Zoom Docs Is Right here, Is It Any Good?

Not content material with internet hosting video conferences for up to a million people, Zoom has now rolled out its own version of Google Docs. So, in case you have been in search of one other technique to write your phrases down on digital paper inside an internet browser, Zoom has you coated (Proton recently launched one thing related, too).

Zoom touts the advantages of protecting all the things you do inside a single workspace: In response to its own research, it can save you your self a few hours every week by “limiting workflow distractions,” which we assume means switching between Zoom video calls and Google Docs in your browser.

Whereas there’s most likely not sufficient right here (but?) to get seasoned Google Drive customers to leap ship, you may discover Zoom Docs a extra handy different in case you already spend loads of time within the Zoom ecosystem. When you’re inquisitive about what the app gives, learn on for extra.

Fundamental Zoom Docs options

In case you have a free Zoom account, you should utilize the entire primary options inside Zoom Docs, however you’re restricted to sharing as much as 10 paperwork at anybody time—and for particular person customers, that’s most likely nice. When you’re on a paid plan, something from $14.99 monthly upwards, that sharing restrict goes away, and also you additionally get entry to the AI companion that’s accessible that can assist you along with your writing.

Load up the Zoom Docs interface in your browser, and also you’ll be proper at house in case you’ve used instruments like Notion earlier than. Every doc is a clean canvas for textual content and pictures; you can begin typing instantly. Numerous context menus and toolbars will observe you as you go. Spotlight textual content, and also you’ll see a formatting toolbar bounce into view.

Markdown is supported, as are tables, lists, code, footage, and different embeds. Normally, it’s all fairly slick: Paste in a YouTube video URL, for instance, and it’s playable proper contained in the doc (if you need it to be). On this and different methods, it’s extra like a weblog publish creator—whereas Google Docs is extra of a standard Phrase different.

As plain and minimalistic because the interface is, there are some helpful options right here in case you dig down deeper: You may get on the spot translations of textual content proper inside paperwork; for instance, you may roll again to earlier variations of a doc with a number of clicks, and there are primary spelling and grammar checks included too.

As for options that Google Docs has and Zoom Docs doesn’t have, for the time being, Zoom doesn’t have a phrase depend characteristic, which could be an issue for sure writers. You additionally miss out on instruments corresponding to doc comparisons, offline modifying, and voice typing. Extra typical options are additionally lacking, corresponding to help for a desk of contents and headers and footers.

The whole lot is immediately saved as you’re employed by way of your edits, and the principle listing of paperwork is simple and easy to make use of. Zoom Docs lets you arrange your personal templates or decide from a variety of prebuilt ones that can assist you get began extra rapidly, and there’s additionally the choice to import and convert Phrase information (although you may’t convert them within the different course).

Superior Zoom Docs options

We’ve already talked about the AI companion, and its options are nearly as good as you’ll count on. It’ll summarize textual content, rewrite it in a distinct tone for you, and even churn out some generic, synthetic textual content blocks primarily based on a immediate. That is all acquainted in case you’ve used instruments like OpenAI ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

As you’ll count on, there are some tight Zoom integrations right here. You can begin or schedule conferences from a doc, and within the different course, your video conferences might be summarized in textual content type by way of AI-powered transcription. It’ll additionally get you began with frameworks for reviews, agendas, and so forth.

You possibly can embed Zoom whiteboards straight into your paperwork, create paperwork from proper inside Zoom conferences, and have pretty refined tagging and notification options constructed proper in right here, too.

Collaboration is a key characteristic right here—this can be a Zoom product, in any case—and sharing paperwork, making revisions, leaving feedback, and all of the associated duties are properly dealt with by the software program. As much as 100 individuals can work on a single doc, and you’ll handle viewing and modifying permissions as wanted. On the identical time, it by no means feels cluttered or too busy.

As famous above, Zoom Docs is extra of a wiki editor than a doc editor in some ways, and the modular layouts you may put collectively offer you a number of room for flexibility—take a look at the included templates for some inspiration. Paperwork and pages might be linked collectively simply, and the interactive components you get with tables make the software program appropriate for mission planning and light-weight spreadsheet work, too.

Google Docs has been round for many years and gives extra options—particularly these associated to extra conventional phrase processor packages. However in case you use Zoom for lots of day-to-day work, then Zoom Docs is a slick and useful add-on that you just’ll most likely discover helpful, particularly in case you can benefit from its AI options.