"Power user" suggestions for Google Docs on Mac

Any tips on working with a lot of Google Docs on a Mac?

I’m collaboratively writing a book this week, and the process runs on Google Docs. Just wondering if anyone’s come across effective ways of managing and working with a variety of Google Docs easily, effectively, and efficiently.

The best set-up I seem to have found is Stack, a “smart browser for Internet multitaskers.” It helps to be able to instantiate the docs I’m working with in Stack, but they’re still confined to one window.

What I’d love is a way of opening and editing these Docs in their own windows, and managing them in Finder/Alfred/etc.—i.e., as if they’re files and I’m using Word or Pages. Otherwise I’m wasting so much energy and time trying to find the right doc.

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Hmm. If you use google drive, then you’ll see the file but it’s basically like a bookmark and would open up your browser to access the file. Maybe you could use google drive files offline

Ohh, what about using fluid?

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Can you clarify a bit more what the workflow issue is you are trying to solve?

If you want to easily categorize/label each document and be able to open each in its own window/space/monitor you can do that easily with this free menu bar app:

Separate question - I am intrigued by the “Book Sprints” concept. It looks like Covid convinced them to break from their former reluctance to allow virtual collaboration? Can you give us a rough idea of the economics of writing a book with them? How do you recruit the co-authors? Are you going to put this on Kindle or do print self-publishing?

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@thealbs File Stream might be the right solution, thanks. I had actually totally forgotten about Google’s terribly-named Backup and Sync, but I don’t think that could work in this situation as it doesn’t seem capable of downloading shared folders.

For others—or maybe even myself again—trying to do this in the future, I had to:

  • Set up Google Drive File Stream on my G Suite domain
  • Get the group to share the folder with that G Suite account
  • Install File Stream and get it synced
  • Add the new Google Drive directory to my Alfred search scope
  • Add every subdirectory I want to access to the Alfred Search Scope, as Google Drive File Stream does some weird stuff with file storage…
  • Trigger a Spotlight reindex

Assumedly, once reindexing is finished, I’ll be able to retrieve the files I’m working on via Alfred.

Alas, files still open in whatever browser is already open, so that is lamentable.

@r2d2 Thanks. I have tried single-site browsers to work with Google Drive, but it quickly just becomes a weird Chrome window. If I was only working with one doc, though, setting it up as a Coherence X app would have been my first choice.

@rkaplan EasyFinder looks neat, thanks. My main trouble is that we’re working with a couple dozen files, and having to find the Google Drive browser tab to browse through Drive’s web interface to open a given doc has just been frustrating. I also find it hard to differentiate between different docs that are already open, such that I suffer a huge amount of friction when switching between docs. Moreover, if you open a doc you’ve already got open somewhere, you end up with two tabs open with the same doc. Et cetera.

As for the Book Sprint folks: I am a “recruited co-author,” as you say, so I can only comment on that piece. And yes, this is a virtual run. The Book Sprints team is very talented, however, and it’s a great experience as a result. The book is being written with/for a bigger organization so I imagine they’ll be the “publisher” per se.


It might help if I were to use Chrome for this, instead of Safari… ;|

I also wonder if there’s a way to force .gdoc files to open in a new chromeless browser window whenever I open them, or something. Hm…

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Would an app such as Mountain Duck help you? You can mount Google Drives and Team Drives locally.


JJW

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I’ll check it out, thanks!

I know the mail app KIWI allows opening up of Google docs locally in their own window https://www.kiwiforgmail.com/

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I work a lot with Google Docs and Drive and I’ve tried all the options (Filestream, Backup & Sync and Web) and of all the workflows, I’ve found using the web interface is the best option.

I use Safari, as I need to work a lot on battery, and find the search is best on the Web interface for Drive (it is Google’s strongpoint!) and I found Filestream a bit buggy. For example, when right clicking files the menu didn’t always work and searching with Spotlight was not as seamless as with the Web interface. Switching from Finder to a web browser also felt clunky and made the workflow awkward (at least for me).

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I’m not the only one who does it? That makes YouTube feel like a native app.

Unfortunately, that feature will be removed in the near future.

Yes, download this extension.

I think that is the whole point.

Oh, you cant install the extension then. Oh well!

Keep using Safari. Do not give Google all of your data. :sweat_smile:

Well, they are a search engine after all. :wink:

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Yeah, I agree. To be clearer, though, I meant the single-site browser (SSB) becomes the same tabbed editing experience you get in your regular browser. I’d be nicer if e.g., opening a Docs file opened into a Google Docs app window or whatever, even if it was still technically just a browser window. Instead, though, the SSB just opens the tab, and I end up with the same hunt-and-peck document-finding experience I had without the SSB.

Thanks. Sadly, despite fiddling for a while and reindexing a few times, the files I need still aren’t showing in Spotlight or Alfred. I’ve also tried the various “Search Google Drive with Alfred” Alfred workflows, but it seems Google must have recently changed API access and now setting those up is a wild goose chase. (Apparently, you can use G Suite tools to create your own API keys, but right now Google’s servers seem to be failing—the login crashes after trying to hit “allow” on the workflows. ;|

Edit: hooray, the server issue has let up—I’m now using that above-linked Alfred workflow after following the instructions here to get it set up.


I am pleased to say, though, folks, that I have figured it out. Here’s how to have a great workfow/editing experience with Google Docs on macOS:

  • Open up Google Drive
  • Find the file(s) you want to work with and open them
  • Select all the text in those files
  • Open your favourite writing app
  • Paste the text
  • Edit away
  • When you’re done, copy the text in your editing app, and paste it back into the file it came from

:upside_down_face: :sob:

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Stupid question, I’m sure, but how does one run any of these as an app? I’ve installed Docs as a Chrome app but can’t find the preference anywhere, and all my search results are filled with details about how this feature is being retired, hah.

In chrome://apps, right click on the Google Docs icon and select the “open in new window” option or whatever it is called.

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Holy, is that ever hidden. I s’pose they don’t really want people to find it.

I was assuming it had to be launched from the doc itself. Thanks!

It should be bookmarked by default in Google Chrome, but I guess not. You could also create a shortcut for the Google Docs app and easily access it that way. I used to have it pinned on my dock.

Maybe use Google Chrome only for those apps/writing your book, I don’t know.

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I’ve been using CloudMounter. It’s on Setapp if you have a subscription.

@wweber - with cloudmounter, can you keep a local copy if you wanted? Also, would you be able to backup from the cloud storage to an external hard drive?

I have to admin, I haven’t tried either. You can choose your own cache folder and and set a lifetime on your cache files from 15 minutes to 12 hours. CloudMounter seems to work with the Synchronize function in Get Backup Pro, so if you have software that will let you sync folders, it might work.

A few months ago, I had no success getting access to content on Team/Shared drives with CloudMounter. Hence my switch to Mountain Duck.

I filed a notice and did get a reply that the access I wanted would be developed for a later release.


JJW

Same questions to you @DrJJWMac regarding Mountain Duck:

  1. Yes, you can keep a local copy. See here for details: https://trac.cyberduck.io/wiki/help/en/howto/mount/sync. I have not tested this. With some “cloud mounting apps”, I remember that I had issues with the sync not working properly to track locally-stored files versus their own copies of the cloud files versus what Google said in the Web app. I am on too much of mission-critical work right now and have purposely chosen not to keep local copies of the Google folders. I also have removed the Backup and Sync extension from Google and stay exclusively with Mountain Duck access or Web access (e.g. on my iPad).

  2. The Google Drive folder or Google Team/Shared Drive folder is mounted locally. You can backup that locally-mounted folder to an external hard drive.


JJW