Make a page bigger in Chrome by pressing Control/Command and +.

Make the page smaller with Control/Command and -.

Reset the zoom by pressing Control/Command and 0.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:24:51 UTC

Rotate and tilt Google Maps in Satellite view by holding down the Shift key while dragging the mouse.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:25:50 UTC

Search for publicly shared Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings documents by entering search terms into an Advanced Google Search. Input docs.google.com for the site/domain.

google.com/advanced_search

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:26:06 UTC

Specify an exact size for a shape or image in Google Slides & Drawings by selecting the object and clicking Format → Format options. A panel appears where you can input Width and Height.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:26:26 UTC

Use Google Slides to design printable newsletters, flyers, handouts, etc. Go to File → Page Setup → Custom and input 8.5 x 11 inches.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:32:54 UTC

Right-click your browser's Back button and a list of recently visited pages appears. Clicking an item in the list opens that page.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:33:15 UTC

Holding down the Shift key while dragging moves the object along a fixed vertical or horizontal axis. Works in apps like Google Slides, Google Drawings, PowerPoint, and Illustrator.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:33:33 UTC

Make a Google Slides document open in Present view by changing /edit in the shareable link to /present.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:33:48 UTC

Chrome users can right-click on a tab and select "Mute Site" to make sure that site is muted every time it is opened.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:34:16 UTC

Filter a Google search to show only PowerPoint files by including filetype:ppt in your search terms.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:35:00 UTC

Have a lot of cardboard to cut? Get a ZipSnip cutting tool. It safely slices right through cardboard!

Amazon Affiliate Link:
https://amzn.to/2weIm1t

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:35:13 UTC

Want to fit more items in your iPhone or iPad's dock? Add a folder to the dock. The folder can contain multiple apps.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:35:34 UTC

You can view Google Earth in your browser at earth.google.com. Click the "I'm Feeling Lucky" 🎲 button to learn about a random place.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:36:41 UTC

Prevent purchases and payments from being made on your Amazon Echo device. Open the Alexa app, open the menu in the top-right corner, and choose Settings. Tap Voice Purchasing and toggle the switch to off.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:37:12 UTC

If you want to save an image that's in a Google Doc, go to File → Download as → Web Page (HTML). Open the saved ZIP file and open the Images folder. You'll find the image you want to save (along with all other images in the document).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:37:23 UTC

Recording a voiceover? Try to record the whole thing in one sitting. The narration will have a more consistent volume and tone.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:37:50 UTC

If you are on an iPad and can't find an app that you know is in the App Store, click Filters → Supports and change to iPhone Only. Perhaps then the app will show in the results.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:42:22 UTC

Wondering what font is used on a website? Install the WhatFont extension for Chrome. Hover over text to see the font name, and click to see more information, including the hex color code.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:42:39 UTC

While playing a slideshow in PowerPoint or Keynote, pressing the B key will turn the screen black. Pressing W will turn the screen white.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:43:04 UTC

Place a checkbox into a cell in Google Sheets. Click the Insert menu and choose Checkbox.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:43:24 UTC

In Chrome, right-click an image on a web page and choose Search Google for Image. A new tab opens with with the results of a reverse image search. See the image in other sizes, similar images, and sites that include the image.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:43:43 UTC

Here's a quick way to duplicate a text box, shape, or image in PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, or Google Drawings: hold down the Alt or Option key and drag the object. A duplicate of the object is placed where you release the mouse.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:43:54 UTC

Want to draw a perfect circle in Google Slides and Google Drawings? Hold down the Shift key while drawing an oval.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:44:20 UTC

Print multiple slides onto one page in Google Slides. Click File → Print settings and preview. Change the menu that says "1 slide without notes" to "Handout 4 slides per page."

(You can also choose 2, 3, 6, or 9 slides per page.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:44:34 UTC

Reopen a tab you just closed in Chrome by right-clicking in the empty part of the tab bar and choosing Reopen Closed Tab.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:46:30 UTC

Use keyboard shortcuts to change the selected text's size in a Google app.

