Google Docs Is Getting A New Formatting Feature For Convenient Multi-Text Editing

Google Docs is getting a nifty feature that could reduce the chore of properly formatting your document. Compared to highlighting a text which limits you to one blue block of characters, you'll get the ability to select multiple passages of text at once. 

For instance, if you have two sentences separated by a heading or want to apply a matching effect to different words scattered from each other in a paragraph, you can now do so by merely highlighting the separated text all at once, and then apply your changes.

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The shortcut for selecting multiple text sections is quite simple, if not familiar: select the first bit of text as you would normally, then press either the Command (⌘) or Control key, depending on whether you're using a Mac or Windows device. While still holding it down, select the other bits of text you want. After you've got every text selected, you can let go and change whatever formatting aspects you want using the toolbar.

It may be a tiny change by default, but the feature will likely shine the most when you're editing several segments of text or words and sentences that are pages apart. The feature will definitely make editing across text blocks much easier as opposed to repeating the same sequence of clicks for, let's say, italicizing missed terms or matching headers when you're at the designing stage of your task.

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However, you could still find yourself clicking more depending on the number of text fragments you're trying to change. The feature can also be useful for cutting off several paragraphs, shifting them around, or deciding to add a comment that's pertinent for multiple sentences. 

There are some situations where multi-select is the best option. If you want to change every header in your document like its style, you can automatically format all headers. Format one model header, proceed to the toolbar's style section, hover down the header options, then click "Update [style] to match."

Since some desktop word apps don't seem to have this feature, Google Docs' multi-select can be a convenient alternative option. In an announcement post, Google says the feature will gradually apply to everybody's accounts over the next 15 days, so it's only a matter of time before you can start your selecting spree.