Here are all the Ways you can Add Superscripts in Google Docs! (PC and Mobile)

Google Docs is a platform used for writing many different sorts of documents, papers, and posts. You can sync your Google Docs application with all your Android or Apple devices through your Google account. This helps to access the document easily, even on the go! Since multiple types of devices can open the same document, it offers the same tools but different ways to access them.

It is not difficult to access these tools but to know the shortcut keys only makes things easier for us. Very often, students and professionals using Google Docs to work on their documents have to include in their texts certain symbols and formatting options. Formatting is the part where writers, researchers, or students can get a little creative and a little personal with their texts. One of the tools that we can use to improve our documents is the much-used superscript in Google Docs.

While writing mathematical and chemical formulae to equations, there is a hefty need for superscripts characters. Here is a guide to everything you need to know, about superscripts and how to use them in Google Docs.

What is Superscript in Google Docs?

Chemical or mathematical formulae often require the use of superscripts. These are characters, numbers, or symbols present at the top left corner of an alphabet or number. (While subscripts are the opposite of superscripts and are present below the character at the bottom-right corner).

For example, in the equation e=mc2(exponent), the number “2” is the superscript.

When do we Access Superscript in Google Docs?

As mentioned, professors, students, and other professionals alike require the subscript feature especially whilst writing technical information such as mathematical functions, chemical compounds, and chemical formulas. Thus, we can say that superscripts are seen in more scientific writings used by professionals. The superscript in Google Docs may also be used for representation purposes i.e. for abbreviations and symbols.

These special characters are usually added to represent footnotes, page numbers, trademark markings, or copyright symbols. Superscripts can be a combination of different or a single character, depending on content. This article presents a guide on how to access the feature of superscript in Google Docs for different devices.

How to Add Superscript in Google Docs on Desktop?

Let us first begin by accessing superscript in Google Docs when using a PC. This feature works in similar ways whether you are using a Mac or a Windows PC. There are multiple ways through which we can access this tool. We will discuss each method one by one.

1. Using Special Characters Library

The first and the easiest way to add a superscript character to your text in Google Docs is by using the special characters library. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open the Google Docs platform.
• Click on Insert in the menu bar.

• Go to Special characters.

• This will open up a new window titled as Insert special characters with a list of different symbols and characters.

• Type Superscript in the search box.

• Select the character to be added to your Google Doc text in superscript. In this case, this will be “2”.

2. From the “Format” Button

Very often the type of information being written on Google Docs is highly professional and complex. This means there is the use of certain characters or symbols a common man may not be familiar with. It is possible that these characters are not found in the list of sub and superscript characters in the Google Docs Special Characters Menu. However, you can add your custom superscripts and subscripts characters.

Here is how:

• First, make sure you know where the superscripted text is going to be displayed. For example, here, we wish to superscript the number “2”.
• Before typing out the number, go to the Format menu in the toolbar.

• Click on Text from the drop-down menu.
• From the sidebar select Subscript or Superscript, according to your requirement. Here, the requirement is Superscript.

• Once selected, enter whatever character you wish to superscript.

• Another easy way would be to first highlight the text (in this case 2) and then access the superscript in Google Docs tool.
• For characters not readily available on the keyboard or even in the characters directory of Google Docs, a trick would be to look up this symbol online and copy it from there to paste onto your Google Document. You may then superscript this copy-pasted text.

3. Keyboard Shortcuts For Superscript Characters

To make matters more convenient, you can use the set keyboard shortcuts for the purpose of sub or superscripts. Here is how:

For Windows Users:

• Select the text you wish to superscript i.e. “2” in this case.
• Click the “CTRL” and “.” buttons on the keyboard, your text will be superscripted.

For Mac Users:

• Select the text you wish to superscript i.e. “2” in this case.
• Click the “command” and “.” buttons on the keyboard, your text will be superscripted.

4. Using Unicode

You can add superscripts to your text in Google Docs using Unicode as well. This works in a similar way to emojis, however, they are in the form of text. Here is a simple guideline on how to use Unicode:

• In the Google search box, type “superscript/subscript (Your desired character) Unicode”.
• You can also use websites for copying Unicodes for super and subscripts such as Compart.com.
• Another source for Unicode is a generator launched by LingoJam. To use this superscript or subscript generator all you need to do is to add that character in the text box for it to generate a Unicode.
• You can then copy-paste this superscripted or subscripted text onto your Google Docs text.

How to Add Superscript in Google Docs on Mobile?

It is difficult to carry a PC or a Macbook with you at all times. However, the need to access Google Docs can arise anywhere any time. Therefore, it is best to have know-how about the phone applications as well.

Using the tool of superscript in Google Docs when on your phone is pretty much the same as doing it on your PC. All the steps are the same except a couple. This method is almost the same for Android and Apple phones since the Google Docs application is fairly similar on both operating systems.

Follow these simple steps to superscript your text on a mobile:

• Open the Google Document application on your phone.
• Select the text to be superscripted.

• Click on the letter “A” (in the case of Android phone) on the top of the screen or the pencil icon (in the case of Apple phone) on the bottom-right. This will open up a series of formatting options below.
• Select the superscript icon as indicated here.

• And done! Your highlighted text is now superscripted.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

Q. How can I fix the superscript in Google Docs not working?

You can try a number of different ways to solve the superscript in Google Docs not working error.

• Disable Extensions:

We sometimes add browser extensions to our browser without giving it a second glance and these extensions sometimes make changes to our computer. This includes blocking superscripts in Google Docs especially if you are using dedicated keyboard shortcuts. Try disabling your extensions to see if it solves the problem.

For example, Ad Blockers have the commands ‘CTRL’ and “.” for start and stop and if you are using these dedicated keyboard shortcuts for enabling superscripts in google docs, it might not work.

• Update your browser version:

You can go to browser menu->help-> browser version to see if you have the latest version. And old version might be causing a hiccup in the superscript feature.

• Clear Browser Cache:

Excess cache in your browser can also break the superscript feature. Cleaning it could make a difference.

To do so follow these steps:

• Open the Google Chrome menu icon.
• Go to History.
• Clean browser cache.

You can also read a detailed article on removing cache and cookies here.

• Reinstall your Browser:

Reinstalling your browser sometimes fixes bugs we cannot locate. You can do this by

• Clicking the three dots menu
• Go to Settings
• In the Search Box, type reset.
• Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
• Click on Reset Settings.

Q. How to get out of superscript in Google Docs?

If your text in Google Docs continues to write in superscript and you want to access normal text once more. You can follow the following steps:

• Open the Google Docs application or go to Google Docs from your browser.
• Select the text (in this case, this text will already be superscripted) you want to get out of superscript.
• From the menu bar, click on Format.
• Click on Superscript.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut keys “CTRL” + “,” to do this.