Decrease:
Control/Command + Shift + <

Increase:
Control/Comment + Shift + >

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:46:58 UTC

CamelCamelCamel is an Amazon price tracker that can alert you when prices drop. Use the website or install the browser addon.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:47:12 UTC

Here's how to play a Google Slides presentation on a loop: File → Publish to the web. Select time for each slide. Check "Restart the slideshow after the last slide." Click Publish. Open the link and click the Play button.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:47:59 UTC

Make it easy for others to contact you with an Email QR code. You prefill the address and optionally prefill the subject and message: goqr.me/#t=email

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:48:15 UTC

After writing an angry email, text, tweet, or post, be sure to read it carefully. And then delete it.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:48:54 UTC

You can name the current version of your Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, or Drawings document by clicking File → Version history → Name current version.

Named versions are helpful when browsing a document's version history.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:50:06 UTC

Add slide numbers to Google Slides. Go to Insert → Slide numbers. You have the option to skip title slides.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:50:18 UTC

Want to give your text an outline in Google Slides or Google Drawings? Instead of a text box, go to Insert → Word art.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:50:54 UTC

When playing a YouTube video on a desktop computer, press L to jump forward 10 seconds and J to jump back 10 seconds.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 22:53:09 UTC

Tired of having to set each Google Forms question as required? While editing a form, click the Settings tab and open Question defaults. Turn on "Make questions required by default."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:00:15 UTC

Double-click an image in Google Slides or Google Drawings to crop the image.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:00:48 UTC

Editing a doc or webpage and pressing Return leaves an unwanted line space? Trying holding down Shift with Return instead.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:01:10 UTC

Powering off your iPad or iPhone closes all apps. (Upon restart apps still appear in the app switcher but are not running.)

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:01:36 UTC

Your text might look better as a dark shade of gray rather than pure black. Pure black on a white background can be jarring.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:02:48 UTC

Swipe left on iPhone and iPad's lock screen to instantly access the camera.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:03:07 UTC

Force a viewer to make a copy of a Google document by replacing the /edit with /copy within the doc's shareable link.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:03:59 UTC

Record video or take photos on a phone or tablet in the Google Drive app. Then it is available on Chromebooks & other devices.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:04:16 UTC

Quit Chrome periodically. It will update to the latest version when you open it.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:04:46 UTC

Make a Google Form for yourself to fill out as a quick way to log data into a spreadsheet. Observations, parent contacts, etc.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:05:33 UTC

In Chrome → Settings → On Startup → Open a Specific Set of Pages to have multiple URLs open in tabs each time Chrome starts.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:05:56 UTC

Switch among your open Chrome or Safari tabs by holding down Control (⌘ on Mac) and a number 1 through 9.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:06:17 UTC

Drag multiple Chrome tabs at once by holding down the Control (⌘ on Mac) key and clicking the tabs you want to move.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:06:37 UTC

Ask Siri to "take a note" and Siri will create a new note in the Notes app with what you say next.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:09:46 UTC

Do a speed test by Googling “speed test” & clicking the Run Speed Test button. Google will tell you about your internet speed.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:10:37 UTC

Hold down the Shift key while using arrow keys to move an element one pixel at a time.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:11:09 UTC

"You should be the user of your device, not the janitor!” There’s no need to close most iOS apps.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:11:20 UTC

Found a lost iPhone or iPad? Hold down the home button and ask Siri "What is my name?"

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:11:52 UTC

Take a photo while recording video on an iPhone or iPad by tapping the white circle that is in the corner of the screen.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:12:07 UTC

Avoid accidentally sending an incomplete email by composing your entire message before adding recipients.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:12:21 UTC

You can ask Siri to pick a random number within a defined range. For example, “Hey Siri, random number between 1 and 25."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:13:17 UTC

You can link to a specific location in a long Google Doc. Click Insert → Bookmark and copy the link.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:13:34 UTC

Pasted text in a Google Doc often has its own font, style & size. Highlight the text and click Format → Clear formatting.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:13:52 UTC

See something gross online? Close the tab and open a new one. Image search for kittens. I’ve heard this called a kitten chaser.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:14:45 UTC

Use Control or Command + Shift + V to paste as plain text (removes all formatting from copied text).

