To make a text box in Google Docs on a computer, go to Insert > Drawing > + New, click the Text box icon, drag a box, type your text, and click Save and close. It’s free and takes about 30 seconds. Docs has no separate text box button, so this Drawing menu is the official route.
Quick answer
- Computer (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox): Insert > Drawing > + New > Text box icon > drag > type > Save and close.
- iPhone, iPad, Android: The Docs app can’t create or edit drawings. Use a one-cell table instead: tap + > Table and set it to 1 row and 1 column.
- Why there’s no button: In Docs, a text box is a small drawing placed in your document, so it sits inside the Drawing tool.
- Cost: Free with any Google account. You don’t need an add-on.
Requirements
- A free Google account and a document you can edit. With view-only or comment-only access, the Insert menu won’t let you add a box.
- A desktop or laptop browser if you want a real, movable text box. The full Drawing tool is only on the web version.
- The Google Docs app for phones and tablets. It handles the table workaround and shows drawings that were made on a computer.
Step-by-step: how to insert a text box in Google Docs on a computer
- Click in the document where you want the box.
- Open Insert > Drawing > + New. A drawing canvas opens over your document.
- Click the Text box icon in the toolbar. It’s a square with a “T” inside.
- Drag on the checkered canvas to draw the box, then type.
- Use the toolbar to set the font, size, bold, alignment and colors. Click the three-dot More menu if you can’t see every option.
- Click Save and close in the top-right corner. The box now appears in your document.
To edit the box later, double-click it, or click it once and choose Edit. The drawing canvas opens again with your text still there.
The keyboard shortcut for a text box (there isn’t one)
Google Docs doesn’t have a dedicated text box shortcut. The quickest keyboard route is menu search. Press Alt + / on Windows or ChromeOS, or Option + / on a Mac, type “drawing,” and press Enter. That opens the same New drawing dialog without the mouse.
How to make a colored text box in Google Docs
Before you click Save and close, select the text box on the canvas and use these toolbar buttons:
- Fill color (paint bucket): sets the background. Pick a light tint so dark text stays readable.
- Border color (pencil): sets the outline. Choose Transparent to remove the border completely.
- Border weight and Border dash: set line thickness and solid, dotted or dashed style.
A useful starting point is 1–2 pt borders and pale fills. Heavy borders and saturated fills look fine on screen but tend to print muddy on office laser printers.
Moving the box and setting text wrap
When the drawing is first placed, it often sits In line with the text. That means it behaves like one large character and won’t drag where you want it. Click the box and choose a wrap option from the small toolbar that appears below it:
- Wrap text: body text flows around the box. This is good for sidebars and callouts.
- Break text: the box sits on its own line, with text above and below.
- In front of text / Behind text: the box floats freely. You need this for layering.
Once the box isn’t in line, drag it to move it and pull the blue corner handles to resize it. Under Image options > Position, you can also choose Fix position on page, so the box stays put when you edit the text above it.
How to insert a text box in Google Docs over an image
There are two reliable ways. Choose based on whether the image and text need to move together.
- Build both in one drawing (most stable): Insert > Drawing > + New, click the Image icon to add your photo, then add a text box on top of it and Save and close. The text and image move as one object, so nothing slides out of place later.
- Layer two objects: Set the image to Behind text, then set your text box drawing to In front of text and drag it over the image. This is faster for a quick label, but the pieces can drift apart when you edit the document.
How to make a text box in Google Docs on iPad, iPhone or Android
In the Docs app, you can’t create a drawing or edit the text inside one. A box made on a computer will still display on your phone, but you can’t change its text there. The practical fix is a one-cell table, which looks like a text box and edits fine on mobile:
- Open the document and tap the pencil icon to start editing.
- Tap + (Insert) at the top, then tap Table.
- Set it to 1 column and 1 row, then tap Insert table.
- Type inside the cell. Drag the cell’s edge to make it narrower if you want.
For a colored version, finish the table on a computer. Right-click the cell, choose Table properties, and set the Cell background color and border. The colors carry over to the app.
How to make a text box in Google Sheets
Sheets uses the same tool: Insert > Drawing > Text box icon > type > Save and close. The box floats above the cells, so you can drag it anywhere. To edit it, double-click it. To delete or reassign it, click the three-dot menu on the box. Like Docs, the Sheets mobile app can’t create drawings.
Text box alternatives compared
| Method | Editable on mobile | Floats freely | Spell check and Find | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing text box | No (view only) | Yes | No | Callouts, labels, text over images |
| One-cell table | Yes | No | Yes | Mobile editing, forms, shaded notes |
| Shape with text (in a drawing) | No | Yes | No | Arrows, circles, flowchart boxes |
| Google Slides design added as an image | No | Yes | No | Complex designed headers or graphics |
The trade-off that matters most: Docs’ spelling and grammar check and Ctrl+F don’t reach text inside a drawing. If the box holds anything long or important, such as a policy note or contact details, a one-cell table is often the safer choice.
Costs and timing
- Cost: $0. Every method here works with a free Google account, and paid Workspace plans have the same tools.
- Basic box: about 30 seconds on a computer.
- Styled box with color, borders and wrap: 2–3 minutes.
- Mobile table workaround: about a minute.
A note for Florida readers: teachers, PTAs and small businesses here often make hurricane-season checklists, school flyers and event handouts in Docs. If several people will update the document from their phones, use the one-cell table. A drawing box will stop them in the app.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
- Looking for a “Text box” item in the Insert menu. There isn’t one. Go to Insert > Drawing.
- Closing the drawing window without clicking Save and close. Your box disappears. Redo it and click the blue button.
- The box won’t move. It’s set to In line. Change the wrap to Wrap text or In front of text.
- The box shows up blank or cut off. The text box is bigger than its text, or the text overflows the box. Double-click to edit, then resize the box or crop the canvas to fit.
- Trying to edit a drawing in the mobile app. It can’t be done. Edit on a computer or switch to a table.
- Not checking the export. Floating boxes can shift in PDF or Word (.docx) exports. Check File > Download > PDF before you print or send the file.
For more plain-English tech explainers, browse our Technology section. If you’re decoding messages rather than documents, see what NGL means in texting and what DW means in texting. For another practical how-to, read our guide on using restaurant gift cards on DoorDash.
FAQs
Is there a text box option in Google Docs?
Not as a separate button. The text box is inside the Drawing tool: Insert > Drawing > + New, then click the Text box icon. When you’re done, click Save and close to place it in your document.
How do I make a text box in Google Docs on an iPad or iPhone?
The iOS app can’t create or edit drawings, so insert a one-cell table instead. Tap +, tap Table, set it to 1 row and 1 column, and type inside it. It looks like a text box and stays editable on any device.
How do I make a text box in the Google Docs app on Android?
Android has the same limit as iOS: you can view drawings but not create them. Tap + > Table, choose 1 row by 1 column, and type in the cell. Add a background color later from Table properties on a computer.
How do I put a text box over an image in Google Docs?
The most stable way is to put the image and the text box in the same drawing (Insert > Drawing > New, add the image, then add a text box on top). You can also set the image to Behind text and the text box to In front of text, then drag the box into place.
How do I remove the border from a text box in Google Docs?
Double-click the box to open the drawing, select the text box, click the Border color (pencil) icon and choose Transparent. Then click Save and close.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for inserting a text box in Google Docs?
There’s no dedicated shortcut. The fastest route is Alt + / on Windows or ChromeOS (Option + / on a Mac) to search the menus. Type ‘drawing’ and press Enter to open a new drawing.
