When accessing a Mac (OS Catalina) with Chrome Remote Desktop, I have mouse control and I see the background and the top menu bar, but no icons, no dock, and no open windows. For example (I'm watching on a connected monitor), if I click Finder the window will open but not on the remote screen. I've uninstalled and re-installed. Normally, if you want to close all of the open apps on your Mac, you'd have to either quit them all one by one or restart, shut down, or log out while making sure to deselect âReopen windows when logging back in.' The latter option is great, but it doesn't always work in Mac OS X, and what if you don't want to restart, shut down, or log out?
![Google Apps In Mac Dock Google Apps In Mac Dock](/uploads/1/3/3/9/133933951/834684851.png)
When it comes to word-processing, Google Docs is my top pick at any given time of the day. Same goes for Sheets and Slides, which are leagues ahead in terms of convenience when compared to desktop-based apps such as Excel and PowerPoint.
Mac Os Dock
However, launching them can feel tedious at times since you first need to open a browser before you can do that. And getting to your files can take even more time since you have to manually search for them via each web appâs user interface.
Fortunately, creating a desktop shortcut to get to your favorite Google productivity app is super easy, and there are multiple ways to do so.
And even better, you can also choose to generate shortcuts to any specific Docs, Sheets, or Slides file should you so wish to! How cool is that?
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#google docs
Click here to see our google docs articles pageChrome's Add to Desktop Functionality
Chrome features a nifty feature dubbed Add to Desktop that lets you easily create desktop shortcuts out of any web page. And since the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Web apps are basically pages within a browser, you can use it to generate shortcuts with no problems whatsoever.
Step 1: Launch the Google web app of your choice, and then open the Chrome menu.
Afterward, simply point to More Tools, and then click Add to Desktop.
Step 2: You should now be prompted with a pop-up box where you can opt to name the shortcut â do that.
Click Add, and you should see a shortcut appear instantly within your desktop.
To create shortcuts to a specific Docs, Sheets, or Slides file, just open it within your browser and follow the same procedure.
Yeah, it's really that simple!
Note: Admittedly, shortcuts created this way look just like default browser icons. Fortunately, you can customize the appearance of these shortcuts, and we go over that later on in this article so do keep reading!
Drag and Drop URL to Desktop
This method is even faster and can be performed on any Web browser. However, you need to be in windowed mode since you must perform a drag n' drop to desktop.
To begin, open Docs, Sheets, or Slides â or a file if you want to create a shortcut to one â and left-click once within the address bar to highlight the URL.
Now, simply drag and drop the URL onto your desktop, and you should see a shortcut appear instantly!
If it's a file, the shortcut should be automatically named with the appropriate file name. Super cool, right?
Create Desktop Shortcut Manually
Creating manual shortcuts can be a drag compared to the two methods above, but you should find it useful if you have a bunch of Docs, Sheets, or Slides files that you want to create shortcuts for without having to open them in a browser first.
Step 1: Just right-click a vacant area on your desktop â or any other location within File Explorer â and click Shortcut under New.
Step 2: Simply enter the URL of the Docs, Sheets, or Slides Web apps, or paste the URL of a specific file. Once done, click Next to proceed.
Step 3: Insert a name for the shortcut on the subsequent screen, and then click Finish.
Thatâs it! Simply repeat the procedure for any other shortcuts that you want to create, but make sure to add different names so that they don't conflict with each other.
Install Backup and Sync From Google
Rather than creating shortcuts yourself, there is another way to get original Docs, Sheets, and Slides shortcuts on your desktop. However, that involves installing Backup and Sync, so only use this method if you donât mind an additional background app from slowing things down at startup.
Just download and install Backup and Sync, and you should see your shortcuts placed neatly on the desktop.
Download Backup and Sync
To have shortcuts for individual files, however, you need to resort to the three methods that are listed above.
Note: Installing Backup and Sync causes various files or documents stored on Google Drive to start syncing locally. To manage your sync settings, click the Backup and Sync icon on the system tray, click the Ellipsis icon, and then click Preferences.
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Read MoreBonus Tips
Google Apps In Mac Dock Settings
Before we wrap things up, letâs go over a couple of tips to enhance the functionality of your newly added shortcuts.
Work Offline
Yeah, you added a bunch of file shortcuts, but you still need an internet connection before you can start working on a document, right?
Wrong.
With some preparation beforehand, you can configure any file to open even when you are offline. Simply head over to Docs, Sheets, or Slides, and then use the Ellipsis icon next to a file to prepare it for offline usage.
Any changes that you make are then synced automatically once you get back online.
Note: If you don't see the Available Offline option, you need to have the Google Docs Offline add-on installed. To get the extension, open the Docs, Sheets, or Slides menu, click Settings, and then click the switch next to Available Offline.
Customizing Shortcuts
If you used the first three methods to create shortcuts to Docs, Sheets, or Slides, then you mustâve noticed that they look just like ordinary Chrome shortcuts.
However, you can customize them to look just like their respective Web apps by changing the default icon for each shortcut.
Step 1: First, download the Docs, Sheets, or Slides icons in the ICO format from an icon repository such as Iconfinder.
