The MISSING MANUAL

Secret instructions for the Google tools you’ll never stop using –

& CLE AR p50

Once upon a time Google was happy to be nothing more than a search tool, but how times have changed. These days, Google’s got a tool for just about everything – from generating passwords to accessing your PC from the other side of the world. And there’s no sign that Google will stop churning out new tools any time soon.

One of this year’s best new tools is Google Assistant. You might have thought it was only available on Google’s expensive Pixel phone, but you’d be wrong. We’ll show you how anyone can take advantage of it.

Then there are innovations that have slipped in under the radar, but have nonetheless improved some of Google’s most popular tools. We’ve been very impressed by the new Personal tab in Google Search, for example. You’d be forgiven for not noticing it though, as Google hasn’t exactly gone out of its way to promote it, so we’ll be telling you all you need to know right here.

And what about Google’s mobile apps? We’ve got those covered too. Not just app versions of its web tools such as Google Maps, but apps designed especially for your mobile devices – like the video- calling app Duo and scanning tool Photoscan. We’ll also be shedding light on some of Google’s hidden gems, from free fonts to its anti-theft phonetracking software.

If an app has paid-for elements, such as extra storage in Google Drive, we’ll make sure you know all about them. If an app has a brilliant, little-known feature that we think you might be missing out on (like Google Earth’s I’m Feeling Lucky button), we’ll bring it to your attention. And if Google has tools that are even better than what came before (such as Inbox, its advanced alternative to Gmail), we’ll let you know.