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21 Life Hacks You Didn’t Realise You Could Do With Google

Take your googling to the next level.

Google UK
by Google UK

Brand Publisher

1. Go underwater.

Google
Google

As well as take a street view on Google Maps, you can now also take an underwater one too, in Loch Ness, no less! No word on whether anyone has located Nessie yet, though.

2. Find something local.

Google

If you have location services turned on, simply adding "nearby" will bring up a host of choices in your area.

3. Do a barrel roll.

Google

How well do you know your 2006 memes?

4. Compare nutritional information.

Google

If you're trying to keep those calories down, this is a fantastic, quick resource to inform your meal choices.

5. 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.

6. Set a timer.

Google

Type in "set timer for [x] minutes" and you'll get a beep when it runs down to zero. Great for limiting your time online spent, say, online shopping?

7. 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.

8. View chemical compounds.

Google

How helpful would this have been back during your exam days?

9. Find out the weather forecast.

Google

Type "temperature" or "weather", and Google will source the weekly forecast for your location.

10. 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.

11. You can convert currency too.

Google

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

12. Translate to one of 90 languages.

Google

There are also a number of hidden languages you can change your interface to, including Klingon, Swedish Chef, and Pirate.

13. Solve geometric equations.

Google

Type "solve" and then the shape you require to bring up an interactive formula. Great for your mathematics homework.

14. 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.

15. Find your phone.

Google

If you have the latest version of the Google app, you can locate your phone using GPS tracking, and if it's still in the house, you can ring it from your desktop!

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

Google

With Google Now, 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.

17. 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 Google Now will give you a full rundown of everything happening nearby. It makes staying in very difficult to do.

18. "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.

19. 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.

20. Play Atari Breakout with Google Images.

Google

Type "Atari Breakout" into image search for an impromptu session of the highly addictive desktop game.

21. Access public data.

Google

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

Take full control of your privacy settings.

Google

The new My Account tool gives you quick access to the settings and tools that let you safeguard your data, protect your privacy, and decide how your information can make Google tools and services work better for you, all in one place.

(Additional images courtesy of Thinkstock.)