How to change the page orientation in Google Docs on desktop or mobile

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You can change the page orientation in Google Docs to portrait or landscape, depending on your document needs.
To change the page orientation in Google Docs using a web browser, you can find the page setup control in the File menu on the top toolbar.
On the Google Docs mobile app, you can change the page setup through the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen.
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Most of the documents we create every day are in portrait orientation — a standard 8.5 x 11 inches.

But occasionally you may need to create a landscape-oriented document, perhaps to create a wider table, or to print a horizontal sign.

You can do this by changing the page orientation in Google Docs with just a couple of clicks.

Here's how to change the orientation of an entire document in Google Docs.

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How to change the page orientation in Google Docs on desktop

1. Open a document in Google Docs using a web browser.

2. Click "File," and then click "Page setup" in the menu.

3. In the Page setup dialog box, choose the orientation you want to use: Portrait or Landscape.

4. When you're done, click "OK."

If you want to change the default orientation of documents — for example, most of the documents you create happen to be in landscape mode and you would prefer all blank documents automatically opened that way — click "Set as default" before you leave the Page setup dialog box.

How to change the page orientation in Google Docs on mobile

If you're trying to change the page orientation in the Google Docs app on your iPhone or Android phone, the process is slightly different.

1. Open a document in the Google Docs mobile app.

2. Tap the three dots at the top right of the screen.

3. In the side menu, choose "Page setup."

4. Tap "Orientation."

5. Choose the orientation you want to use and then tap the arrow at the top left to return to the document.

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Dave Johnson Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.