How To Remove Header In Google Docs

This article explains how to remove and add headers in Google Docs. Information applies to the Google Docs apps for web browsers, Android phones and tablets, and iOS devices.

What to Know

• In the web app, go to Format > Headers & footers > Remove header. On mobile, manually delete the text.To add a header in a web browser, go to the Insert tab > Headers & footers > Header.In the mobile app, tap Edit > More, enable Print Layout, enter the header text, then turn off Print Layout.

How to Remove a Header in Google Docs

Google Docs automatically removes the header text with one command in the web app. However, when you use a mobile app and want to remove a header, you’ll need to delete the text.

Remove a Google Docs Header In the Web App

Select the header you want to remove. Then, select the Options drop-down arrow, and choose Remove header. Alternatively, you can go to Format > Headers & footers > Remove header.

If the document has a first page header or odd and even headers, each of those headers needs to be deleted individually.

Delete a Google Docs Header in Android and iOS

There isn’t an automatic way to remove a header in a Google Docs document if you use the mobile apps. Instead, use the Delete or Backspace key, or select the text and use the Cut option on Android and iOS devices.

• Tap More (the three horizontal stacked dots), then turn on the Print Layout toggle switch.
• Tap the header area of the page that has a header you want to delete.
• Select the header text.
• Tap Cut.
• Tap a blank area of the document to exit the header.

What Is a Header in Google Docs?

A header in a Google Docs document can contain a variety of information. You can add page numbers, a document title, author information, or anything else inside the top margin of every page.

Tap More (the three horizontal stacked dots), then turn on the Print Layout toggle switch.

Tap the header area of the page that has a header you want to delete.

Select the header text.

Tap Cut.

Tap a blank area of the document to exit the header.

How to Add a Header in Google Docs

Headers can be added to every page in a document. These headers can be the same on every page, or you can use a different header on the first page or different headers on even and odd pages. Entering text in the header is like adding text to the main document.

Add a Header to a Google Doc In the Web App

The easiest way to add a header to a document in Google Docs is to do it while using the browser-based app. To insert a header in Google Docs from a web browser:

• Open the document in Google Docs. It should automatically open to the first page of the document, but if it doesn’t, scroll to the top of the document.
• Go to the Insert tab, select Headers & footers, then choose Header.
• The header area for the selected page appears in the document.
• To display a different header on the first page, select the Different first page check box. To use different headers on odd and even pages, select the Options drop-down arrow and choose Header format.
• Enter the header text.
• Use the text formatting tools to change the text alignment, size, font, and text color.
• Go to the Insert tab to add page numbers, images, and special characters to a header.
• Select a blank area of the document to exit the header.
• If your document has a different header on the first page, select the header area on the second page to enter the header text for the other pages in the document.
• If your document uses different even and odd page headers, the header appears on the odd pages. Select a header on an even-numbered page and enter the header text for all even pages.

Add a Header to a Google Doc in Android and iOS

There aren’t as many options when adding a header to a Google Docs document in the mobile apps. In the mobile apps, set a header for the first page, then set a header for the other pages in the document.

Open the document in Google Docs. It should automatically open to the first page of the document, but if it doesn’t, scroll to the top of the document.

Go to the Insert tab, select Headers & footers, then choose Header.

The header area for the selected page appears in the document.

To display a different header on the first page, select the Different first page check box. To use different headers on odd and even pages, select the Options drop-down arrow and choose Header format.

Enter the header text. 

Use the text formatting tools to change the text alignment, size, font, and text color.

Go to the Insert tab to add page numbers, images, and special characters to a header.

Select a blank area of the document to exit the header.

If your document has a different header on the first page, select the header area on the second page to enter the header text for the other pages in the document.

If your document uses different even and odd page headers, the header appears on the odd pages. Select a header on an even-numbered page and enter the header text for all even pages.

• Open the document in the Google Docs app and display the first page of the document.
• Tap Edit (the pencil icon).
• Tap More (the three horizontal stacked dots), then turn on the Print Layout toggle switch.
• Tap the header area of the page.
• Enter the header text. This header text appears on the first page only.
• Use the tools in the formatting toolbar to change the font, text size, text color, and alignment.
• Scroll to the second page and add the header that will appear on all other pages in the document.
• Turn off Print Layout when you’re satisfied with the header.

Open the document in the Google Docs app and display the first page of the document.

Tap Edit (the pencil icon).

Tap the header area of the page.

Enter the header text. This header text appears on the first page only.

Use the tools in the formatting toolbar to change the font, text size, text color, and alignment.

Scroll to the second page and add the header that will appear on all other pages in the document.

Turn off Print Layout when you’re satisfied with the header.

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