Google Docs gets new outline tool in latest update

Google is in the process of rolling out an update for Google Docs, their cloud-based word processor that is part of Google Drive, on both the web and Android. The new version includes a pretty significant new feature, an outline tool to help users quickly navigate through the document.

On the web, the new outline will appear in a pane to the left of the page being edited. Each header will be listed in the outline view and users can just click on one of the entries to jump to that item. If you are not the type of person to use header formats when working on a document, Google will still analyze the document to detect “logical divisions within your work” and automatically construct an outline for you. In cases where Google does the outline work, users can manually edit the results.

As useful as that feature may be on the web, it is likely Android users will find it even more helpful. On a mobile device, as a user starts to scroll through a document, a small navigation handle will pop up. Users can click on that to expose the outline structure and then tap on an entry to jump to that section. For larger documents, that will probably be a huge time saver for users.

If you want to try Google Docs on your Android device, hit the link to the Play Store below.