How to install/uninstall add-ons in Google Docs
Google Docs is an online word processing tool that, if nothing else, is free. It’s by no means lacking in features. In fact, it has some of the best collaboration features you’ll find anywhere. There are no desktop word processors that come close to it. For features that it may not have, there are add-ons you can install to fill the gap. Here’s how you can install and uninstall add-ons in Google Docs.
Install add-ons in Google Docs
Google Docs add-ons have their own marketplace that you can explore here. Each add-on also has its very own product page so if you happen to have a link to it, you can get the add-on from there. Installing a Google Docs add-on is simple; you click the ‘Free’ button if the add-on is free, or you buy it. Once you do that, it will install. The add-on will need certain permissions to work, and it will ask you to sign in with your Google account. That’s about it.
Not all installed add-ons work the same way. Some may add a panel, others may add a floating window, or they may integrate with the Google Docs UI by adding their own item to the menu bar. Check the add-on’s product page for instructions on how to use it.
Uninstall Google Docs add-on
Open any document in Google Docs, or create a new one. Go to the Add-on item on the menu bar, and select Manage add-ons.
In the pop-up window that opens, you will see all the add-ons that you’ve installed. Click the more options button next to an add-on and select the uninstall option.
Google Docs add-ons are sometimes called apps. You will find the terms are used interchangeably but, the method for installing and/or uninstalling them will remain the same. As for the after-effects of removing an add-on, it really depends on what the add-on did.
If you installed an add-on that would highlight every time you used a certain word, then removing it will obviously remove that particular functionality. If you installed an add-on that automatically expanded an abbreviated form of a word to its full version when you typed it, then that change will stick even after the add-on has been removed. It’s really a per-case thing.
Some add-ons may not install if Google hasn’t verified them. In such cases, there really isn’t anything you can do other than to write to the developer and ask them to complete the verification process for their add-on or app.
