iPad Google Drive app editor doesn't have wordcount?

Key idea: don't use the app, use the browser desktop version -- there's a word counter there!

Right. I've been using my iPad, and really like the Google Drive app. But the editor does have its limitations. And with Nanowrimo keeping me focused on wordcount, wordcount, words... Not being able to get a wordcount bugged me. Poked at various lists, help pages, and so on -- nope, no wordcount in the app. Then somewhere I saw a mention of using the good old google drive in the browser, with all the tools there...

So I tried it. And...

Aha! That belongs in the tricks for google drive on the iPad. Instead of just griping about not having word count in the iPad Drive editor, click done. Now go over to safari (the browser) and open a tab. Go to google drive in the browser (either throu google.com, or via drive.google.com, or whatever. If you like, try drive.google.com/?overridemobile=true and it should do it direct, but...) Find your file -- you may need to login. Open it for editing. Look in the upper right -- there's a button that brings up something like print and "use desktop version." Click for the desktop version. Now click the tools, and in the drop down menu, click wordcount!

It is actually easier than explaining it -- basically just open the file using the browser google drive interface, set it to desktop version, and bam! There are all the tools we love. So we can keep griping at Google -- they really should put it in the application, too. Maybe an extra display in the information pane abut the file? But in the meantime, we can work around the shortfall. Just use the browser version instead.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPad.