To you, Google may mean the same as a search engine, but the services they provide are actually much more than that. From email to document creation, calendars to music, Google products can be used in many aspects of life online. Follow this guide to get the most relevant search results, as well as get the most out of all of Google's products.
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Part 1 of 5: Sending and Receiving Emails with GMail
Step 1. Login with your Google account
You can access the Gmail homepage from the menu bar at the top of your Google page. You must be signed in with a Google account to open your Gmail inbox.
Step 2. Browse to your email
Your inbox is automatically organized with tabs. Initially, there are three tabs, namely Primary, Social, and Promotion. You can add other tabs like Updates and Forums to further sort your emails.
- The "Primary" tab contains your emails with other people.
- The "Social" tab contains emails sent from social networking services, such as Facebook and Twitter.
- The "Promotion" tab is the advertising email you receive after you subscribe.
Step 3. Look at the email conversation
Each email reply will be grouped into a conversation. Recent replies will be shown above, and previous emails can be displayed by clicking the "Expand" icon.
Step 4. Archive old messages
You can archive old messages to keep them but hide them from your main inbox so they don't bother you. Archived messages can be seen under the "All Mails" label in the menu on the left.
If someone replies to an archived email, the conversation will return to your inbox
Step 5. Delete emails that you no longer need
While Google provides a lot of free storage space, you may want to delete messages to free up space. Select the messages you want to delete and click "Trash". The email will be permanently deleted after 30 days.
Step 6. Mark important emails
You can mark the emails you think are important by clicking the star icon. The email will then be marked, and you can use the menu on the left to display only the starred emails. Use this flag for emails that need to be answered, or important emails that need to be easily accessible.
You can add more icons by clicking the gear menu and selecting "Settings". In the "General" tab, look for the "Stars" option. Drag the icon to the "In Use" section to use an icon. Once added, you can use it by clicking the star several times to select the icon
Step 7. Use labels to sort your emails
On the "Settings" menu, click the "Labels" tab. Here, you can see the labels that are already available and will appear on the left side of the Gmail menu. Click "Create new Label" to create a new label.
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Click the "Filters" button to create a rule that will automatically label emails with certain criteria. Click the "Create a new filter" link to create a new filter.
You can set filters based on the sender of the email, the destination, the word in the title, or the word in the email. Once you've designed your filter, click "Create filter with this search…"
- Apply rules to your filters. Once you've set the filter, check the "Apply the label:" box and select the label you want. If you want emails with these criteria to be labeled directly, check "Skip Inbox".
Step 8. Compose a new email
To compose an email, click the red "Compose" button at the top left of the menu. The "New message" window will appear. Enter the recipient's address into the "To" field. If you have already added the recipient to your contact list, you can enter their name, and select the recipient from the list that appears.
- "CC" will send a copy of your email to another recipient. "BCC" will send a copy to another recipient without letting the recipient know that you sent a copy.
- If you have multiple accounts linked to your Gmail account, you can choose where to send messages from by clicking the arrow in the "From" field.
- You can change the text format by clicking the letter "A" next to the "Send" button. This opens a menu that allows you to change the font, size, and color of the text, as well as create lists and indents.
- You can attach a file to your email by clicking the paperclip icon. Clicking this icon will display a window that will allow you to select a file on your computer to attach. The size limit for attached files is 25MB.
- You can send money with Google Wallet by clicking the "+" button and selecting the "$" icon. Google will ask you to verify your identity if you haven't done so before.
- You can also insert images and Google Drive documents by hovering your cursor over the "+" button.
Part 2 of 5: Creating and Sharing Files with Google Drive
Step 1. Open Google Drive
You can access it from the top menu bar on the Google page. Google Drive replaces Google Docs, but functions more or less the same. You can still create, edit, and share documents, as well as save files from your computer so you can access them anywhere.
You will be asked to sign in with your Google account. Google Drive can be used for free with a Google account
Step 2. Create a new document
Click the CREATE button. A menu that lets you select the type of document you want to create will appear. A list opens, allowing you to select a word processing document, table, presentation, or image.
Other functions can be added by clicking "Connect More App" at the bottom of the menu. You can choose applications made by Google or third parties
Step 3. Edit your document
Once you have chosen your format, you can start editing the document. Click the document title at the top of the screen to change it. Use the menu bar to make format changes.
- The menu bar can change depending on the type of document you are creating.
- Changes are saved automatically as you work with the document.
Step 4. Download your document
If you want to download your document to your computer, select "File", then "Download as". You will be given options regarding the file type, choose the file type that suits your needs.
Step 5. Share your document
You can share documents with other Google Drive users by clicking "File", then "Share…". The "Sharing Settings" window will open, and you can add other people to the collaborator list here. You can also share document links through popular services like Facebook and Twitter.
Step 6. Upload the file from your computer
You can upload the files you want to back up from your computer to Google Drive by clicking the red "Upload" button next to the "Create" button. You can upload just one file, or the entire folder.
- Files of any type can be uploaded to Google Drive. Certain files, such as Word documents, can be converted into Google documents by clicking "Settings" in the Upload window. Your uploaded document will be added to the Google Drive file list.
- You can download the Google Drive program for your computer, which allows you to create shared folders that are directly linked to Drive. Click the "Connect Drive to your desktop" button to get started.
- Unpaid Google Accounts have 15GB of free storage space, and are shared with all the Google services you use. If you're running out of storage space, pay for extra space or delete files/emails that you no longer use.
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Create folders to sort your files. Click the "Add Folder" button at the top of Google Drive to create your folder. You can drag and drop files into that folder to tidy up your Google Drive interface.
Use Google Step 15
Part 3 of 5: Search the Web with Google
Step 1. Go to the front page of Google and type in your search keywords
Formatting your search in a different way will affect the search results you get. Try simple keywords for better results. The "I'm feeling Lucky" button will take you to the top of the search results.
- Use the keywords used by the site you are looking for. For example, if you have a toothache, search for "toothache," instead of "my tooth hurts," your search results will be more informative.
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If you need more precise results, use quotes in your search keywords. Google will only show search results that have words/phrases that exactly match the words/phrases in quotes.
For example, if you enter chocolate cake without the quotes, Google will show any page that has the word chocolate or cake (pages that have both will appear in a better position). If you enter "chocolate cake" in the search box, only pages with the word "chocolate cake" will appear in the search results.
- Exclude a word from the search results with a dash (-) in front of the word you want to exclude. This allows you to exclude search results.
- Enter the calculation formula to see the result as the top search result. Entering a formula will open a calculator menu on Google, which you can use to enter a new calculation.
- Enter the units to convert, and Google will show the conversion results. For example, entering 1 cup = ounces will display conversion results before webpage search results. You can use the menu to change the conversion unit.
- Most punctuation marks will be ignored in a Google search.
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Sort your search results. Once you have entered your keywords, you can narrow your search by clicking the tabs in the search results.
Use Google Step 17 - The "Web" tab is the default search tab containing the search results for websites.
- The "Images" tab displays images related to your search. If your search results return multiple images, the most popular images will appear as search results in the "Web" tab.
- The "Maps" tab displays your search results in a map. If you enter a location in the Google search box, usually a map will appear in the Web tab.
- The "Shopping" tab contains products available in your area, or online products related to your search.
- The "Blogs" tab displays blog posts related to your search.
- You can click the "More" tab to search in other Google services, such as Play Store, Recipes, etc.
Step 2. Enrich your search
You can add specific parameters in your search by clicking the "Advanced Search" option at the bottom of the search results.
- In the "Find pages with…" field, you can clearly specify how Google searches for the keywords you want. This can also be achieved from a regular entry box, and instructions are provided next to each entry.
- In the "Then narrow your results by…" column, you can add filters to hide search results that are not relevant to you. You can set language, region, update date, specific site, etc. For example, you can search for videos uploaded to YouTube France this year.
Step 3. Sign in to your Google account
Click the red "Sign in" button at the top of the screen to sign in with your Google account. This will help Google customize your search results, as well as save your search settings. If you see your name and photo at the top right, you have successfully logged into your Google account.
Your Google Account is the same account as other Google products, such as Gmail, Drive, Maps, etc
Step 4. Set your search settings
After performing a search, click the cog icon at the top right of the search results. Select "Search Settings" from the menu.
- You can choose to exclude explicit results, display instant search results as you type, adjust the number of search results displayed, and much more.
- These settings will not be saved when you exit your browser, unless you are signed in with a Google account.
Part 4 of 5: Getting Around with Google Maps
Step 1. Open Google Maps
Google Maps can be accessed from the top menu bar of the Google page. Initially, Google Maps will show your (nearest) location.
Step 2. Enter the map search
You can search for places of business, tourist attractions, cities, addresses, map coordinates, and so on in the map search box. Google will try to display the most relevant results, which will be displayed in the left frame.
Step 3. Go around the map
Use the mouse and keyboard to get around.
- You can "zoom in" and "zoom out" the map by dragging the available sliders, or by sliding your mouse wheel up and down. + and ? on your keyboard can be used to do the same thing.
- Click and drag the map to move, or use the directional buttons to move the map. You can also click the four-way button at the top of the page.
Step 4. Find things around you
Right-click a location on the map and select "What's Here" from the available menu. This will place the spikes on the map, and the places listed around the spikes will appear in the left frame.
Step 5. Click the "Search nearby" link to find other locations around the nail you just placed
Step 6. Get directions
Click any location on the map for information about that location. From the "Informations" window, click the "Directions" link to open a navigation window. In the left menu, you can specify the starting point and the method of travel. When you click "Get directions", turn-by-turn navigation will be displayed, and the route will appear on the map.
- Estimated travel times adjusted for traffic levels will also be displayed next to the suggested routes.
- You can customize your route by clicking and dragging any part of the route. The route will then be recalculated to get to the destination as close as possible.
- Alternatively, you can right-click anywhere on the map, and select "Direction to here" to open the navigation interface.
Part 5 of 5: Get Maximum Service from Google
Step 1. Listen to music via Google Play Music
Google Play Music allows you to upload music files from your computer, and use Google's extensive music library.
Step 2. Create your Google+ profile
Google+ is Google's social network. Use Google+ to create an online identity, follow trends and people, and connect with your friends.
Step 3. Organize your life with Google Calendar
Use Calendar to sync important dates to Google servers. You can share your calendar and events with others, and create multiple calendars for different aspects of life.
Step 4. Use Google Scholar to search for school/college research assignments
Google Scholar will display search results from peer-reviewed journals and scientific articles. You can use the search results for reports and presentations.
Step 5. Join Google Groups
Google Groups are groups of people who have the same interests. Use Groups to read and post content about anything that interests you.
Step 6. Read the news with Google News
Google News allows you to create a personal news feed with the latest news from news sources small and large.
Tips
- With Google, you can search for images and audio/video in the same field. Use the tabs for the type of media you want to search for.
- If you have McAfee SiteAdvisor, you will see a green, yellow, or red icon next to the search results. Click only links with green icons.
- Use the simplest form of the word, for example confused instead confusion.
- Google Scholar provides more accurate and academic information.
- For a faster search, use the Google Toolbar available for IE and Firefox here.
- Clicking Advanced Search will produce better search results.
Warning
- For control over image results, click "SafeSearch" in the tab at the top of the Images page.
- Check the information before clicking on the search results, don't always trust a particular source.
