Skip to main content

Edit & view text from right to left

Right-to-left controls turn on automatically when you open a document, spreadsheet, or presentation with right-to-left text, or when you add text in a right-to-left language. You can also turn on right-to-left controls manually.

[Computer] [Android][iPhone & iPad]

Turn on right-to-left language controls​

To set up Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for right-to-left languages:

  1. On your computer, go to a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides home screen.
  2. In the top left corner, click Menu Menu and then Settings.
  3. Click the box next to "Always show right-to-left controls."
  4. Click OK. The setting now applies to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Use right-to-left language controls​

After you turn on right-to-left controls, you can change the layout of documents with text in a right-to-left language.

[Google Docs]

Change paragraph direction​

  1. On your computer, go to Google Docs.
  2. Open a document containing text with text in a right-to-left language.
  3. To change paragraph direction, on the toolbar, click Paragraph direction paragraph direction.

Change table direction (column order)​

  1. On your computer, go to Google Docs.
  2. Open a document.
  3. Click Format and then Table and thenTable properties.
  4. In the "Column order" section, choose Right-to-left or Left-to-right.

[Google Sheets]

Change the direction of the columns for a particular sheet​

  1. On your computer, go to Google Sheets.
  2. Open a spreadsheet with text in a right-to-left language.
  3. On the toolbar, click Direction right to left table direction.

Note: This change will only apply to the current sheet, not all sheets in the spreadsheet.

Change the direction of text inside of a cell​

  1. On your computer, go to Google Sheets.
  2. Open a spreadsheet with text in a right-to-left language.
  3. Click the text you want to change.
  4. On the toolbar, click Cell direction paragraph direction.

Note: If you type text into a cell using a right-to-left language, Google Sheets will automatically change the text direction to right-to-left. It will switch back if you start to type in a left-to-right language.

[Google Slides]

Change paragraph direction​

  1. On your computer, go to Google Slides .
  2. Open a presentation with text in a right-to-left language.
  3. Click the text you want to change.
  4. On the format toolbar, click Paragraph direction paragraph direction.