15 Helpful Google Products And Services You Never Knew Existed

Most of us have heard of Google’s well-publicised moonshots: Self-driving cars, smart contact lenses, internet-beaming balloons, and more.
While those products and services sound amazing, most of us can’t use them just yet. But the company actually has a bunch of other ones that are incredibly useful that you might not even know existed. For example: Did you know Google has a massive free library of fonts?

Here are some of the under-the-radar services Google offers.

  1. Google Keep is a killer notes and reminder app that works across both desktops and smartphones.
  2. You can set a timer on Google (and get an alarm to sound when time is up) by Googling any amount of time followed by ‘timer’ in the search bar.
  3. Google.com/sky lets you explore the far reaches of the universe using images from NASA satellite, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the Hubble Telescope.
  4. Google Books nGram Viewer is a fun tool that lets you search for words in 5.2 million books published between 1500 and 2008 so you can see how they have been used and changed over time.
  5. Intimidated by huge numbers? Google will help you figure out how to pronounce that 12-string behemoth if you type ‘=english’ after it in the search bar.
  6. There’s a ‘Manual’ feature in Google Translate that lets you draw characters or symbols.
  7. Similarly, Google Input Tools lets you type in over 80 different languages without having to download a special keyboard.
  8. Find a gorgeous font that you can use for free (fonts.google.com).
  9. Get your culture on by using Google Arts & Culture to check out super high-res photos of artwork from the world’s greatest museums. Or, use the Google Art Project Chrome extension to see a new piece of art every time you open a new tab.
  10. Think with Google is a ‘digital cheat sheet’ for marketers where it uses its data to glean what’s on deck for the industry.
  11. Want to get a pulse on what people care about at any given moment? Google Trends shows the most searched terms every day.
  12. You can even plot how different search terms have waxed or waned over time.
  13. The Google Sound Search widget works like Shazam to help you identify songs you hear. It will also link you to buy each track in the Google Play Store.
  14. Google has a catalogue of animal noises that you can easily find by typing in ‘animal sounds’ or by typing in the name of a specific animal. Hot tip: Whip this one out while babysitting and it will keep kids entertained for a long time.
  15. Gboard is an app for iPhone and Android that enables Google search right in your keyboard, eliminating the need to hop back and forth between apps.
  16. If you can’t decide between causes to donate to, or have trouble finding a reputable charity, Google’s One Today app makes it easy. The app shows different charities, gives a short description, and lets you know how you can help.

This story originally appeared on Business Insider.


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