Someone has shared a Google Docs with you and you’d like to save some of its images. If you don’t have direct access to the images that were inserted the images in Google Docs, you may intuitively try to right-click on the image. You’d then expect to see a “Save as” or “Download” option showing up in the menu, right? Well, as you can see in the screenshot below, that’s not the case. The image downloading process on Google Docs is quite different from Microsoft Word or LibreOffice. But don’t worry as there are some pretty easy alternatives.
right-clicking on an image in Google Docs
In this article, we’ll show you several ways you can download images from Google Docs on Desktop and Mobile, starting with the easiest methods. We’ve also mentioned the pros and cons of each method to help you make a choice.
How to Download Images From Google Docs on a Desktop
Download as a Web Page, then Extract Images in Batch
Google Docs doesn’t provide you a way to download images individually by right-clicking on them. However, it does offer a very easy way to download all images at once from a Google Doc. In our opinion this is the easiest way to download images from Google Docs.
This quick fix uses the Web Page Download feature, which converts the Google Docs page into a web page, and puts all the images of the document into a dedicated images folder.
To do so, follow these steps:
1. Click on the File menu
2. Select Download > Web Page (.html, zipped)
3. Download the zipped file, unzip it by double-clicking on it, and open it
4. Open the images subfolder to see all the downloaded images of your Google Docs.
Here the images were saved in jpg format but you could choose to convert those jpg files into png.
Pros
Very efficient process, especially if you want to save all images in your Google Docs in batch
Cons
If you just want to save one picture and there are many pictures in the article, this solution may not be very efficient as you’ll need to find the picture you’re looking for within the “image[x].jpg” that Google has created, and – in case you like to keep things in order – delete the images you’re not using
Publish the Document and Save Image to the Web
This is an easy alternative to downloading images using the web page download feature, although it takes a few more seconds and doesn’t allow you to download images in batch.
Google Docs’s Publish to Web feature allows you to publish your Google Docs on the internet so that anyone with a link to see it can see it. Essentially, it converts your Google Docs page into a lightweight webpage. Once you’ve converted the Google Docs page into a webpage it then becomes easy to download images from it using your mouse’s right-click.
Let’s see how it works.
1. Open File > Share > Publish to web
2. Click on the “Publish to web” blue button and confirm your action.
3. Now that your Google Docs is accessible through a public link, copy-paste that link in your browser.
4. Pick any photo on that webpage and right-click on it: you’ll be able to see the “Save image as” option you’re used to.
💡 Once you have saved all the photos you want to save, don’t forget to unpublish the page in case you don’t want anyone with the link to access it. Of course, nobody is going to find that page by chance, but better be safe than sorry!
Pros
Allows you to pick which image you want to save
Fairly quick progress
Cons
Doesn’t allow you to save images in bulk
Using Google Keep to save images from Google Docs
Keep is Google’s note app and you can use it to save images from your Google Docs.
1. In your Google Docs, right-click on the image you want to save and find View more actions > Save to Keep
2. The Keep app will appear in the sidebar and it will also show the image you’ve just saved. You’ll be able to enter a title for it. But let’s not lose track of what we’re here: you can right click on the image app to save it, just like you would on the web.
Save Images From Google Docs by Taking a Screenshot
This option is pretty straightforward. You can take a screenshot of any photo in your Google Docs by using a print-screen command, and follow our recommendations to take high-quality screenshots.
In order to take a screenshot:
If you’re using a Mac, hit Shift + Command + 4 then select the part of the screen you’d like to take a screenshot of
If you’re using Windows, hit the PrtScr button, or use Control (Ctrl) + Print Screen
Pros
Very quick
Cons
You’ll have to rename the file to replace the default naming convention
You may not be able to easily keep the resolution of the original image you’ve taken a screenshot of
Since you’re taking a screenshot, you’ll have to carefully select the part of the screenshot you want to take a screenshot of, or crop it after taking the screenshot. Depending on your cropping skills, the image size you’ll get in the end will most likely be slightly different from the original one.
Save Google Docs Images using Word or LibreOffice
If you’re read the previous methods we’ve described, you won’t be surprised by the logic we use here. In this method, we export the Google Docs document to a docx file. We can then open that file using Word or LibreOffice and save any image we want. Let’s get into the details.
1. Go to File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx)
2. Save the file on your computer: this will convert your document in Google Docs into a Word (.docx) file
3. Open the Word document you’ve just saved using Microsoft Word, LibreOffice or any similar word processing application, right-click on any image and select “Save as picture” or “Save”.
4. Click on “File type” to choose your preferred image file extension (png, jpeg, svg, etc). You may prefer to choose png over jpg if your image is text-heavy.
Note that it’s possible to use Word or LibreOffice to batch save images, but this requires saving the docx file into an htm document. This is an extra step and the Download as web page method described earlier is a lot quicker.
Pros
Doesn’t require you to install a third-party app as you should already have a Word-compatible text editor installed on your computer
Cons
We noticed a loss in image quality when saving Google Docs images into Word
The aforementioned methods are quicker than this one
Batch saving images requires an extra step
Use a Third-Party Google Docs add-on
Still looking for an alternative solution to download images from Google Docs? Image Extractor & Remove for Docs is a Google Docs add-on that was built for that purpose.
1. Before you can use it, you’ll need to install it. Go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get Add-ons
2. Search for “Images Extractor & Remover for Docs”, install it and give it the right permissions
3. Once you have installed it, open it by going to Extensions > Images Extractor & Remover for Docs > Start
4. Select “Extract images to Drive”
5. The tool will then proceed to extract all images in your Google Docs
Pros
Images are downloaded to Google Drive
Allows you to download images from Google Docs in batch (up to 4 in free version)
This add-on has other functionalities such as the ability to extract GIF, to remove images and to automatically zip them
Cons
This tool is limited to up to 4 images download at-a-time in the free version
This add-on requires permission to see, edit, create, and delete all of your Google Drive files, which we found too intrusive.
If your goal is to save the images within your Desktop, you’ll have to manually save them from Google Drive into your Desktop.
The app doesn’t allow you to choose a particular Google Docs image to save
How to Download Images From Google Docs on a Mobile
So far we’ve focused on methods that can be used on a Desktop to download images from Google Docs. But what if you were trying to do so on an iPhone or an Android?
💡On both iPhone or Android, you could take a screenshot of the Google Docs image you’re interested in saving in your phone. This method presents several major drawbacks such as the difficulty to take screenshots of large images, and the resulting loss in image quality. If the image fits the screen of your phone and if image quality isn’t a concern, feel free to use this method. In the rest of this section, we’ll focus on alternative methods.
How to save images from Google Docs on an iPhone
Method 1: Saving images from Google Docs using the Notes app on iPhone
💡 This method only applies if you’re using iOS version 15 or later, so feel free to skip to Method 2 if you’re using an older version. If you don’t know which version of Operating System (OS) you’re using, check Settings > General > About on your iPhone. The “Software Version” line shows you which version you’re currently using.
Since the release of iOS 15 in September 2021, it’s been much easier to download images from Google Docs to your iPhone. So, assuming you’re using iOS 15 and you have at least 2 fingers, this is how it goes:
1. Open the Google Docs document you’d like to save an image from
2. Using a finger, tap on the image you’re trying to save an hold and drag it away from its position
3. Using another finger, swipe up in order to see the home screen of your iPhone
4. Drag and drop the image into the Photos app
That’s all!
Pros
Very easy
No need to download any app
Image quality is preserved
Cons
You’ll need iOS 15 or later
Method 2: Saving images from Google Docs using the Notes app on iPhone
1. Open the Google Docs using the Google Docs app on your iPhone
2. Long-tap on the image you’re trying to save until the contextual menu shows up
3. Tap on the “Copy” button
4. Go to the Notes app on your phone. If you don’t know how to find it, go to your iPhone’s home screen, swipe down, search for “Notes” in the search field at the top and click on the Notes app that shows up
5. Create a new Note by clicking on the Write icon at the bottom right of your screen
6. Long-tap on the page until you see the contextual menu, then select Paste.
7. The image that you’ve previously copied will now show up in Notes
8. Long-tap on the image until you see the “Share” button
9. Select “Save Image”
10. Your image will now be saved in your iPhone’s Photos app.
Pros
Doesn’t require any extra application
Fairly easy
Cons
Image size compression: after checking for the image size on our iPhone, we noticed that it went from 1.7MB in the original file, to 169KB in the file saved in the iPhone’s Photos app.
No way to batch-save images
Method 3: Saving images from Google Docs by creating a web link on iPhone
1. Open the Google Docs using the Google Docs app on your iPhone
2. Tap on the 3 horizontal dots at the top-right of your screen
3. Select “Share and export”
4. Tap on “Copy link”
5. Open your iphone’s browser (ex: Safari), tap on the search field and click on “Paste and Search” or “Paste” then in the blue “go” button
6. You’ll now see your Google Docs on a web page. You can then select any image you’d like, right click on it and select “Add to Photos”
Pros
Doesn’t require any extra application
No need to repeat the task if new images are added to the original Google Docs: you’ll still be able to see them in the web link you’ve created
Cons
Huge image size compression resulting in quality loss. We checked how much space the image is taking on the iPhone and noticed it shrinked from the original 1.7MB to only 27KB. The image is noticeably pixelated.
Not as quick as the previous method
How to save images from Google Docs on an Android phone
Method 1: Saving images from Google Docs by exporting as zipped html on Android
Saving images from Google Docs on an Android phone is not extremely difficult but requires a bit more steps than on an iPhone. Note that it requires you to save all images in your Google Docs document at the same time.
1. Open the Google Docs app on your Android phone
2. Within the document, tap on the 3 dots at the top right of the screen
3. Select “Share and export” then select “Send a copy”
4. You will then have the choice to choose a format: pick “.html, zipped” and hit OK
5. After choosing a name for the file, select where you’d like to save it in Google Drive
6. Go to your Drive app, find the zip file you’ve just saved
7. Tap on the 3 vertical dots to display the menu and choose “Download”
8. Open the zipped file using the Files app or any other similar file manager, then extract the images from the zip file.
9. You’ll now be able to view all the images in your original document.
Pros
This method allows you to batch download all images in your Google Docs
Cons
This method doesn’t allow you to choose between individual and batch download of images. You are required to download all of them at the same time.
Method 2: Saving images from Google Docs by creating a web link on Android
Similar to iOS, you can create a shareable web link on your Android phone, then download images one-by-one from the web link onto your phone.
1. Open the Google Docs document in the app on Android phone.
2. Tap on the three dots at the top right of your screen and select “Share & export”.
3. Enable link sharing by clicking on the toggle, then copy the link that shows up
4. Open a browser (ex: Chrome) on your Android phone and paste the link.
5. Long-press on any image you’d like to save and select “Download image” from the menu to save it on your phone
Pros
This method allows you to save a particular image on your phone
Cons
This method doesn’t allow you to batch save images from a Google Docs
Huge image size compression resulting in quality loss. We checked how much space the image is taking on the Andriod and noticed it shrinked from the original 1.7MB to only 43.4KB. The image is noticeably pixelated.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap! In this article, we’ve reviewed different ways to extract images from Google Docs on Desktop, iPhone and Android. If we were to pick the easiest solution for each platform, here’s what we’d go for:
On Desktop: download the Google Docs document as a web page
On iPhone: copy-paste images into the iPhone’s Notes app
3. Download the zipped file, unzip it by double-clicking on it, and open it
4. Open the images subfolder to see all the downloaded images of your Google Docs.
Here the images were saved in jpg format but you could choose to convert those jpg files into png.
2. Click on the “Publish to web” blue button and confirm your action.
3. Now that your Google Docs is accessible through a public link, copy-paste that link in your browser.
4. Pick any photo on that webpage and right-click on it: you’ll be able to see the “Save image as” option you’re used to.
2. The Keep app will appear in the sidebar and it will also show the image you’ve just saved. You’ll be able to enter a title for it. But let’s not lose track of what we’re here: you can right click on the image app to save it, just like you would on the web.
2. Save the file on your computer: this will convert your document in Google Docs into a Word (.docx) file
3. Open the Word document you’ve just saved using Microsoft Word, LibreOffice or any similar word processing application, right-click on any image and select “Save as picture” or “Save”.
4. Click on “File type” to choose your preferred image file extension (png, jpeg, svg, etc). You may prefer to choose png over jpg if your image is text-heavy.
Note that it’s possible to use Word or LibreOffice to batch save images, but this requires saving the docx file into an htm document. This is an extra step and the Download as web page method described earlier is a lot quicker.
2. Using a finger, tap on the image you’re trying to save an hold and drag it away from its position
3. Using another finger, swipe up in order to see the home screen of your iPhone
4. Drag and drop the image into the Photos app
That’s all!
2. Long-tap on the image you’re trying to save until the contextual menu shows up
3. Tap on the “Copy” button
4. Go to the Notes app on your phone. If you don’t know how to find it, go to your iPhone’s home screen, swipe down, search for “Notes” in the search field at the top and click on the Notes app that shows up
5. Create a new Note by clicking on the Write icon at the bottom right of your screen
6. Long-tap on the page until you see the contextual menu, then select Paste.
7. The image that you’ve previously copied will now show up in Notes
8. Long-tap on the image until you see the “Share” button
9. Select “Save Image”
10. Your image will now be saved in your iPhone’s Photos app.
2. Tap on the three dots at the top right of your screen and select “Share & export”.
3. Enable link sharing by clicking on the toggle, then copy the link that shows up
4. Open a browser (ex: Chrome) on your Android phone and paste the link.
5. Long-press on any image you’d like to save and select “Download image” from the menu to save it on your phone
