The Intrusive Document Comparison
Google Docs includes a powerful “Compare documents” tool that allows you to select two different files and generate a third document highlighting all the textual differences between them as suggested edits. This is an incredible feature for lawyers reviewing contract revisions or editors comparing drafts.
However, if you accidentally click “Compare documents” in the Tools menu, or if a third-party add-on incorrectly triggers the feature, it can be highly disruptive. A dialog box pops up demanding you select a secondary file from your Google Drive, completely halting your writing flow. While you cannot permanently delete the feature from the Google Docs ecosystem, you can easily dismiss the tool if it opens unexpectedly.
How to Cancel the Compare Documents Tool
If the file selection prompt appears when you do not want to compare documents, simply cancel the operation.
- If the “Compare documents” dialog box appears on your screen, it will block you from typing.
- Do not click the “My Drive” button to select a file.
- Instead, look at the bottom right corner of the dialog box.
- Click the grey Cancel button. (Alternatively, you can press the
Esckey on your keyboard).
The dialog box will immediately disappear, and you will be returned to your active document. To prevent it from happening again, simply be careful when navigating the Tools dropdown menu, as the “Compare documents” option is located near other frequently used features like Word Count and Spelling/Grammar.