Google Docs Can Now Put Images In Front Of Or Behind Words

Google created its Workspace suite, sometimes collectively known as "Google Docs", to take on Microsoft Office by bringing productivity to the cloud. There was a time when the market seemed to be on a verge of an office suite war and while things have settled down, no clear winner has emerged yet. Google Docs and friends have definitely come a long way but a new feature that was announced is setting the Internet ablaze but not in a flattering way for Google Workspace.

The idea behind Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides is for these to become stand-ins for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, respectively. The key difference, however, would be that Google's suite would be powered by and stored in the cloud, freeing users to access their files from any device that has a web browser and Internet access. To be able to be that replacement, the web apps needed to be on par with the features that their Microsoft counterparts offered.

In practice, that was not exactly the case. While Google Docs served well as an ad hoc word processor for basic needs, some of the more advanced features that made Word the go-to solution haven't made it there yet. Case in point is the new feature that Google is boasting about in Google Docs. Users will finally be able to put images in front of or behind text, allowing those images to serve as background for textual content.

What netizens found amusing is that this feature has long been a staple of word processors, particularly Microsoft Word, for decades. Coincidentally, this also means that Google Docs is gaining compatibility with Microsoft Word documents that make use of that feature.

The update is open to all Google Docs users, both Workspace customers as well as those with personal Google accounts. Google says it might take more than 15 days for the feature to become visible for everyone, but when it does, it will be found in the Text wrapping section of Google Docs's Image Options.