How to Delete a Blank Page in Google Docs on Desktop and Mobile

Have you ever wondered why some documents have excessive blank spaces or blank pages? It could be due to a forgotten page or a rogue setting. To fix this, here are simple ways to delete unwanted blank pages in Google Docs.

Deleting a page is simple, but complications can arise if a problem with your document’s settings is causing the appearance of empty space. Furthermore, a blank page may not actually be blank. Therefore, is there a way to check and delete blank pages in Google Docs? Read on to find out.Note: Before you start, make sure you’re signed in to your Google account.

How to Remove Empty Pages From Google Docs Mobile App

The Google Docs mobile app, while not as comprehensive as the desktop version, is still effective. Here are 2 simple methods to delete a page using the app.

1. Use the Delete Button

The first and basic way to delete a blank page in the Google Docs mobile app is by selecting and deleting the page. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the Google Docs app.

Step 2: Open your document and tap on the pencil icon.

Step 3: Select the space you wish to delete.

Step 4: On your mobile keyboard, tap the delete button.

To delete extra space or pages in the document, follow these steps:

1. Delete all extra space or pages within the document.

2. Repeat these steps to delete any additional pages in the document.

By following these steps, you can delete any unnecessary content from the document.

2. Edit Document Margins (iPhone only)

Exclusive to iOS, you can change your document’s margins on your mobile. This way, you can remove any extra spaces in the doc caused by larger margins. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Go to Google Docs, open the relevant document, and tap the pencil icon.

Step 2: Tap the menu icon.

Step 3: Tap on Page setup, then Margins.

Step 4: Select the desired margin from the options.

Once the margins are adjusted, the blank space will disappear from the document in Google Docs.

How to Delete a Blank Page in Google Docs Web App

Using Google Docs web app, there are several ways to eliminate a blank page. Options include using the Delete key, adjusting page breaks, and changing margins.

1. Use the Delete Option

If your Google Docs blank page won’t delete using the Backspace key, try using the Delete key instead. To do this, select the area and press delete. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the relevant document in Google Docs.

Step 2: Go to the top of the page you want to delete.

Step 3: Select the entire page or the desired portion to delete.

Step 4: Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the blank page. Repeat the process to delete any additional pages.

2. Change Custom Spacing Settings

Sometimes, Google Docs can add space after each paragraph, resulting in an extra blank page. To prevent this, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Docs and go to your document.

2. Click on Format in the menu bar.

3. Go to ‘Line & paragraph spacing’ and select Custom spacing.

Step 3: For Paragraph spacing, set the Before and After values to 0.

Step 4: Click Apply.

This will remove any extra space in your document. To remove spaces for other paragraphs, repeat the steps mentioned above.

3. Delete Unwanted Page Breaks

In Google Docs, page breaks are used to end any page. However, this can also create extra blank spaces in the document. To get rid of this, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Google Docs, go to your document, and click on View.

Step 2: Uncheck the ‘Show print layout’ option. This will make the page break visible.

Step 3: Place your cursor above the page break, select the area, and delete it or press the Backspace key.

Once the page break is deleted, the blank space will go away. Any text after the page break will be aligned with the rest of the text. Alternatively, you can switch to pageless documents to avoid using page breaks.

4. Change Document Margins

Margins prevent text from merging with the document boundaries, but super-long margins can leave extra blank spaces. To fix this, follow these steps to change the margin settings in Google Docs.

Note: Changing the margins will affect the entire document.

Step 1: Open the document in Google Docs and click File.

Step 2: Scroll down and click Page setup.

Step 3: Change the Margins values to 1 or below. Step 4: Click OK.

You can also click ‘Set as default’ and then OK to make this the default margin setting for future documents. However, this will not affect previous documents.

All unwanted margins will be removed. You can refer to our guide for more information on changing margins in Google Docs.

5. Clear Document Formatting

If other solutions fail, you can clear document formatting to revert it to default settings. This will eliminate any settings causing the blank page. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the relevant document in Google Docs and go to Format.

Step 2: Choose Clear formatting. You can also use Ctrl + I (Windows) or Command + I (Mac) as a shortcut.

Note: Right-clicking on the page also gives you the Clear formatting option.

Once this is done, check if the blank page has been deleted from Google Docs.

6. Check for Hidden Tables

You may encounter blank pages in a document that contains tables with invisible borders. These hidden tables can cause your document text to be pushed down, resulting in a large empty space in between. To prevent this issue, follow these steps to check for hidden tables in Google Docs:

1. Open the document that you want to check and use your cursor to select the empty space.

2. If a table appears, click on it to reveal any hidden borders.

Step 3: From the Table properties panel, change the Table border size and color to make it visible.

If there is a hidden table, make it visible. To delete it, select the table and hit the Delete key.

7. Scan for Section Breaks

Section breaks can improve document formatting, but they can also create large blank spaces. If you’re unsure if a section break has been used in your current document, follow these steps to make it visible and delete them:

1. Open the document in Google Docs and click on View.

2. Ensure that the ‘Show section breaks’ option is checked.

You can check if your document has section breaks by clicking at the end of the paragraph above the section break and deleting it using the Delete key on your keyboard.

FAQs for Deleting a Page in Google Docs

1. Can I delete multiple pages at once in Google Docs?

Yes, select and press Backspace or Delete to delete multiple pages at once.

2. Is it possible to recover a deleted page in Google Docs?

Yes, besides ctrl + z (undo), you can restore a deleted page from the document version history.

3. Can I reset my margins in Google Docs?

You can reset margins by accessing File > Page setup and entering the previous margin values.

Get Rid of That Blank Page

Too much blank space can spoil the look of your document. Use the abovementioned ways to get rid of unnecessary blank spaces and pages in your Google Docs document.