How to Add a Checkbox in Google Docs on Mobile and Desktop

How to Add a Checkbox in Google Docs on Mobile and Desktop

Checklists are an effective way to keep track of things. They are mainly present in task management applications, but sometimes they are needed in other applications as well. Take the case of Google Docs. Many users also want to add checkboxes in Google Docs. But Docs does not provide proper checkboxes. So, what do we do? You can create checklists in Google Docs on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Mac as shown here with a simple trick.


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However, the checkboxes will not be functional or interactive. This means that you cannot check them off directly. You will need to take an extra step to complete them. Do not worry. Once you get the trick, creating checkboxes in Google Docs will be an easy game.

So let’s start with the PC, followed by the mobile.

Note: We have used checklists, checkboxes, and checkmarks interchangeably in the article.

How to insert checkboxes in Google Docs on PC

There are four methods for creating checklists in Google Docs from a computer.

Method 1: Create a checklist using bulleted lists

In this method, we will use different types of bulleted lists to create checklists. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Open the Google Docs document.

2nd step: Select the text for which you want to create checkboxes. Click the small down arrow next to the Bulleted List option on the toolbar. Choose the checkboxes from the list


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This is what your text will look like.


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Step 3: To check off individual items, left-click one of the checkboxes once. This will select all of the check boxes.


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Step 4: Click the checkbox again next to the item you want to cross out. You will notice that only this box will be selected.


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Step 5: Right click on the selected box and select the check mark icon in the pop-up window,


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Repeat steps 3 through 5 for all the items you want to complete.


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Point: Check out 3 ways to use Google Docs in dark mode on Chrome.

Method 2: use special characters

Another way to add checkboxes in Google Docs is to use special characters. This method may involve several steps compared to the previous one. If you don’t see the bulleted lists mentioned above, you can use this method.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: In the Google Docs document, place your cursor before the text to add a checkbox. Then go to Insert> Special characters.


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2nd step: A pop-up window to add special characters will open. Find square and click on the type of square you want to add to your text.


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This will add the box next to an item. To add the box to other items, you can repeat the above steps or copy and paste the box next to your list item.

Step 3: To complete a list item, select the box in front of the item and go to Insert> Special characters.


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Step 4: Look for a check mark. Several items will appear. Select your preferred check mark icon to replace the check box.


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Likewise, you can repeat the steps or copy and paste the check mark icon for other items.


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Pro tip: Check out 5 tips to make your process of adding special characters in Google Docs easier.

Method 3: Using the strikeout

With simple bulleted lists and strikethrough text formatting, you can create your to-do lists in Google Docs.

Select the text and click the bulleted list icon to add bulleted lists. You can use simple bullets or add boxes.


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To strike out an item, select its text and go to Format> Text> Strikethrough.


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Method 4: Using emojis

Finally, if you are a fan of emojis, you can take their help in creating custom checklists in Google Docs. In Windows, use the Windows + key. (dot symbol) and on Mac, press Ctrl + Command + Space to open the emoji panel.

Look for a check mark to find and add the check mark icon next to your list item. Likewise, you can choose another character for unfinished tasks such as square squares. You can even create color-coded lists by choosing a different style of emojis.


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Also on Guiding Tech

Try other apps

These are some of the methods to add checkboxes in Google Docs. Of course, they are not as simple as having a proper checklist feature to add or remove a task with one click. But if you want something like that, you should check out Google Keep or Google Tasks, Google’s note-taking and task management apps.

Then:

Have a problem with Google Docs settings? Find out how to reset various Google Docs settings to their default values ​​from the following link.

Last updated Sep 3, 2020

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