Mobile Help Center

I want more information on Google Docs. Where should I go?
Check out our full Help Center and our Help Group. Please note that these sites may not work on your mobile device, and may require access from a desktop or laptop computer.

Mobile Help Center

Will Google Docs work in all languages on my mobile device?
While some languages may be formatted better than others on your mobile device, you can try Google Docs in any language currently supported. To choose a language for Google Docs on your mobile, you'll need to set your language preference in Google Docs on your desktop or laptop computer. You can do this by clicking the Settings link near the top-right of your Docs list.

Mobile Help Center

Can I edit my documents, spreadsheets and presentations on my mobile browser?
No, at this time only viewing is possible. Note also that presentations are only accessible from the iPhone.

Mobile Help Center

What can I do with Google Docs on my mobile browser?
Using many mobile browsers, you can view both your documents and spreadsheets; editing isn't possible at this time. Note also that presentations are only accessible from the iPhone.

Mobile Help Center

How do I access Google Docs on my mobile phone?
Just point your browser to http://docs.google.com/m (for public Google Docs users) or to https://docs.google.com/a/your.domain/m (for Apps Google Docs users). From here, you'll see a mobile version of your Docs list, where you can access documents and spreadsheets for viewing. Note also that presentations are only accessible from the iPhone.

Mobile Help Center

What are the minimum phone requirements to use Google Docs on my mobile phone?
At this point, we support both the iPhone and Blackberry mobile devices. Note, however, that presentations are only supported on the iPhone. Google Docs documents and spreadsheets should also work on phones that offer rich-browser support. While we haven't tested it across all mobile devices, a good rule of thumb is that the more advanced your phone's browsing capabilities, the more seamlessly Google Docs will work.

Mobile Help Center

I'm using a BlackBerry, and the page layout looks strange. How do I fix this?
You may need to adjust your web browser configuration in order to view Picasa Web Albums. Here's how to do this:
Open your mobile browser. Open the Menu, and select Options. Choose Browser Configuration. Check the boxes to enable Support HTML Tables and Support Style Sheets. Save your changes.

Mobile Help Center

Why do I get an error when I try to sign in to web albums from my phone?
Some phones may display a cookie error when trying to sign in to Picasa Web Albums. If this happens, please try the following options:

Check that your mobile phone meets all of the minimum requirements needed to access Picasa Web Albums.
Check your phone's browser settings to make sure that the setting for cookies is turned on and enabled for all sites.
Clear your browser's cache and cookies, and sign in to Picasa Web Albums again at http://picasaweb.google.com/m. You should sign in with "Remember Me" unchecked.

Please note that Picasa Web Albums for mobile is currently available in U.S. English only. For device-specific problems that are unrelated to Picasa Web Albums, we recommend contacting your mobile service provider or your phone's manufacturer directly.

Mobile Help Center

Can I upload a photo directly from my mobile phone?
To add an image from a camera phone to Picasa Web Albums, you’ll first need to upload it using your PC. At this time, Picasa Web Albums doesn't support direct uploading to your web albums from mobile devices.

Mobile Help Center

How can I share an album or photo with another person from my phone?
At this time, there's no sharing option in Picasa Web Albums for mobile. However, you can share the URL of your album or photo from your mobile device or computer:
From your mobile device: You may be able to use your phone's web browser to send the address of a webpage to friends via text message or email. Check your browser menu for a "Send," "Send bookmark," "Send Address," or an equivalent feature. Additional information may be available in your owner's manual.
From your computer : On any page in your Web Albums, click the "Share Gallery," "Share Album," or "Share Photo" button at the top of the page. Then, you can send an email message with a link to that selected gallery, album or photo. The email message will be sent from your Gmail account.

Mobile Help Center

Can I save a photo from Picasa Web Albums on my mobile device?
Depending on your mobile web browser, you may be able to save photos from Picasa Web Albums directly to your phone, so you can save them as wallpaper or screensavers. Check your browser menu for a "Save Image," "View Image," or similar option. Additional information may be available in your owner's manual.

Mobile Help Center

What are the minimum phone requirements for Picasa Web Albums for mobile?
Your phone will need to meet these minimum requirements to access Picasa Web Albums for mobile:
Your phone's web browser must be XHTML compliant. To determine whether your browser is compatible, please point it to www.google.com/xhtml and perform a search. If it doesn't work, your browser may not be XHTML compliant.
Your phone's browser must have cookies enabled and your mobile network must also allow cookies. The setting for cookies is usually located in your browser's Settings menu. Additionally, you'll need to contact your mobile service provider to determine if they allow cookies on their network.
Your mobile phone network must allow secure SSL traffic. You'll need to contact your mobile provider to check this too.
In addition, please note that Picasa Web Albums is currently available in U.S. English only.

Mobile Help Center

What is Picasa Web Albums for mobile?
Picasa Web Albums for mobile lets you view photo albums that you have stored online with Picasa Web Albums. Here are some of the things you can do:
Browse your friends' pictures. Post comments on your friends' latest photos. Use search to explore the millions of pictures uploaded by the Picasa community. To access Picasa Web Albums for mobile, just visit http://picasaweb.google.com/m from your mobile device.

Mobile Help Center

I'm a news publisher. Could you add our site to Google News for mobile?
Thanks for your interest in Google News for mobile. To suggest your site for inclusion, please send its URL to mobilenews-source@google.com.

Mobile Help Center

Can I read an article from a different source than the one displayed first?
Yes. You can view additional sources for each news story by clicking the "related" link located beside the headline. The number beside the link represents the number of different sources you can access for the same story. Once you click the link, you can see those sources and select the one you want.

Mobile Help Center

How do I get different editions of Google News?
Google News is offered in an ever-increasing number of regional editions, each tailored to a different regional audience around the world. This way, you can read news in your language by scrolling through the drop-down menu at the bottom of the screen, selecting the country edition you want and clicking "Go."

Mobile Help Center

I have a phone that can view HTML pages. How can I access Google News?
If you have a PDA, smartphone or any other phone that can view HTML pages, you can browse the full HTML version of Google News by accessing http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en

Mobile Help Center

How do I personalize News for mobile?
You can personalize your own Google News homepage by clicking on the "Customize this page" link. From there, you'll be given a number of options that we've listed below: Add a custom section You can add a custom section by entering keywords in the search box and then clicking on the "Add section" button. For example, if you enter "Google," a new section called "Google" will be added, and it'll only return articles that contain "Google." Delete section Check the box for any section that you want to delete, and then click on the "Delete selected" button. Please note that you won't be able to delete Top Stories from your Google News homepage. Reorder sections Check the radio button for any section that you want to move to the top of the page, and then click on the "Move to top" button. Please note that Top Stories will always be listed on the top of your Google News homepage. Reset page to default Clicking on the "Reset page to default" button removes all your customizations.

Mobile Help Center

How does Google News work?
When you enter a search query, Google News displays links to the most relevant news stories from multiple sources. Once you select an article, Google sends you directly to the news source. Your news search results are compiled by computer algorithms, without human intervention. And to ensure that you can easily read the news you find, Google News only displays sources designed specifically for viewing on mobile devices.

Mobile Help Center

These results are so helpful. Can I get more than three at a time?
Google SMS is designed to provide quick info for when you're on the go, so we show a maximum of three results per query. We suggest you try refining your query by adding more words if the result you need isn't one of the top three.

Mobile Help Center

I sent a query for "help" but got the following message, "Sorry, '@@!@@' did not return any results." Why did this happen?
It may be that something went wrong with your query when it was routed to Google, and we got "@@!@@" instead of "help." First, you should check to make sure that your device is not configured to add signatures to outgoing text messages. If the signatures are turned off on your device and you're consistently experiencing this problem, please let us know.

Mobile Help Center

Why did I get a "no results" message for a common search term?
Currently, Google SMS only recognizes certain specific queries, such as requests for business listings or prices, and will only return results for these types of queries. This means that while your search on Google.com for "Madagascar wildlife" returns lots of webpage results, you likely won't get any results if you sent this same query using Google SMS. For the full list of information you can access using Google SMS, please check out sms.google.com from your computer.

Mobile Help Center

Google SMS doesn't seem to work on my phone. What should I do?
Google SMS is still in beta and we're working hard to make it better. If you've encountered a problem, try these steps: Check to see if text messaging is enabled on your phone and on your mobile plan. If not, or you're not sure, call your mobile service provider. Note that Google SMS works on all major mobile providers in the US, including Alltel, Cincinnati Bell, Cingular/AT&T, Nextel, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Virgin Mobile. Make sure you sent the text message to the 5-digit US shortcode 46645 Double check that your query is a specialized one that will trigger results in Google SMS Try using one of these queries and see if you get a response: 'pizza 94040' 'Finding Nemo dvd price' 'define lemur' Try to send a text message to your own phone number. If you can't, contact your mobile provider. Here are some additional things you should know: If you've just switched mobile providers while keeping the same phone number (i.e. you've ported your number), Google SMS may not work immediately. You will get no results if your phone is configured to add signatures to all outgoing text messages. You will have to turn off the signature feature in order to receive Google SMS results. US shortcodes are not supported on T-Mobile prepaid service, which means that unfortunately, you currently can't use Google SMS with T-Mobile prepaid. Any queries containing the following characters will not receive any results:
[ \ ] ^ _ { | } ~ ` Google SMS currently supports the default GSM 3.38 character set, which contains all English letters, digits, and some symbols. Even if your mobile phone or service provider supports the above characters, they won't be recognized by Google SMS. If you are trying to find the answer to "10 to the power of 2," please try sending "10**2" or "10 to the power of 2" instead of "10^2."