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:15:25 UTC

Looking for Caps Lock on a Chromebook? Hold down Alt + Search keyboard buttons.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:15:37 UTC

Walking away from your Chromebook? Lock your screen by holding down the Search button + L.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:15:55 UTC

Display a Chromebook’s battery charge over time by entering chrome://power into Chrome's address bar.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:16:30 UTC

Google search “metronome” to get a usable metronome at the top of the results page. Adjust BPM and click Play.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:16:57 UTC

Trouble finding your downloads? Change your browser’s file download location to always save to your desktop.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:17:27 UTC

When taking a selfie, it usually looks better if you snap the photo while you are looking at the camera instead of yourself.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:17:53 UTC

Need to type a ➗ symbol? Use the Emoji character.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:18:21 UTC

Can't find a setting in iOS? Open the Settings app and pull down to reveal a search bar.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:18:37 UTC

Ask Siri to remind you about something at a certain time or place and Siri will set a reminder.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:19:00 UTC

Triple-click text to select the entire line or paragraph. It's faster than dragging your mouse to select the text.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:19:18 UTC

In Chrome click Bookmarks → Bookmark All Tabs to save all open tabs as bookmarks in a new folder.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:19:44 UTC

On a Chromebook or Windows computer? With a free Apple ID you can use Keynote & Pages online at iCloud.com .

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:21:00 UTC

Select multiple photos in the Photos app. Click Select and hold & drag to choose images. Great for deleting large batches!

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:21:27 UTC

Apply text formatting (font, size, color) from one part of a doc to another with the Paint Format tool.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:22:01 UTC

Each time you type “fun fact” into a Google search you can learn something new.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:22:23 UTC

Want to know how much free space you have on your Chromebook? Enter chrome://quota-internals in the address bar & hit Enter.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:22:48 UTC

On Macs, Windows PCs & Chromebooks, you can make your cursor easier to see by making it bigger in Accessibility settings.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:23:59 UTC

Bring up an emoji keyboard on a Mac with this key combo: Control + Command + Spacebar.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:25:10 UTC

Fit more sites into Chrome's bookmarks bar. Right click a bookmark, click Edit, and delete the Name. The page's icon is displayed, but the text is removed.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:25:44 UTC

Don’t squish or stretch that picture–hold down Shift while dragging a corner to resize an image in most software.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:27:23 UTC

Close a Chrome tab by mistake? Go to File → Reopen Closed Tab (or use the shortcut Ctrl-Shift-T / ⌘-Shift-T) to get it back.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:27:40 UTC

Always referring to a schedule, map or other info? Snap a photo or take a screenshot and make it your device's lock screen.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:27:53 UTC

Embed a Google Slideshow on your website. Whenever you update the slides, your website gets fresh content.

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:28:17 UTC

Posing for a photo? Your face forms a more genuine smile by saying “cheeks” instead of “cheese."

tonyv — 2023-08-01 23:28:30 UTC

Pressing space bar in your browser will scroll down one page length. Hold down Shift + spacebar will scroll up one page length.

tonyv — 2023-08-02 17:20:48 UTC

Want a chatbot like ChatGPT or Bard to write more like a human? Include in your prompt: "Write in a casual, friendly way using natural language that a real person would use in a conversation."

tonyv — 2023-08-03 16:21:55 UTC

MagicSchool.ai has an AI-Resistant Assignment Suggestions tool. Enter your assignment description to receive recommendations for making it more challenging for Al chatbots.

Its suggestions are not groundbreaking. But, they might give a teacher some ideas for modifying their assignments. Suggestions often involve critical thinking, personal reflection, personal experiences, opinions, creativity, emotions, and collaboration.

tonyv — 2023-08-05 01:31:52 UTC

Instead of asking, “Does anyone have any questions,” ask “What questions do you have?” or “Ask me two questions.”

tonyv — 2023-08-05 13:51:13 UTC

On a Chromebook? Press 🔍 + V to see the last 5 things you copied.

tonyv — 2023-08-13 17:16:25 UTC

Ask Siri, "What's my update?"

