18 Hacks You Didn’t Realise You Could Do With Google

Take your googling to the next level.

1. Go underwater.

Google

Google

Thinking of ideas for your next vacation? Then you might find Underwater Street View coming in very handy.

Through Google Maps, you can now take 40 different virtual dives around the world, spanning 22 countries and the five major coral reef regions. From American Samoa, to the Solomon Islands, and even the famous Loch Ness, you might even be able to spot a dolphin or too if you search hard enough.

2. Keep track of flight times.

Google

All you need is the flight number, and Google is able to pull up the information in less than a second.

3. Use your camera to translate real-world text.

Google

Word Lens is a new addition to the Google Translate app for mobile. Rather than capturing a photo, by pointing the camera at a piece of text it will bring up an overlay with the translation.

4. Search for GIFs.

Google

Ever wonder how some people manage to find a GIF for everything? Well you can now too. Within search tools, change the image file type to animated to find all the GIFs you need.

5. Play Pacman on Google Logo.

Google

Head over to this link for some retro gaming action. Just be warned, this is super addictive.

6. Find out the weather forecast.

Google

The most important question of the morning: "Do I need an umbrella today?" Ask Google and you'll have your answer.

7. Convert units.

Google

As well as traditionally tricky measurements such as temperature and volume, you can also convert more modern measurements, including fuel consumption and digital storage.

8. You can convert currency too.

Google

Just remember though, you'll be hard pressed to find an exchange rate as good as this!

9. Find out the time of the sunrise and sunset.

Google

Type "sunrise" and the city in question. Especially useful if you're on holiday in a particularly camera-friendly locale.

10. Save your sanity when your phone goes for a walkabout.

Google

If you activate the Android Device Manager, you can locate your phone using GPS tracking. You can even ring it from your desktop too, so you can find out exactly which sofa its fallen behind.

11. Beat the traffic, rather than become the traffic.

Google

By setting your preferred travel method and destination, you can have alerts sent to your phone, providing you with traffic updates and advising you on both the best route and the best time to leave. Maps now also incorporate bike routes, so you can plan the perfect summer day out.

12. Get instant information on movie listings, concert dates, and restaurant menus.

Google

You can ask a question as broad as "what films are on tonight?'', and if you have location services turned on, Google will bring up a host of choices in your area. It makes staying in very difficult to do.

13. "Undo" sent emails.

Google

Head into email settings and click the Labs tab, where you can find a widget that will add a custom delay on any email you send, so if you have second thoughts, you can take it back. (If you have the new Inbox app, the undo option is already enabled!)

14. Explore Mars (and chat with the locals too).

Google

Beyond Earth, Google Maps has branched out into other planets, beginning with Mars, where you can find all sorts of fascinating information and imagery.

If you choose to explore the red planet further with Google Earth, you can even talk to an alien! Enter "Meliza" into the search box and ask away.

15. Access public data.

Google

Google's Public Data Explorer provides a fascinating insight into a range of different data reports and metrics from organisations including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, and the UN Economic Commission for Europe.

16. Go off the grid.

Google

If you share a laptop and rather your mother didn't see your search history, you can switch on "incognito" mode, which works on both your desktop and your mobile.

17. Get up to speed on what the world's talking about.

Google

Google Trends is a a real-time tracker that gives you up-to-the-minute data on what your fellow net surfers are searching for, giving you an insight into what's going viral at this very second.

18. Take the hassle out of web safety.

Google

The new My Account tool gives you quick and easy access to the settings and tools that let you safeguard your data and protect your privacy. By taking advantage of the security checkups, you can decide how your information can make Google tools and services work better for you, stress-free.

(Additional images courtesy of Thinkstock.)