Step 2: Next, right-click a shortcut, and then select Properties
Step 3: Click Change Icon under the Web Document tab.
Step 4: Select the icon that you downloaded, and then click OK.
You should find the boring Chrome icon replaced with the icon that you just applied.
Looks better now, right?
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How to Remove Page Breaks to Make Continuous Pages in Google Docs
Read MoreLaunch 'em In No Time
Googleâs suite of productivity apps are a blast to work with. And things get even better when you can readily access whatever app or file that you want to work on directly from desktop. Itâs sure to elevate your level of productivity to a whole new level.
So, what was your top pick for creating the Docs, Sheets, or Slides shortcuts? Know of any other cool ways to place them on your desktop? Do share in comments.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextGoogle File Sharing Guide: All FAQs AnsweredAlso See#google docs
Did You Know
The first Morse code transmission happened on May 24, 1844.
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![Google Apps In Mac Dock Google Apps In Mac Dock](/uploads/1/3/3/9/133933951/188689896.jpg)
Take a minute to look at the row of icons at the bottom of your display. That row is the Dock, and those individual pictures are known as icons.
Dock icons are a quick way to bring a hidden window or application to the front so that you can work with it again. Dock icons are odd ducks â theyâre activated with a single-click. Most icons are selected (highlighted) when you single click and opened when you double-click. So Dock icons are kind of like links on a Web page â you need only a single click to open them.
You can customize your Dock with favorite applications, a document you update daily, or maybe a folder containing your favorite recipes â use the Dock for anything you need quick access to. Hereâs how you can add an icon to the Dock or remove a Dock icon you no longer desire.
Adding an icon to the Dock
Adding an application, file, or folder to the Dock is as easy as 1-2-3. First, open a Finder window that contains an application, file, folder, URL, or disk icon that you use frequently. Then follow these steps to add it to the Dock:
1. Click the item you want to add to the Dock.
2. Drag the icon out of the Finder window and onto the Dock, as shown in Figure 1.
3. An icon for this item now appears on the Dock.
Folder, disk, and URL icons must be on the right of the divider line in the Dock; Application icons must be on the left of it.
Figure 1: Drag an icon onto the Dock to add it.
You can add several items at the same time to the Dock by selecting them all and dragging the group to the Dock. However, you can delete only one icon at a time from the Dock.
Removing an icon from the Dock
Add Google Apps To Mac Dock
To remove an item from the Dock, just drag its icon onto the Desktop. It disappears with a cool poof animation, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: To remove an icon, drag it off the Dock and POOF â itâs gone.
By moving an icon out of the Dock, you arenât moving, deleting, or copying the item itself â youâre just removing its icon from the Dock. The item is unchanged. Think of it like a library catalog card: Just because you remove the card from the card catalog doesnât mean that the book is gone from the library.
After you figure out which programs you use and donât use, itâs a good idea to relieve overcrowding by removing the ones you never (or rarely) use.
Knowing what to put in your Dock
Put things on the Dock that you need quick access to and that you use often, or add items that arenât quickly available from menus or the sidebar. If you like using the Dock better than the Finder window sidebar, for example, add your Documents, Movies, Pictures, Music, or even your hard disk to the Dock.
Consider adding these items to your Dock:
- A word-processing application: Most people use word-processing software more than any other application.
- A project folder: You know, the folder that contains all the documents for your thesis, or the biggest project you have at work, or your massive recipe collection . . . whatever. Add that folder to the Dock, and then you can access it much quicker than if you have to open several folders to find it.
Donât forget â if you
press
(click but donât let go) on a folder icon, a handy hierarchical menu of its contents appears.
Google Apps For Mac Os
- A special utility or application: You may want to add your favorite graphics application such as Photoshop, or the game you play every afternoon when you think the boss isnât watching.
- Your favorite URLs: Save links to sites that you visit every day â ones that you use in your job, your favorite Mac news sites, or your personalized page from an Internet service provider (ISP). Sure, you can make one of these pages your browserâs start page or bookmark it, but the Dock lets you add one or more additional URLs.
Hereâs how to quickly add a URL to the Dock. Open Safari and go to the page with a URL that you want to save on the Dock. Click and drag the small icon that you find at the left of the URL in the Address bar to the right side of the dividing line in the Dock (at the arrowâs head in Figure 3) and then release the mouse button. The icons in the Dock will slide over and make room for your URL. From now on, when you click the URL icon that you moved to your Dock, Safari opens to that page.
Figure 3: To save a URL to your Dock, drag its little icon from the Address bar to the right side of the Dock.
You can add several URL icons to the Dock, but bear in mind that the Dock and its icons shrink to accommodate added icons, thus making them harder to see. Perhaps the best idea â if you want easy access to several URLs â is to create a folder full of URLs and put that folder on the Dock. Then you can just press and hold your mouse pointer on the folder (or Control-click the folder) to pop up a menu with all your URLs.
Even though you can make the Dock smaller, youâre still limited to one row of icons. The smaller you make the Dock, the larger the crowd of icons you can amass. You have to determine for yourself whatâs best for you: having lots of icons available on the Dock (even though they may be difficult to see because theyâre so tiny) or having less clutter but fewer icons on your Dock.