I’ve been a fan of Google Docs for years. The collaboration features are unmatched—being able to edit documents together, leave comments, and see changes in real time has fundamentally changed how I work with others. It’s one of those rare tools that genuinely makes teamwork easier and better.

But as the product has evolved, it’s started to feel… heavier. I understand why Google has pushed for feature parity with Microsoft Word—adding formatting controls, layout options, and advanced styles. But sometimes I just want all that to go away.

I don’t want to think about margins or font types or line spacing. I don’t want to scroll through menus or figure out why one paragraph has a different style from the next. I just want to write.

What I wish Google Docs had is something I’d call “Simple Mode.” Imagine a stripped-down, markdown-style editor. Bold, italics, headers, bullet points, maybe tables—and that’s it. A mode where all the formatting complexity is hidden and the focus is on the words. When I change the font, it changes everywhere. When I write, I don’t have to worry about what’s happening behind the scenes with styles or layout. Just text on a page.

Yes, I know you can try to define a default font style. I know you can mess with the margins and zoom levels. But it never quite works right. Styles don’t apply consistently, margins are finicky, and the moment I copy-paste something in, the formatting gremlins return.

I don’t need this mode for everything. I understand that many people are using Docs to produce polished, formatted documents. But for drafting, note-taking, or just getting thoughts down—this would be such a welcome relief.

So if any of my old colleagues at Google are reading this: here’s an idea I’d love to see. A simple writing mode. One that gets everything else out of the way and just lets me focus on the words.

I promise I’d use it all the time.