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Search Like You Talk on Google Drive

Plus, Google added a few other "small but mighty" features in Docs to help you out.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Google is making it a lot easier to find things saved in Drive.

The cloud storage service now supports Natural Language Processing for search, which "is a fancy way of saying [you can now] 'search like you talk,'" Google Drive Product Manager Josh Smith wrote in a Tuesday blog post. So, when you're looking for a specific file in Drive on the Web, you can now, for instance, type things like "find my budget spreadsheet from last December," or "show me presentations from Anissa."

"Drive will understand what you mean," and use the keywords you type to find what you're looking for. This feature will get better the more you use it, so go ahead and give it a try next time you need to find something.

You don't have to worry about spelling everything perfectly, either. Drive now has a new autocorrect feature that suggests corrections to misspelled search terms — just like when you're searching the Web via Google. This new feature should "really help when your brain is moving faster than your fingers," Smith wrote.

Finally, Google has added a few other "small but mighty" features in Docs to help you out, including the ability to split your document into multiple columns. Just head over to the "Format" drop-down menu and choose "Columns" to take advantage of this new formatting option.

Finally, Docs should now play nicer with all types of file formats. Now, when you open, convert, and edit non-Google files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, the program will save a copy for you. That way, you'll be able to view or download the non-Google source file in its original format right from the document's Revision History on the Web.

These features are rolling out now, and should reach everyone at some point soon.

It comes after Google in December rolled out a "new search experience" for Drive. For instance, you can now narrow your search to a specific file type — like PDFs, text documents, spreadsheets, photos, presentations, or videos — right from the search box on iOS, Android, and the Web.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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