Mobile Help Center

Where does Google SMS work?
Google SMS is currently available in Canada, Germany, Japan, Spain, and the US. We're working diligently to make it available for more users.

Mobile Help Center

What is Google SMS?
Google SMS is a service that enables you to search for certain kinds of information with Google from a mobile device (such as a Blackberry), and returns your search results as text messages. With Google SMS, you can get phone book listings, movie showtimes, sports scores, weather forecasts, facts, dictionary definitions, product prices, and more. To use Google SMS, simply send a text message containing your search query and location--such as [ cafe seattle wa ]--to 466453 (GOOGLE on most phones). Send "tips" to get a list of shortcuts.

Mobile Help Center

I received a message that says “Error: Connection to Server Lost” when trying to access Google Calendar for mobile devices. Help!
You'll see this message if your phone loses its signal. Once your phone is able to pick up a signal again, visit http://www.google.com/calendar to log in to Google Calendar. For device-specific problems that are not related to Google Calendar, we recommend contacting your network provider or phone's manufacturer directly.

Mobile Help Center

Why do I get a security / certificate error when I access Google Calendar from my mobile browser?
Some phones display an "Invalid certificate" or "Could not verify domain" message when attempting to connect to Google Calendar. This may mean that your phone doesn't meet the minimum requirements needed to access Google Calendar for mobile browser. For Treo 600 users, if you receive an error that says "Invalid certificate (unknown error). Display this page anyway?” click "OK" to continue. You'll then be able to access Google Calendar. This error occurs because the Treo 600 doesn't recognize newer security certificates used by Google Calendar for mobile. If you’re using a Sprint Sanyo phone and you receive a message that says "Exit from SSL mode", click "OK" to continue. You'll then be able to access Google Calendar for mobile.

Mobile Help Center

Is Google Calendar for mobile devices in sync with Google Calendar?
Yes. Changes made to Google Calendar events in your mobile interface will be reflected when you access Google Calendar from your computer, and vice-versa. For example, if you create a new event from your mobile device, the event will appear in Google Calendar the next time you log in from your desktop computer.

Mobile Help Center

How are my events displayed in Google Calendar for mobile?
Google Calendar for mobile will only display dates for which events have been scheduled. For example, if you have an event scheduled on January 18th and no events scheduled until January 21st, then Google Calendar for mobile will display agendas for these two dates, leaving out the days in between. Keep in mind that if you don’t have any events scheduled for the day you log in, Google Calendar for mobile will display the date for which your next event is scheduled. Also, a maximum of ten scheduled events per day will be displayed per page.

Mobile Help Center

What does it cost to use Google Calendar for mobile devices?
Google doesn't charge you to access your Google Calendar service from a mobile phone, but depending on your service plan, you may be charged by your wireless provider. Please contact your provider for more information about fees associated with accessing the Internet from your mobile phone.

Mobile Help Center

What are the minimum phone requirements for Google Calendar for mobile devices?
Your phone will need to meet these minimum requirements in order to access Google Calendar for mobile: Your phone's web browser must be XHTML compliant. To determine whether your browser is compatible, please point it to http://www.google.com/xhtml and perform a search. If it doesn't work, your browser may not be XHTML compliant. Your phone's web browser must have cookies enabled. The setting for cookies is usually located in your phone's browser settings. Your mobile phone network must allow cookies and secure SSL traffic. Please contact your mobile provider to determine if they allow cookies and secure SSL traffic on their network.

Mobile Help Center

Will I still be using data if I exit Gmail on my BlackBerry?
You need to explicitly quit the program by going to Menu > Exit Gmail in order to ensure that Gmail is not running in the background. If you go to your Application or Main Menu without explicitly exiting, the Gmail application will run in the background, periodically checking for new email and using data.