Siri will tell you the weather forecast, calendar appointments, reminders, and a brief news summary.

tonyv — 2023-08-21 22:34:46 UTC

With a photo selected in Canva, click the Edit photo button. Choose Magic Eraser to brush over unwanted objects or people. Canva intelligently guesses what the photo would look without the erased object or person. [Requires Canva for Education or Canva Pro]

tonyv — 2023-09-03 20:20:54 UTC

Yes, you can power off newer iPhones and iPads by pressing and holding either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.

Another way to make the power-off slider appear is by quickly pressing and releasing the side button 5 times.

tonyv — 2023-11-19 16:43:31 UTC

Add motion and whimsy to Google Slides. Go to Insert → Image → GIFs and Stickers. A side panel opens where you can enter search terms.

tonyv — 2023-11-29 02:40:16 UTC

In Google Docs, go to Insert → Building blocks → Email draft. A table is inserted where you can compose an email in the doc. Easily convert the table into a draft in Gmail by clicking the blue mail icon.

tonyv — 2023-12-04 12:58:12 UTC

You can change your padlet's cover image, which is displayed on other padlets and social media. Click the three dots in the top right of a post, and click Set as padlet cover.

tonyv — 2024-01-07 17:15:37 UTC

In Canva, press / on your keyboard to access the Canva Assistant. A popup shows recommended actions and allows you to search for Canva's elements and templates and to search through your own projects.

tonyv — 2024-01-09 15:54:34 UTC

As a teacher, if chatbots are blocked for you at school, or you want to try a chatbot made specifically for teachers, try Raina from MagicSchool.

tonyv — 2024-01-15 20:35:33 UTC

Create a link that takes viewers directly to a specific spot in a Google Drive video. Do this by pausing the video at the desired time, clicking the arrow next to the Share button , and selecting “Copy link to this time.”

tonyv — 2024-01-18 22:38:45 UTC

In your Canva design, open the Canva Assistant by clicking the ✨ button or typing "/". Search for and open "Design Accessibility."

A panel opens listing any typography, color contrast, and alternative text issues. Click an issue to fix it.

tonyv — 2024-01-29 22:32:58 UTC

Customize the look of a Finder window on your Mac. With a window open, click View → as Icons. Then go to View → Show View Options. Under Background, choose Color or Picture.

tonyv — 2024-02-05 18:28:30 UTC

Prevent yourself (and others) from making edits or adding comments in a Google Workspace document.

Find the file in Google Drive and click More actions (the three dots) on its thumbnail. Hover over "File information" and click Lock.

This is handy for templates that you don't want to accidentally edit.

tonyv — 2024-02-21 17:42:40 UTC

Replace the end of a Google Docs, Slides, Drawings, or Sheets URL to link to the PDF version.

Original → edit?usp=sharing

Replacement → export?format=pdf

tonyv — 2024-04-07 14:32:45 UTC

Insert a checklist into Google Docs by clicking the Checklist button in the toolbar.

Clicking a box adds a check and a strikethrough.

Don't want the item to be crossed out? Go to Format → Bullets & Numbering → Checklist menu and toggle the strikethrough off.

tonyv — 2024-04-11 23:46:12 UTC

Limit what others can do with a shared Google document. Click the Share button and click Settings ⚙️.

You can uncheck "Editors can change permissions and share."

You can uncheck "Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy."

tonyv — 2024-04-21 18:59:17 UTC

Go to Tools → Notification settings in a Google document that you can edit or comment on (you don't have to be the owner). Change to be notified about all new comment activity and when anyone adds or removed content.

tonyv — 2024-05-06 16:35:16 UTC

Designing a custom header for Google Forms? Set the page size in Google Slides, Canva, or design tool of choice to 1600 x 400 pixels.

tonyv — 2024-05-10 23:02:09 UTC

Backup a folder in Google Drive by downloading it. Click More Actions (⋮) next to the folder's name and select Download. The folder and its contents will be downloaded in a zipped format on your computer.

tonyv — 2024-05-19 16:00:39 UTC

Turn on Voice Isolation when on a phone or FaceTime call on iPhone. During the call, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen. Tap Mic Mode and select Voice Isolation. Background noises are blocked, making your voice clear.

tonyv — 2024-05-24 23:17:49 UTC

Select a range of rows and columns in Google Sheets. Go to Format → Convert to table. Sheets automatically formats and organizes the data with a polished design, including column types, filters, colors, dropdown menus, and more.

