How to Use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on a Chromebook

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are free programs that come with any Google account. Google Docs works like Microsoft Word for writing letters and documents. Google Sheets works like Microsoft Excel for making lists and doing basic math in rows and columns. Google Slides works like Microsoft PowerPoint for creating presentations. All three run directly in the Chrome browser on your Chromebook — no installation needed.

One of the biggest advantages is that your work saves automatically every few seconds to Google Drive (Google's online storage). You can start a document on your Chromebook and then open it later on a phone or a different computer just by logging into your Google account. You can also share a document with family members so you can both read or edit it at the same time.

If someone sends you a Microsoft Word (.docx) file, you can open it in Google Docs and even save it back as a Word file when you are done.