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# Create Standalone Google Apps!
- URL: https://www.jeffsu.org/productivity-ping-67/
- Published: 2023-01-20T01:00:50.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-05T13:11:08.000Z
- Description: #67
- Author: Jeff
- Tags: #newsletter, Google Docs

*(you can* [*filter previous editions*](https://www.jeffsu.org/filter-previous-editions-by-app/) *by application!)*

## 🤔 What is it?

My colleagues get super confused whenever I tell them I use standalone apps for Google Meet and Chat:

*“Jeff, you literally click the Meet link from Google Calendar and it opens up a new tab, it’s already frictionless”*

**Technically true, but can you tell why I do it from this gif below?**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2023/01/CleanShot-2023-01-19-at-20.19.07.gif)

Using a standalone Google Meet app instead of the web version

### If you answered “because it makes switching tabs easier”

…then you would be correct!

When I’m presenting my screen, I like to be able to quickly switch between windows using CMD+Tab (Alt+Tab for windows)

## 📸 Instructions

First, go to any Google product on the web (let’s use Google Docs as an example) > 3 dots > More Tools > Create Shortcut

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2023/01/image-35.png)

Name your standalone app and check “Open as window”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2023/01/image-36.png)

Another benefit of using standalone apps is you’re able to really focus on 1 document without the distraction of all your other Chrome tabs!

💡

****Pro tip:** This works for most of the Google apps (although I mainly use Meet and Chat)

## ⌨️ Keyboard shortcut

- Ctrl + ⌘ + h to raise your hand in Google Meet (ctrl + alt + h for Windows)

[Take me to the comments!](https://www.jeffsu.org/productivity-ping-67/#ghost-comments-root)

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