Adding checkboxes in Google Docs can be very useful for creating to-do lists, tracking tasks, taking attendance, and more. While Google Docs doesn’t have a built-in checkbox feature, there are a couple easy workarounds using the formatting options already available.
In this article, I’ll walk through the step-by-step instructions for adding checkboxes in Google Docs, both on desktop and mobile. Whether you need an interactive checklist for your team, students, or personal use, Google Docs has you covered.
Benefits of Using Checkboxes
Before jumping into the how-to steps, let’s look at some of the benefits of using checkboxes in Google Docs:
- Interactive to-do lists – Checkboxes allow you to check off items as you complete them, giving you a visual indicator of your progress.
- Task tracking – For projects or assignments with multiple steps, checkboxes make it easy to track what’s been completed.
- Taking attendance – Teachers can use checkboxes to track which students are present by checking off names.
- Surveys and forms – Checkboxes work well for multiple choice, yes/no, or agree/disagree type questions.
- Prioritization – Use checkboxes to indicate must-do’s versus nice-to-have tasks.
So whether you need an at-a-glance view of pending items or want to collect input, checkboxes can prove useful in Google Docs.
Adding Checkboxes on Desktop
The easiest way to add checkboxes in Google Docs on desktop is by applying bullet point formatting. Here are the steps:
- Open your document in Google Docs and type out the items you want converted to checkboxes. Each item should be on its own line.
- Highlight the entire list by clicking and dragging your cursor across it.
- Click the Bullets icon in the formatting toolbar.
- In the dropdown menu, select the checkbox icon (square box with a checkmark).
Your list items will now transform into clickable checkboxes!
Here’s an example checklist I created for a weekly meal prep routine:
Google Docs Checkbox Example
To remove a checkbox, simply highlight it and click the checkbox icon again to toggle it off.
Adding Checkboxes on Mobile
You can also add checkboxes when editing Google Docs on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. The steps are very similar:
- In the Google Docs app, type out your list items on separate lines.
- Tap and hold to highlight all the lines you want converted to checkboxes.
- Tap the bullet point icon in the formatting bar.
- Choose the checkbox icon option.
And that’s it! The mobile app doesn’t have quite as many formatting options as desktop, but checkboxes make the cut.
Customizing Checkbox Values
By default, checking a box will strike through the text and leave it as-is when unchecked. But you can also customize what value displays based on the checkbox state:
- Click Data > Data validation in the Google Docs menu bar.
- Next to “Criteria,” choose Checkbox from the dropdown menu.
- Enter your custom text under “Checked” and “Unchecked” values.
- Click Save.
For example, you could display “Yes” and “No” instead of checked and unchecked symbols.
Use Cases for Checkboxes
Now that you know how to add checkboxes in Google Docs, let’s look at some of the most common use cases:
To-Do Lists
Checkboxes are perfect for personal or shared to-do lists. Simply create a list of tasks and check them off as you go.
Project Trackers
For teams collaborating on large projects, a checkbox tracker lets everyone visualize status and next steps in real-time.
Student Attendance Logs
Teachers can track daily student attendance with a simple checkbox document, allowing for easy patterns analysis.
Event Registrations
Use checkboxes to track RSVPs and attendance for events, meetings, or conferences.
The options are endless! Checkboxes help organize information and track progress over time.
Conclusion
While native checkboxes would be a handy built-in feature, the formatting workarounds do the job in Google Docs. Bulleted lists open up a ton of checkbox possibilities for both productivity and collaboration.
I hope these simple steps for adding and customizing checkboxes help you become a Google Docs power user! Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips or tricks for checkboxes in Docs.