Google Docs Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

After signing in to a Google account, you can start creating, editing, or sharing documents on Google Docs straight away. However, there are times when the texts start glitching, you can’t edit the document or see an error message like “Something is wrong.”

Since Google Docs is an online editor, the most common reason behind the issue nis a poor internet connection. After that, browser-related issues are the major ones.

While sometimes it’s a minor glitch and gets resolved on its own. But, unless you reload the page you won’t notice any change and remain with the same error message. So, it’s worth reloading your browser and restarting the browser or the system also works.

Check if Google Docs is Down

While it’s rare but still possible that Google Docs services are down and inoperational at the moment. For this, you can check Google’s official site to check if Google Docs services in particular are running or not. See if it has the green tick sign.

Check the Network Connection

If you cannot type anything into Google Docs, and see an error message such as “Trying to connect”, it’s a clear sign that you aren’t connected to the Internet. Likewise, in some cases, the internet is working too slowly. 

To resolve such issues, make sure you connect to a proper Internet connection. And consider connecting your device with an ethernet cable if your Wi-Fi signal is poor.

Sign In and Sign Out

If you aren’t able to open or edit documents on Google Docs, it might be an authentication issue with Google. In this case, you can consider temporarily signing out and signing in back again to resolve such an issue. Or, you can also try switching to another Google account and check if Google Docs is working.

Disable Browser Extensions

If you have installed browser extensions, one of them could be interfering with Google Docs and cause issues. Many Docs users have found Google Docs working normally after disabling Adblockers. So, consider starting from such extensions and if it doesn’t work, you can try disabling other extensions too.

Alternatively, you can also use the Incognito mode where all the extensions are disabled by default.

On Chrome

1. Launch Chrome, click the three-dots icon, and select Settings.
   
2. Click Extensions from the sidebar.
3. Toggle off the button next to the extension you want to disable.
   
4. Relaunch the Chrome app.

On Firefox

1. Click the hamburger icon in the top right corner and select Add-ons and themes.
   
2. Select the Extensions tab from the sidebar.
3. On the right pane, click to toggle off the extensions.
   
4. Restart Firefox.

On Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Extension icon in the top right corner and select Manage extensions.
   
3. Toggle off the button next to the extension you want to disable.
   

Clear the Browser Cache

A common reason why Google Docs isn’t working is the browser cache. While cache helps to load sites you visit frequently, they are susceptible to corruption as they accumulate over time. Thus, try clearing out the cache to fix issues with Google Docs. 

Clearing cookies and cache can log you out of sites. So, it’s better to save your work and then continue with the steps below.

On Chrome

1. Open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
2. Then, under the Basic tab, select all the options. If you want to keep your history, uncheck the Browsing history option.
   
3. Under the Advanced tab, check Hosted app data.
   
4. Click Clear data.

On Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
3. Under the Clear Recent History window, select the Cache and Cookies option.
   
4. Open Google Docs and see if it’s working without glitches.

On Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner. Then, select Settings.
   
2. Choose Privacy, search and services from the sidebar.
3. On the right pane, scroll to the Clear browsing data section and click the Choose what to clear button.
   
4. Next, choose the Cached images and files. Also, select Cookies and other site data.
   
5. Click Clear now.
6. Restart the browser.

Update Your Browser

If it’s been a while since you updated the browser, it’s likely causing issues in Google Docs also. So, install the latest browser updates to fix such issues.

On Chrome

1. Launch the Chrome app.
2. Click the three dots icon in the top right corner and select Help > About Google Chrome.
   
3. Wait for the browser to download and install the latest updates automatically.
   
4. When done, click Relaunch Chrome.
5. See if it’s working now.

On Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click the hamburger menu at the top right corner and select Help > About Firefox.
   
3. Download and install the latest updates.
4. Open Google Docs and see if it’s working as expected.

On Microsoft Edge

1. Click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner.
2. Select Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.
   
3. Download and install the latest updates.
4. Restart Edge and see if Google Docs starts working as expected.

In case, updating the browser doesn’t work, switch to a different browser and see if you can use Google Docs there.