Mostly everyone in the world uses Google Docs, be you a student, a professional, or even a business owner. And we know why. You can use it to create, edit, and share documents. Moreover, you can save these documents in the cloud and access them anytime-anywhere. Since people use it almost every day, you sometimes find pages in a Doc file that you don't want. While some are just blank, some do contain half-written content.
In such a case, it's important to delete those pages in Google Docs, but how? Before answering the question, you should know that there are many reasons for removing pages from your document. Maybe you have pressed the "Ctrl + Enter" shortcut by mistake, and as a result, a blank sheet is added to your document. So, you need to delete it. Moreover, you may just want to delete a specific section of your Doc file.
If you are wondering how to delete blank pages in Docs, you’re in the right place. In this article, we will show you some of the easy ways to remove blank pages in Docs from computers as well as mobile devices!
Índice de Contenidos
How To Delete A Blank Page In Google Docs Step-By-Step
Although it's pretty simple, not everyone knows how to delete blank pages in Docs. The good thing is there are various ways of doing this so that you can decide which one to use.
One of the fastest and simplest ways to delete blank pages in Docs is by using either the delete key or the backspace button. Due to its simplicity, most individuals use this method. All you need to do is select the pages you want to remove and press the Delete key.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to remove blank pages using the Backspace or Delete key:
- Open the file on Google Docs which contains the blank sheet you want to delete.
- Go to the blank page.
- Place your cursor at the top of the sheet.
- Click and hold your mouse button. Then, drag the cursor down through the entire content of the page you want to remove. If your sheet is empty, you have to drag through the blank space.
- Finally, press the delete or backspace button on your keyboard. You can repeat these steps to remove multiple pages if needed.
That's it! The selected sheet, whether it's empty or not, will be removed from your document.
However, when you scroll down the sheet with your cursor, it's simple to get carried away. So, make sure you don't end up deleting a sheet you need.
Method 2: Adjust The Page Breaks
Although page breaks were introduced to enhance the formatting of your Docs, they can quickly become annoying if an unwanted page break creates a blank page on which you can't type or add anything.
Moreover, when multiple page breaks are added, it can accumulate lots of space, which results in creating empty pages in Docs. Luckily, there is a simple way to adjust the page breaks in your Google documents and, as a result, ultimately delete a blank sheet.
The steps to adjust page breaks are as follows:
- Open your Google Doc and access the "View" option at the top of the Google Docs interface.
- Select the "Show Print Layout" option under the "View" menu and uncheck it.
- Once you disable the option, you will see a lot of different page breaks in your document represented as gray lines.
- Click on one of these page breaks, and then press the "Backspace" key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can right-click on the page break and choose "Delete", or use the shortcut "Fn + Backspace" if available on your keyboard.
As you delete the page break, your unwanted blank sheet will be removed from your Doc. You can easily confirm this with the print layout view option.
Method 3: Adjust The Page Margins
Apart from the other two methods, there's another way to delete blank pages in Docs. This is a more in-depth method and works best when you have some text lines on the last sheet of your document, and you don't want to add another sheet. It deletes a sheet in Docs while preserving the formatting.
The steps you need to follow are as follows:
- Tap on the "File" tab located in the top menu bar of your Docs document. Among the options presented, select "Page setup." Then, a pop-up box labeled "Page setup" will appear on the screen.
- In the "Page setup" pop-up box, you will find various formatting options such as page size, page orientation, margins, and page color.
- To delete a sheet without affecting the overall Google document layout, focus solely on the left, top, bottom, and right margins.
It's important to note that when adjusting the document margins, maintain symmetry by changing the right and left margins equally to prevent text from becoming off-center.
Moreover, you can use the blue arrows located beneath the toolbar to fine-tune the margins. By shifting the indent left or right on the respective side, you can effectively remove the unwanted last sheet while maintaining your document's content intact.
What You Need To Know About Deleting A Blank Page In Google Docs
When deleting a blank sheet in Docs, it's important to keep a few considerations in mind so that you can get a more accurate and professional result. To ensure that the process of deleting pages in Google Docs is smooth and correct, we recommend you take these things into consideration:
- Of course, you need to make sure that the blank sheet you want to delete is actually empty. Yes, it sometimes happens. A page may appear blank when it's not because it contains hidden text or formatting. You can check for hidden text by clicking Ctrl + Shift + 8 on Windows (or ⌘ + 8 on a Mac). It will show all hidden text and formatting marks.
- If you accidentally delete something you didn't want to, you can always revert your action. You can use the "Undo" shortcut (Command + Z or Ctrl + Z).
- Once you are done deleting all the blank pages in your Google document, make sure to scroll through the Doc file completely. This will ensure that your deletion hasn't affected the overall formatting of your file's content.
- Moreover, it's always a good idea to make a copy of your Google Doc file before deleting its blank pages, just in case!
Delete A Blank Page In Google Docs On A Smartphone Or Tablet
Even though the mobile app of Docs doesn't have as many options and functionalities as its desktop version, it still can help you to delete a blank sheet. So, let's see how you can remove unwanted pages from Docs on your Android and iOS devices.
Android
Mostly, every Google Suite application comes with an Android version, and Google Docs is one of them. The best thing here is that you can delete a blank page in Google Docs using an Android device, using not only one but two methods.
A. Here's how to remove blank pages using the simple delete option:
- Open your Docs Android app and search for the document from which you want to remove a blank page.
- Select the pages (text and image) you need to delete.
- Click on the "Delete" or "Backspace" button on your Android keyboard. All your highlighted pages will be deleted immediately.
B. Alternatively, you can adjust the page size to easily remove excess pages from your Google Doc file. Here’s how:
- Open the Docs app and click on the "Settings" option at the top right corner of your screen.
- A new menu will appear. Scroll down to find the Page Setup option and select it.
- Then click on "Page Size" and select the option you like.
- Google Docs will automatically save your file in a new size, with removed extra pages.
iPhone (iOS) Or iPad
No matter if you have an iPhone or an iPad, you can easily get the Google Docs app from the Apple App Store and delete pages with just a few steps. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Open the Google Docs app on your iPhone or iPad and find the document you want to edit.
- Touch the start of the section you want to delete, then slide your finger down the screen to the end of the section you want to remove.
- Click on the "Delete" or "Backspace" button on your iPhone.
Besides that, you can also adjust the page size to remove extra pages. Here's how:
- Open the document and click the three horizontal lines at the top-right of your iPhone or iPad.
- Click on the "Paper Size" option under the "Page Setup" tab.
- Adjust the page margins by selecting the "Wide," "Default," "Custom," or "Narrow" option.
- Once you have selected the option, click on the "Apply" option.
That's it! After adjusting the margins, the extra pages in your document will be deleted. It's that simple to manage your documents on your iPhone or iPad using the Google Docs app.