Google search: 15 hidden features

Google is used by millions of people to navigate the web every day, but how many of us really put it through its paces? The Telegraph digs out a few of the search engine’s hidden gems.

Calculator

Google’s calculator function is far more powerful than most people realise. As well as doing basic maths (5+6 or 3*2) it can do logarithmic calculations, and it knows constants (like e and pi), as well as functions like Cos and Sin. Google can also translate numbers into binary code – try typing ‘12*3 in binary’.

Site search

By using the ‘site:’ keyword, you can make Google only return results from one site. So for example, you could search for “site:telegraph.co.uk manchester united” and only get stories on Manchester United from the Telegraph website.

Conversions

Currency conversions and unit conversions can be found by using the syntax: <amount> <unit1> in <unit2>. So for example, you could type ‘1 GBP in USD’, ‘20 C in F’ or ‘15 inches in cm’ and get an instant answer.

Time zones

Search for ‘time in <place>’ and you will get the local time for that place, as well as the time zone it is in.

Translations

A quick way to translate foreign words is to type ‘translate <word> to <language>’. So for example, ‘translate pomme to english’ returns the result apple, and ‘translate pomme to spanish’ returns the result ‘manzana’.

Search for a specific file type

If you know you are looking for a PDF or a Word file, you can search for specific file types by typing ‘<search term> filetype:pdf’ or ‘<search term> filetype:doc’

Check flight status

If you type in a flight number, the top result is the details of the flight and its status. So, for example, typing in BA 335 reveals that British Airways flight 335 departs Paris at 15.45 today and arrives at Heathrow Terminal 5 at 15.48 local time.

Search for local film showings

Search for film showings in your area by typing ‘films’ or ‘movies’ followed by your postcode. In the UK, this only narrows it down to your town or city. In the US this is more accurate, as results are displayed according to zip-code.

Weather forecasts

Type the name of a city followed by ‘forecast’, and Google will tell you the weather today, including levels of precipitation, humidity and wind, as well as the forecast for the next week, based on data from The Weather Channel.

Exclude search terms

When you enter a search term that has a second meaning, or a close association with something else, it can be difficult to find the results you want. Exclude irrelevant results using the ‘-’ sign. So for searches for ‘apple’ where the word ‘iPhone’ is not used, enter ‘apple -iPhone’.

Public data

To see trends for population and unemployment rates of different cities and counties, type ‘population’ or ‘unemployment rate’ followed by the location. So for example, typing ‘unemployment rate uk’ returns the answer 7.7 per cent, and shows a graph of unemployment rates over the last 10 years

Related search

To search for web pages that have similar content to a given site, type ‘related:’ followed by the website address into the Google search box. For example, typing ‘related: telegraph.co.uk’ gives a list of other UK newspaper websites.

Package tracking

If you have a package tracking number from the USPS, UPS or FedEx, simply plug it into Google Search and it will provide a convenient link for you.

Define

Google’s dictionary function allows you to type define:term and get definitions of words. So a search for define: discombobulated tells you that it is the past participle, past tense of discombobulate, which means to disconcert or confuse.

Barrel Roll

Simply type “do a barrel roll” into the search bar and Google dutifully obeys.

—UK Telegraph