Google Docs is the go-to choice for many users for editing documents that are supported by the platform. It is a great software that can be used to collaborate with other users and the best part of all is that it is completely free to use for users with a (free) Google account.
While editing a document on Google Docs you might want to make certain words or numbers stand out in your document and there are several ways to go about this.
Many users may opt to either make the words bold, italic, or in some cases, change the color or increase the font size to make it stand out in their document while others just prefer to do it the old-fashioned way – put a circle around the words or numbers in question!
If you’re searching for a way to circle something on Google Docs then you’re on the right page. In this article, you will learn how to easily circle words or numbers in Google Docs in a few easy steps.
Quick Answer
To put a circle around a text on Google Docs, follow these steps:
- Go to the Google Docs menu bar.
- Select Insert > Drawing > New.
- Click on the Shapes icon.
- Choose Shapes then select the Oval shape.
- Draw the circle in the space given space.
- Set the fill color to Transparent then outline to any color of choice.
- Click “Save & Close”.
- Set the text wrapping of your circle to “In front of text”.
- Move the circle to your desired area.
How To Circle Something On Google Docs (Step By Step Guide)
To circle something on Google Docs, you have to first make a circle using the Google Docs drawing tool. When making the circle, ensure you set the fill color to “Transparent” and the outline color to a stand-out color that will also match your document.
After creating a circle using the Google Docs shapes tool and inserting it into your document, you will have to change the text wrapping setting of the circle to wrap in front of texts and then move the circle to your desired location in front of the text you want to encircle.
Below is a step-by-step guide showing how you can circle something in Google Docs easily.
First, navigate to the Google Docs drawing tool to get the circle shape. To get to the Google Docs drawing tool on your document, go to the menu bar and select Insert > Drawing > New to create a new drawing.
Step 2: Click on the “Shape” icon and select the Oval shape.
On the Google Docs drawing tool, click on the Shape icon then select “Shapes” and choose the Oval shape as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 3: Draw a circle on the canvas and adjust the size according to your needs.
After selecting the Oval shape from the list of shapes available on the Google Docs drawing tool, draw the shape on the given canvas.
Step 4: Adjust the fill and outline color of the circle.
Next, you will need to set the outline and fill color of the circle depending on your preference. We generally recommend setting the fill color of the circle to transparent and the outline color to a solid color that matches the existing colors on your document.
To set the fill color to transparent, select the circle on the canvas then click on the Fill color icon in the toolbar and select the “Transparent” option.
For the outline color, simply click on the Border color icon then select any color of your choice to set as the border/outline color of the shape.
You can also adjust the Border weight of the circle if you want the outline to look bolder. To do that, simply click on the Border weight icon then select the correct weight depending on your preferences. We recommend keeping it between 3px and 8px.
Step 5: Save the circle and close the Docs drawing tool.
After setting the outline and fill colors, click on “Save & Close” to save the circle and close the Google Docs drawing tool.
Step 5: Adjust the text wrapping of the circle to make it fit in front of the text.
Now that the circle must have been inserted into your document, click on the circle then select the “In front of text” icon as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 6: Move the circle over your desired texts/numbers in your document.
After changing the text wrapping setting of the circle to “In front of text” you should now see the circle in front of the text on the page.
Now simply adjust the circle to your desired size and move it over the text you want to encircle as shown in the screenshot below.
And that’s how you can circle something on Google Docs easily.
Note: If you want to change the color or thickness of the border/outline of the circle even after moving it over the text you want to encircle, simply click on the circle and select “Edit” then adjust the appearance of the circle then click “Save & Close” to save the changes.
Can I Circle Something On The Google Docs App?
Above, we outlined the steps involved in circling something on the Google Docs web app but if you use the Google Docs app on your mobile device, you may be wondering – can I circle something on the Google Docs app?
Well, sadly is it not (yet) possible to circle something be it text, numbers, groups of words, and more on the Google Docs mobile app and this is because the Docs drawing tool is not available on the Docs mobile app.
If you want to circle something on your document on Google Docs on your mobile device be it an Android, iPhone, or iPad, then we recommend visiting the web version of Google Docs in “desktop mode” on your web browser – preferably Google Chrome – since you can only add shapes on the web (desktop) version of Google Docs.
Wrapping Up
There are quite several methods one can use to highlight text, groups of text/words, and numbers while editing documents some of which are bold, italics, underlining, changing font size/color, and more.
If you’re like me who is a little bit old school, simply encircling the text will do the trick perfectly, and on Google Docs, circling something on your document is quite an easy process.
To put a circle over something on Google Docs, all you have to do is open Google Docs and create a circle then adjust the appearance to your taste. We recommend setting the fill color to transparent and the border color to a solid eye-catching color (eg. red).
After creating your circle, insert it into your document then change the text wrapping setting to make the circle appear in front of the text, then adjust the circle to your desired size, and place it over the word(s) you want to encircle. It’s as easy as that!
And that will be for this article. If you were searching for a way to put a circle over something on your document in Google Docs, we hope you found this article helpful.