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2024/05/tables-in-google-sheets.html

tonyv — 2024-05-28 22:55:54 UTC

Prevent people from changing the color of their posts on your Padlet. Go to Settings → Post Fields and change Color from Show to Hide.

tonyv — 2024-06-08 23:15:52 UTC

An iPad with USB-C is a portable power bank. Charge items you connect with a USB cable, including phones, Apple Watches, and AirPods.

tonyv — 2024-06-11 13:50:53 UTC

Quickly stitch together multiple Live Photos into a video.

In Photos on iPhone or iPad, go to Albums → Live Photos → Select → choose some photos → ⋯ → Save as Video.

Each Live Photo is a short video clip, and the clips are played in succession.

tonyv — 2024-06-15 15:39:37 UTC

Want to type to Siri instead of talk? On iPhone or iPad open Settings and search for Type to Siri.

Turn it on and when you double-tap the bottom edge of your device, you can type your Siri request and it replies silently through text.

tonyv — 2024-07-14 16:49:11 UTC

You can drag and drop files and photos between apps on iPhone and iPad.

Hold down on the photo or file you want to insert into another app until you can move it around. While still holding down, swipe up with your thumb to go to the Home screen. Drag the file or photo onto the destination app.

This 22 second video shows you things you can drag and drop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lPy_fCh_EI&t=21s

tonyv — 2024-08-02 19:00:51 UTC

It happens. You close a browser tab and then, oops, you realize you actually wanted to keep that tab open.

You have options for reopening the closed tab:

⌨️ Keyboard shortcut

🖱️ Right-click tab bar

⬇️ Search Tabs button

↖️ File menu

tonyv — 2024-09-12 23:18:08 UTC

The Google Photos app for iOS and Android has a Magic Editor. Similar to the Magic Studio tools in Canva, Google’s Magic Editor can erase or reposition and resize people and objects. It also can improve lighting and blur backgrounds. You get 10 saves per month for free.

tonyv — 2024-09-18 20:25:24 UTC

Make your iPhone's homescreen icons larger by hiding app names. Touch and hold anywhere on your Home screen's background and click the Edit button that appears. Choose Customize and toggle to Large. Requires in iOS 18.

tonyv — 2024-09-25 13:44:19 UTC

Tap the Page Menu icon (a rectangle with two lines underneath) in Safari's address bar and choose Hide Distracting Items. With a slick animation, distracting elements like ads, related content, and extra menus disappear after clicking them.

tonyv — 2024-11-12 13:26:05 UTC

Generate a draft of alt text for an image with AI. Upload the image to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, or your favorite chatbot. Prompt it with "Write alt text for this image." You may followup by asking for more or less detail.

tonyv — 2024-11-24 17:20:06 UTC

If you're on a Mac with Apple Intelligence, set a keyboard shortcut to access the writing tools.

Go to System Settings → Search "keyboard shortcuts" → Keyboard Shortcuts button → App Shortcuts in sidebar → + → Enter menu title "Show Writing Tools" → Press ⌘ + . → Done → Done.

Pressing ⌘ + . is much more convenient than clicking through context menus to access writing tools!

tonyv — 2024-11-29 20:59:01 UTC

Instead of saying “I know,” try responding with “That’s right” to come across as more affirming and less defensive.

tonyv — 2025-01-07 21:13:07 UTC

Speed things up! Hold down the spacebar while watching YouTube to play at 2x speed. Let go, and it’s back to normal.

tonyv — 2025-01-10 20:26:48 UTC

From your Canva homepage, select a presentation, click the More ••• icon, and select "Enable offline presenting." Now, even if your internet isn't cooperating, the presentation will appear on your homepage and you can open it.

tonyv — 2025-02-05 18:52:09 UTC

If you enable notifications for new responses in a Google Form, you'll receive an email immediately for each submission—which can quickly add up.

