sodcalculator

10 Tech How-To

How to Double Space in Google Docs (Desktop & Mobile)

Guide 10-20725 · Updated · Step by step

Double spacing makes your document easier to read and is often required for school papers, manuscripts, and professional drafts. This guide shows you how to apply double spacing in Google Docs on both the web and mobile apps, and how to set it as the default for future documents.

What You’ll Need

  • A Google account (for Google Docs)
  • A document in Google Docs (or create a new one)
  • For mobile: the Google Docs app installed on your phone or tablet

Step-by-Step

On a Computer (Web Browser)

  1. Open your document in a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) by going to docs.google.com and selecting the file.
  2. Select the text you want to double space. To apply it to the whole document, press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select everything. If you only want part of the document, click and drag to highlight that section.
  3. Click the line spacing icon in the toolbar. It looks like four horizontal lines with an up and down arrow next to them, located near the alignment buttons.
  4. Choose “Double” from the dropdown menu. Your selected text (or the whole document) will immediately become double spaced.

Alternative method: Go to the Format menu at the top, hover over Line & paragraph spacing, and click Double.

On Mobile (Android & iOS App)

  1. Open the document in the Google Docs app on your phone or tablet.
  2. Tap the pencil icon (Edit) at the bottom right to enter edit mode.
  3. Select the text you want to change. Tap and hold to select a word, then drag the blue handles to select more. To select the entire document, tap the “Select all” option from the menu that appears.
  4. Tap the format icon (the letter “A” with lines) at the top right.
  5. Go to the “Paragraph” tab in the panel that appears.
  6. Tap the line spacing icon (up/down arrows next to lines) and choose Double. The change applies immediately.

Set Double Spacing as the Default

  1. Open any Google Docs document.
  2. Click Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Custom spacing.
  3. In the “Line spacing” box, type 2 or select “Double” from the dropdown.
  4. Click Set as default.
  5. Confirm by clicking OK in the popup. New documents will now use double spacing.

Common Mistakes

  • Selecting only part of the text when you meant the whole document. Always press Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A) to select all.
  • Using extra blank lines to simulate double spacing. This creates uneven spacing and makes editing difficult. Use the line spacing tool instead.
  • Forgetting to set the default for future documents. If you double space one document, new ones will still be single spaced unless you change the default.
  • On mobile, not being in edit mode – you must tap the pencil icon before you can change formatting.

Tips

  • Double spacing is often required for academic papers (APA, MLA). Check your assignment guidelines.
  • If you want to double space only a specific section (like a quote), select that section and apply the spacing separately.
  • Use “Custom spacing” to set a line spacing of 2.0 exactly, or try 1.5 for a more compact look that’s still easy to read.
  • The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+2 (Windows) or Cmd+2 (Mac) also applies double spacing in Google Docs on a computer.
  • After double spacing, check that your page count increased – this is normal and often required.

Troubleshooting

  • The line spacing icon is not visible: On a narrow browser window, the icon may be hidden under the “More” (three dots) menu. Click the three dots in the toolbar to find it.
  • Double spacing doesn’t apply to new paragraphs: If you set the default but existing paragraphs remain single spaced, select the entire document and apply double spacing manually, then set the default again.
  • On mobile, the format icon doesn’t appear: Make sure you’re in edit mode (pencil icon). If you’re viewing the document, you can’t format.
  • Spacing looks too large: Double spacing is exactly 2.0. If it looks excessive, check that you didn’t accidentally add extra blank paragraphs. Use “Show” > “Show non-printing characters” to see them.
  • Changes don’t save: Google Docs saves automatically, but if you’re offline, changes may not sync. Check your internet connection and the “Offline” status in the menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I double space only a single paragraph?

Yes. Select that paragraph (click and drag over it, or triple-click to select the whole paragraph), then apply double spacing using the same steps.

Does double spacing affect the entire document if I don’t select anything?

No. If you don’t select any text, the double spacing will apply only to the paragraph where your cursor is currently located.

How do I remove double spacing?

Select the text, click the line spacing icon, and choose “Single” (1.0). Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+1 (Windows) / Cmd+1 (Mac).

Will double spacing increase the page count for my essay?

Yes, double spacing roughly doubles the vertical space text occupies, so a 3-page single-spaced essay becomes about 6 pages double-spaced. This is why many assignments specify double spacing.

Can I set double spacing as the default in the mobile app?

No, the mobile app doesn’t have a “Set as default” option. You’ll need to use a computer to change the default for all new documents.

Why does my document look like it has extra spaces between paragraphs?

That might be because you have both double line spacing and extra space before/after paragraphs. In the “Custom spacing” dialog, set the “Before” and “After” values to 0 if you want uniform spacing.

Related

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →