To highlight text in Google Docs, select the text, click the Highlight color button (a marker icon) in the toolbar, and pick a color. To remove a highlight, select the text, click the same button, and choose None. On the Google Docs app, select the text, tap the Format icon (the letter A), and tap Highlight color.
Below you’ll learn how to highlight with the keyboard, use custom colors, remove all highlighting at once, and find highlighted text.
How to highlight text on a computer
- Select the text you want to highlight.
- Click the Highlight color button in the toolbar. If you don’t see it, click the three-dot More button at the end of the toolbar.
- Choose a color.
For a custom color, click Custom (the plus sign) under the palette and enter a hex code.
How to highlight with the keyboard
Google Docs doesn’t have a default highlight shortcut. You can search the menus instead: press Alt + / (Option + / on Mac), type highlight, and choose Highlight color.
How to highlight in the Google Docs app
- Open the document and tap the pencil icon to edit.
- Select the text.
- Tap the Format icon (the letter A with lines).
- On the Text tab, tap Highlight color and choose a color.
How to remove highlighting
- From some text: Select it, click Highlight color, and choose None.
- From the whole document: Press Ctrl + A (Command + A on Mac), click Highlight color, and choose None. Format > Clear formatting also removes highlights, but it removes other formatting too.
Highlight vs. suggestions and comments
Highlighting is permanent formatting that everyone sees. If you’re reviewing someone else’s document, consider adding a comment (Ctrl + Alt + M) or using Suggesting mode instead, so the author can accept or dismiss your feedback.
Frequently asked questions
Can I highlight in a view-only document?
No. You need edit access. Make your own copy with File > Make a copy to mark it up.
Do highlights print?
Yes, if your printer prints colors. Light colors may be hard to see in black and white.
Can I search for highlighted text?
Google Docs doesn’t have a built-in search for highlight colors. Add-ons from the Google Workspace Marketplace can extract highlighted text.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.