To avoid email overload, open the form’s linked spreadsheet, go to Tools → Notification settings → Email notifications, and select Daily Digest to receive a summary instead

tonyv — 2025-02-26 20:03:49 UTC

AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini can get a little too creative when revising your writing. Keep it closer to your original by using this prompt: "Revise this for clarity, flow, and grammar."

tonyv — 2025-04-03 20:47:49 UTC

Pressing Enter/Return in Google Sheets jumps to the cell below.

Want a new line in the same cell? Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and press Enter/Return.

tonyv — 2025-04-03 20:59:55 UTC

Quickly react in a Google Doc by highlighting text, clicking Insert, and choosing Emoji Reaction. Pick an emoji to display in the left margin—hover to see who added it. Reactions can be resolved to remove them.

Bonus: To react to a comment, hover over the comment text to reveal the emoji reaction button.

tonyv — 2025-04-10 22:31:40 UTC

Upload a screenshot of a schedule and ask ChatGPT, "Create an ics calendar file for the events in this screenshot." It will make a file you can download and then open in your calendar app.

Gemini can also do this, adding events directly into your Google Calendar.

tonyv — 2025-04-15 21:25:00 UTC

Add an audio file to Apple Notes, and it will automatically transcribe after a few minutes. You can read, search, and copy the text—and even click a word to jump to that moment in the recording.

tonyv — 2025-04-30 01:12:36 UTC

Instead of removing all animations from objects on a Google Slide, select all the objects and group them. All animations remain deleted, even after you ungroup everything.

tonyv — 2025-05-07 23:33:24 UTC

Every AI chat has a unique URL. Copy it and paste it into your notes or docs so you can jump back in anytime—right where you left off.

tonyv — 2025-05-19 20:55:37 UTC

Notice the new panel in Google Slides? On the right side, it gives quick access to images, templates, and best of all—Building Blocks. Drop in ready-made layouts like Agendas and customize them without starting from scratch.

tonyv — 2025-05-21 23:32:05 UTC

Right-click a YouTube video and choose “Copy video URL at current time” to share a specific moment. Use this link to skip the fluff and go straight to the relevant part of the video.

tonyv — 2025-05-26 15:43:39 UTC

Keep your FigJam files tidy and focused by hiding sections. Select a section and click the "Hide section" icon in the floating toolbar to temporarily gray out the section. Great for revealing content gradually or reducing visual clutter when collaborating.

tonyv — 2025-07-06 22:36:19 UTC

You can start a new Google Vids project by importing Google Slides. It inserts your slides into the timeline and adds transitions. Then you can enter a script and record a voiceover or generate a voiceover with AI.

vids.google.com

tonyv — 2025-08-04 13:35:38 UTC

Know your dashes...

👉 Hyphen (-) joins words (student-made project)
👉 En dash (–) shows ranges (Aug 5–9)
👉 Em dash (—) adds emphasis (Humans used em dashes—long before AI learned them)

tonyv — 2025-08-06 13:18:36 UTC

Want your AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) to better match your expectations? Paste or upload examples to give it context for a stronger response.

Not all prompts need examples, but it's handy for when you're

tonyv — 2025-08-06 13:28:26 UTC

Presenting with Canva? You can use your phone as a clicker! In Present mode, tap More ⋮ in the bottom corner and select Share remote control. Scan the QR code with your phone to open controls in your browser. Use the arrows to change slides and even access Magic Shortcuts.

tonyv — 2025-08-18 12:51:41 UTC

Set up keyboard shortcuts like /rubric, /sva, or /commas to instantly paste your full rubric or your most common comments with the Text Blaze extension for Chrome. (via Donnie Piercey)

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/text-blaze-templates-and/idgadaccgipmpannjkmfddolnnhmeklj

tonyv — 2025-08-21 13:55:12 UTC

Have a GIF that plays too fast? Upload it to EZGIF and lower the speed to under 100%.

ezgif.com/speed

tonyv — 2025-09-09 14:52:14 UTC

You can suggest meeting times right inside Gmail.