Mobile Help Center

Does the Gmail for mobile application support Google Apps mail accounts?
If you have a BlackBerry, you can download our mail application designed for Google Apps accounts at http://m.google.com/a If you currently use the Gmail for mobile application on your Blackberry, you'll need to download the mobile application for Google Apps as well. These are two different applications. A red M icon will appear for Gmail and a blue M icon will appear for Mail by Google (Google Apps). Please note that our mail application for Google Apps accounts only supports US English at this time.

Mobile Help Center

My phone doesn't have the appropriate certificate.
You may be getting this error message: "Sorry, the Gmail mobile app will not work on your phone. Your phone doesn't have the appropriate certificate to communicate with Gmail. Try accessing Gmail on your mobile browser at http://m.gmail.com" The Gmail application requires a secure connection in order to connect to the Gmail server. There is a mismatch between the Gmail certificates on the server, and those provided by your phone's manufacturer. You can try using the xhtml interface to Gmail by typing http://m.gmail.com in your phone's browser; sometimes the certificates used by the browser are different from those available to Java applications.

Mobile Help Center

I'm getting this error: "This program can't access Gmail until you grant it permission to send and receive data over the network."
You'll likely need to change your network access or network permission settings, depending on your phone. To do so, please follow these steps: Accessing your mobile phone's list of downloads and/or applications and highlighting "Gmail." Selecting "Settings," "Options," or the like with "Gmail" still highlighted. Selecting "Network access" or "Network permissions," depending on your phone. Changing "Ask every time" to "Ask first time" for Network access, or "Allow once" to "Always allow" for Network permissions. Saving your changes. Please see your owner's manual for more information. You may also have to change the network connection settings on your mobile device in order for the Gmail for mobile application to access the internet properly. We recommend a direct internet connection, often called "Web APN," "Internet APN," or "direct GPRS connection." If you're not sure what type of connection you have, please look for the terms "Gateway," "WAP Proxy," "Proxy (IP) address," or "Proxy server address" in the network connections menu. If one of these is present, and a value filled in, it probably means that Gmail is using a WAP connection rather than a direct connection. A direct internet connection doesn't use a gateway or proxy address. If the Gmail application is accessing the internet through a WAP connection (or "WAP APN"), you'll likely need to create a new direct connection. Instructions for configuring direct connections vary by device and mobile provider, so please consult your user manual. In general, you'll need to: Access your phone's network connection settings. Create a new connection with a disabled or blank proxy, using the settings specified by your provider for web access. Grant the Gmail application internet access through the new connection.

Mobile Help Center

I can't log in to the Gmail for mobile application.
If you're having trouble logging in to the Gmail for mobile application, please check that your phone has a signal. In addition: This application only works with Gmail accounts. If you have a Google Apps for Your Domain account, you won't be able to log in at this time. Exception: BlackBerry users who have downloaded the Google Apps mail application from m.google.com/a When entering your username, only enter the part before @gmail.com. Remember that passwords are case sensitive. You may need to change the text entry mode to access uppercase/lowercase characters (refer to your phone's documentation for instructions). Because some phones can have trouble with secure HTTPS connections, you may need to refresh your inbox. If your phone has limited memory, you can turn off prefetching from the Settings menu.

Mobile Help Center

What are the Gmail for mobile application requirements?
To use the Gmail for mobile application: You should be using a J2ME (Java) MIDP2 device. You'll need a mobile data plan, and your phone needs to be configured for data access. Your phone needs the Verisign Class 3 public certificate with serial number 70:BA:E4:1D:10:D9:29:34:B6:38:CA:7B:03:CC:BA:BF. Note: The Gmail for mobile application does not work with BREW-enabled devices. Some mobile services providers may restrict data usage by applications. We recommend contacting your mobile provider to confirm the details of your data plan. Not all devices allow you to check for the Verisign certificate.

Mobile Help Center

Which phones does Google Maps support?
Google Maps works with the following devices: Most Java-enabled (J2ME) mobile phones. Palm devices with Palm OS 5 and above. All color BlackBerry devices. Windows Mobile devices with Windows Mobile 2003, 5.0 and above. If your device is supported and you have a data plan, visit www.google.com/gmm to download Google Maps. If you're not sure if Google Maps will work on your device, visit www.google.com/gmm and we'll perform a quick check to see if your phone is supported. Note: Google Maps doesn't work with BREW-enabled devices. Some mobile services providers may restrict data usage by applications. We recommend contacting your mobile provider to confirm the details of your data plan.

Mobile Help Center

Can I access KML files using Google Maps for mobile?
Yes, you can. Just like Google Maps for the desktop, Maps for mobile requires that your KML file first be hosted on a website. Once you have a web-based URL for your file, you can simply enter it into your phone, just as you would enter a regular business search. For more information about KML, navigate to http://earth.google.com/kml/ from your computer.

Mobile Help Center

For what parts of the country does Google Maps provide real-time traffic data?
Comprehensive traffic data is available in over 30 major US metropolitan areas (including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and others), with partial coverage available in many more. To see whether Google Maps currently reports on traffic in your area, simply move to your desired location, and select "Show Traffic" in the application menu. Depending on coverage, Google Maps will either show current traffic conditions, or display the message, "Traffic info is not available in this area."

Mobile Help Center

Does Google Maps use GPS to figure out where I am?
It depends on your mobile provider and device. At this time, only Google Maps for Windows Mobile devices, BlackBerry 8800 and Nokia 95, regardless of provider, are enabled with GPS. For others, Google Maps doesn't use any GPS technology, even if your phone has a built-in GPS location device.

Mobile Help Center

I have a Windows device. How do I use GPS on Google Maps?
Please note that GPS is only supported on Windows Mobile 5.0 devices at this time, and not all Windows Mobile 5.0 devices make the GPS settings available. First, you may need to configure GPS by following these steps: Go to the "Start" menu. Select "Setting" > System GPS (If this control option is not present, contact your device manufacturer.) Check that the "Hardware" tab has the correct settings for your device. If you have a Bluetooth GPS receiver, the 'GPS hardware port' setting needs to match your Bluetooth configuration. To use GPS on Google Maps, select "Track Location (GPS)" from the menu to obtain a GPS location fix. Once a fix is obtained, a blinking dot appears in the center of the map, showing your current location. As you travel around, the map follows. If you pan the map, the dot will still follow your position but it will stop blinking and it won't cause the map to move.

Mobile Help Center

Whenever I move off the screen, my phone says it's checking for an internet connection. Is there any way to make it stop?
You'll likely need to change your network access or network permission settings, depending on your phone. To do so, please follow these steps: Access your mobile phone's list of downloads and/or applications and highlight Google Maps. Select Settings, Options, or the like with Google Maps still highlighted. Select Network access or Network permissions, depending on your phone. Change Ask every time to Ask first time for Network access, or Allow once to Always allow for Network permissions. Save your changes. Please see your owner's manual for more information.

Mobile Help Center

I don't like how my page is displayed on my phone. What can I do?
We automatically transcode non-mobile sites to fit on a mobile screen. You can choose to not have your page transcoded at all by sending us a removal request. We're always looking for new ideas on improving the way our pages are displayed on mobile devices, and we'd love to hear your suggestions.

Mobile Help Center

How can I turn off SafeSearch on Google Mobile?
To disable SafeSearch on Google Mobile, please follow these steps: Visit Google.com from your phone. Click the Settings link. Select Off under SafeSearch. Click Save. Note that some mobile service providers may choose to filter your search results even when "Off" is selected.

Mobile Help Center

How do I clear my location history?
Next to the location, click "Change" and select "Clear this list" to clear your location history. If you don't want Google to save your locations, just go to "Settings" from the homepage, and then select "Off" under "Save Recent Locations." If you choose this option, Google won't store your query locations for future use. For more information, please visit our Privacy Policy.

Mobile Help Center

What are the links at the bottom of my search results page?
When you perform a search, we'll return the most relevant types of results based on the query you provided. You can get more specific results by clicking the "Local businesses," "Images," and "News" links at the bottom of the page.

How do I reorder or remove my modules?
Click the "Settings" link at the bottom of your homepage: To reorder modules, select "Reorder." You can view your list of modules and select the one(s) you'd like to move to the top. To remove modules, select "Remove." You can then select the modules you'd like to remove.

How do I clear the search history from my phone?
The search history that displays on your phone is actually stored by your phone, not by Google. For instructions on disabling this feature, please check your owner's manual.

What are the links at the bottom of my results page?
The links at the bottom of your results page will help you navigate through your search results and selected webpages. Here's a list of the links and what they do: "1 / 3", "2/3" and "3/3" identify what page you're accessing relative to the total number of pages available. You can select the "More" link to access the next page. "Links on This Page" means that there are links to other sites or pages. Highlighting and selecting "Results Page" will bring you back to the results page. And finally, if you want to return to the Google homepage, you can select "Google Search."

How can I change my default location?
Click the "Change" button next to the search box under "Businesses nearby." You'll be able to enter a new location or choose from a list of recently used locations.