Google Docs acting weird? Turn off your adblocker

I spend so much time on Google Docs that I do my best not to think about it. But I was forced to today — because Google Docs is acting weird.

There were issues. Firstly, I couldn’t select any text on Google Docs. Secondly, much of this text was running off the page. The technical term for this, I believe, is “a shitter.”

On top of this, Google Sheets was layering text over the top of itself, making it impossible to read anything. And, I don’t know about you, but reading tends to be a big part of my Google Docs Suite experience.

Anyway, this is the sort of shit that Google Sheets has been serving me recently:

Google Docs acting weird Google Sheets text going over itself — This is meant to say “Editorial Meeting” and I regret to inform you that I actually found this quite entertaining at the time.

And here’s what it looked like while I was trying to write:

Google Docs acting weird article text runs off screen — WHY IS GOOGLE DOCS ACTING WEIRD?? Also, this is a draft of our consumer tech newsletter, Plugged In. Sign up for that here. Damn, this is some incredible ~ s y n e r g y ~.

While the text issue in Google Sheets was kinda funny (mainly because I didn’t need to present anything), Google Docs acting weird was infuriating.

I first noticed it yesterday, and spent the afternoon closing and opening Chrome again to try and fix it. Nothing worked. Thankfully, I came across this Google community post.

Basically, it says to turn off your adblocker if Google Docs is acting weird.

And — WOULD YOU BELIEVE? — I turned off my adblocker and was able to start working again. Whether this is a good thing or not depends entirely on your view of my art.

From what I can tell at the moment, this is an issue that’s only impacting Google Docs on Chrome. Other browsers I’ve tried this on don’t have the problem — so maybe try switching to them if turning off your adblocker doesn’t work.

I wouldn’t expect this issue to last more much longer, I’d assume Google will fix it as soon as possible. This gives me just enough time to stare in the mirror and question the life choices that led me to spending most of my waking life on Google Docs.

The horror, oh god, the horror of it all.

Story by Callum Booth

Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting (show all) Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC. Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too. Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.