It is quite fascinating to think about how the internet has become a part of our daily lives. Enter a query in a simple interface, and all the information you need is right there at your fingertips! However, even if you use Google in your daily life, there are high chances that you are not utilizing it to its maximum potential. There are various Google search hacks that you can use to refine your search results for accurate information. Google has numerous features that allow users to get the desired results in a fraction of time. With that said, here are 45+ Google search hacks and tricks that you probably did not know about.

1. Narrow down video results

Just like pictures, you can also narrow down and refine your search results for videos. Select the Tools option and select your desired filters for video duration, publication date, and video quality.

2. Plan your flights

Google has expanded its information system to provide flight details for its users. Merely adding two locations will give you a comprehensive list of airlines and flight times to plan and book according to your needs. This is a fantastic Google search hack for frequent travelers!

3. Define words in Google search

No need to open the dictionary or to download apps. You can simply use Google to check the definitions of words. Simply search ‘define word,’ and Google will pop one up in the snippet box.

4. Get a timer or stopwatch

Google search has a timer???  Shocketh! Search timer, and you’ll get both a stopwatch and alarm clock at the top of the SERP.

5. Data conversion

Convert fluid ounces to liters or Fahrenheit to Celsius in an instant! Search the query as [value of the first unit] to [value of the second unit].

6. Get authentic information

Google snippets provide credible information from websites. For instance, if you want to check the unemployment rate, type the county’s name followed by ’employment rate’ and get data from reliable resources.

7. Check dates of upcoming holidays

Craving for a holiday? Ask Google for upcoming holidays, and it will show you all important national, international, and religious dates based on your region.

8. Word origin

There is no need to rack up thesaurus books for words when you have Google on your phone. You can find the word origin and its use over time with a simple search. Type the word followed by origin, and you will all the information you could need about a word.

9. Search websites with specific TLDs

Apart from searching internationally, you can also retrieve results with country-specific TLDs. For instance, if you are looking for a pizza recipe from the USA, then the query would be pizza recipes site:us.

10. Time travel

Want to see how Google was in 1998? Type ‘Google in 1998’ to see what Google was like in the earlier days! This is an excellent Google search hack to take a trip down memory lane.

11. Play Pac-man

You can also play the old doodle game Pac-Man without a console or installation. Search Pac-man in the search bar and hit play.

12. Google underwater

Want to know what Google will look like underwater? Search Google underwater and amuse yourself.

13. Google Askew

Searching Google Askew will take you to the tilted page, another funny Easter egg on the search engine.

14. Earthquake

Searching the term ‘earthquake’ followed by country name will provide you an update on recent earthquakes in that region. Lol! Were you expecting the screen to shake?

15. Quick search movies

You can search for movies that are playing at the cinema near you.

16. Books by author

Searching the query’ books by [author name]’ will give you a complete list of all the books by your favorite author.

17. Adding search filters

Filters help to narrow down your results for finding more specific information. You can add filters such as image size and colors, news, and even academic books. Moreover, you can also add a filter for results with time restraints. To do that, all you need to do is perform a search and click the Tools option on the top right. Now select ‘Any Time’ and choose your desired option to view the results from.

18. Translate on Google

Google is known to provide the best user experience for non-natives of a particular language. The translate feature is instant and gives near to accurate results. If you are in a foreign country and want a quick translation, then Google Translator is the best choice.

19. Use voice to search

Can’t type? Speak instead. For instance, if you want to search for ways to convert audio to text, simply say ‘YouTube audio to text transcribing software’ in your phone’s microphone, and voila! Did you know Google’s voice recognition feature is available for 125 languages? THAT’S A LOT!

20. Use Google search operators

Search Google search hacks like a pro with search operators to refine the search results and achieve more accurate information. This is a handy tip for people who perform tons of searches for their studies or research purposes. Search operators are search commands that help you avoid scrolling through irrelevant search results. There are many search operators or modifiers that you can use in your Google searches.  Here are a few:

If you want to see the results from a specific website, you can use the site: operator on the search engine. For instance, if you want to retrieve page results from Wikipedia, use Abraham Lincoln site:Wikipedia.org in the search bar.

Google provides another operator for retrieving results within the specific title. For instance, searching the query intitle:cybersecurity will show the results of webpages with the word cybersecurity in their address or title.

A filetype search operator enables users to find specific file types on the internet. For instance, if you are looking for PDFs on a particular subject, type Civil War filetype:pdf, and you’ll get related PDF documents in your results.

Apart from file types, you can also search for related websites to find detailed information from multiple resources. For instance, searching the query related:google.com will show results related to other search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo.

21. Exclude search terms

You can use the (-) symbol to exclude terms from your results. For example, ‘best operating system -Microsoft windows’ will give you a list of best operating systems apart from Microsoft Windows.

22. Perform quick calculations

Not just for searches, you can also use Google search hacks and tricks to perform day-to-day calculations. Simply type in an equation, and Google will give you the answer at the top.

23. Performing advanced search

While viewing your current query results on the SERP, head into the Search Settings and select Advanced Search. You can add more refiners to get more detailed search results such as region, language, and private results.

24. Perform a reverse image search

Need to search for more than just words? No problem. Google enables its users to perform a reverse image search without any difficulty. All you need to do is select the Images option on the top corner. You can either upload the image from your device or add the URL. Simply upload the picture and Google will identify it and give you information about that picture and related pictures.

25. Narrow down image results with the image type

Suppose you are looking for a specific image type. In that case, you can narrow down the results by going into the Image tab and selecting the Tools option. This option will provide various dropdown options to refine your search by image size, color, usage rights, and time published.

26. Track packages in Google search

Yes, you can also track your packages in the Google search! All you need to do is paste your tracking number in the search bar, and Google will redirect you to the webpage with relevant information.

27. Search time zones

Keeping track of international time is no longer a problem. You can now search for the time in any location around the world. You can even track the difference between multiple time zones.

28. Check the weather

Google also shows the weather in snippets. You do not have to add the location to check the weather. Simply type the weather and Google will automatically identify your area and give you the current climate and future forecasts.

29. Get stock prices

Are you a finance junkie? Do you love investing in stocks? No problem. Type in the stock name or symbol, and Google will share all the details within seconds.

30. Finding locations

Google Maps is a lifesaving hack! Enough said! Type the name of a building or location, and voila!

31. Find your IP address

Google can show you your network IP address with just a simple search. Search your IP address in the search bar, and Google will show you without visiting a website. A great trick if you’re trying to keep your browsing private.

32. Find your phone

Do you know that you can use a Google search hack to find your lost phone? Googling the phrase Find my Phone will show websites to help you collect information about your phone’s last activity, including the location. Moreover, you can also ring your phone through the feature even if it is kept on silent mode. This feature works better for android phones. Sorry Apple users, tough luck!

33. View cached pages

Search for any website on Google. In the results, look for a dropdown icon with the Cached option. This will show you a snapshot of the website that is cached by Google Bots.

34. View similar pages

Along with cached content, you can also find a Similar Pages option in the dropdown menu. Selecting this option will show you pages related to the website.

35. Get customer support information

Want to talk to a customer support representative for urgent help? Search company name + customer service number to get immediate help.

36. Learn pronunciation

The best Google search hack to being more articulate! Just type ‘how to pronounce’ before the word in Google. Not only will Google tell you different accents, but spellings too! Great for British and American grammar Nazis!

37. Find restaurants

Hungry much? Simply search for a particular restaurant or food type, and Google will show you everything that’s near you.

38. Shopping on Google

For those who didn’t know, there is a shopping section right below the search bar where you can also shop on Google. Have fun!

39. Search internationally

Yes, Google also allows you to search internationally. Google.com/ncr is the no-country redirect version for Google. This will enable you to browse international content while not going through local content with a local IP address.

40. Google speech-to-text

Google search can help you convert audio to text in over 125 different languages. This feature also has a Chrome plug-in to make the process more effective if you’re a regular.

41. Search a song by humming

If this isn’t one of the best Google search hacks for 2021, we don’t know what is! Google introduced a new feature that enables users to record humming. You can use this feature to search for a song that’s been stuck in your head by humming the tune in the microphone in case you can’t remember its lyrics.

42. Creating alerts

If you want to stay up-to-date via the search engine on specific topics or keywords, create a Google Alert and get instant notifications in your email.

43. The ‘I am feeling lucky’ button

While searching on Google, selecting this button will take you to the top results. How’s that for a Google hack?

44. Track Google results with Google trends

If you are curious about what people are searching around you, use Google Trends is the right place to go. You’ll get real-time results on what’s hot and what’s not in your region.

45. Google news

Google has a separate section if you’re looking for news items only. Use it!

46. Use long search queries

Long-tail keywords will help you get more relevant information, especially when looking for things near you.

47. Add photos to collection

No need to download photos to your phone and waste space. You can add them to your collection to use them again later.

Alright, let’s have some fun!

48. Never miss your favorite TV show

You can set an update about a specific TV show, which will remind you about new episodes. Simply search the TV show and click the ‘Remind me about new episodes’ option.

Conclusion

Google is continually evolving with advanced and quirky ways to enhance search results and user experiences. Use these Google search engine hacks and tricks to make the most out of the Big G.

Author Bio:

Sherley Alaba is an eagle-eyed wordsmith; a writer and translator, always interested in ways that can help individuals (especially youth and women) reach their full creative potential. Her focus has been on writing, producing, and editing stories on business, finance, interesting personalities, entrepreneurs, culture, the environment, gastronomy, lifestyle, and social issues.

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