When you’re writing an email, click ⋮ → 🗓️ Set up a time to meet → ✅ Propose times you’re free. Then enter the dates and times that work for you.

The recipient just clicks the slot that fits their schedule, and Gmail creates a calendar event for both of you. No back-and-forth needed.

tonyv — 2025-09-18 12:37:36 UTC

Got a phone with Apple Intelligence on iOS 26?

1️⃣ Take a screenshot.

2️⃣ Tap Add to Calendar in the smart actions at the bottom.

3️⃣ Preview the event that is drafted from details in the screenshot.

4️⃣ Edit if needed before confirming the event.

tonyv — 2025-09-18 13:49:00 UTC

Chrome can generate captions for any audio or video in your browser.

1️⃣ Play audio or video.
2️⃣ Click the Media Control icon (≡♪) in the top toolbar.
3️⃣ Toggle on Live Captions.

A black box will appear, transcribing the spoken words in real time.

tonyv — 2025-09-18 14:25:47 UTC

Got an phone with Apple Intelligence and iOS 26?

Go to Settings → Camera → Lens Cleaning Hints

When turned on, a message displays when the camera lens should be cleaned to improve image quality.

tonyv — 2025-09-20 14:41:29 UTC

See the emails you have subscribed to in Gmail and easily unsubscribe by opening this link: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#sub

tonyv — 2025-10-01 17:58:11 UTC

On iPhone and iPad, you can quickly save an image without its background. In Photos, press and hold on the subject of the image, choose Share, then Save Image. The picture is saved to your Photos app as a PNG with a transparent background.

tonyv — 2025-10-24 16:50:08 UTC

Upload an image and ask an AI chatbot, "Write two versions of alt text for this image." Compare the results and choose the one that works best.

tonyv — 2025-11-10 19:12:27 UTC

Both Gemini and ChatGPT have a Deep Research mode that searches the web for you and delivers a detailed, cited report of what it finds. Great for learning about a new topic, product comparisons, and professional learning.

tonyv — 2025-11-12 23:41:06 UTC

Want to use AI to edit part of an image? Try Canva’s Magic Edit tool. Click a photo, select Edit, then choose Magic Edit. Brush over the area and describe what you want changed or added. The rest of the image stays the same.

tonyv — 2025-12-09 19:26:22 UTC

If an AI chatbot keeps giving you ideas you already thought of, tweak your prompt. Add words like unconventional, creative, or something most people wouldn’t think of.

A small change in your prompt can lead to much more interesting ideas.

tonyv — 2026-01-08 04:14:26 UTC

Force Chrome to ignore the cache and download fresh content for the current page with a hard refresh.

On Windows/Chromebooks: Ctrl + Shift + R

On Macs: Command (⌘) + Shift

tonyv — 2026-01-29 13:57:44 UTC

Want a handy time-saver in Google Docs? Use text shortcuts to turn short snippets into full phrases and even type special characters and symbols with ease. A small tweak that keeps faster typing at your fingertips.

Go to Tools → Preferences → Substitutions to set up your own shortcuts.

tonyv — 2026-02-08 14:40:22 UTC

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, pause your brain’s alarm response and start organizing the information instead. Tell yourself, “I need to decide what matters most and go slow.”

(from Jennifer Furse, Applied Neuroplasticity Coach)

tonyv — 2026-02-10 19:15:59 UTC

Want Google search results without the AI Overview? Just add -ai to your query.

tonyv — 2026-05-27 14:34:09 UTC

If you come across a Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets “Make a Copy” link but aren’t ready to add it to your Drive, replace /copy in the URL with /edit. You can preview and explore the file first, then decide if you want to make a copy.

tonyv — 2026-06-08 20:00:29 UTC

Declutter Google Docs by going to the Gemini menu → Bottom bar preferences → Turn off.