Downloading a photo from a Google Doc isn’t as simple as right-clicking and saving—it just doesn’t work that way inside Docs. Whether you’re on a web browser or the Google Docs mobile app, there’s no quick one-click option. Instead, you’ll need to use a few workarounds—like saving the image through Google Keep, exporting the document as a web page, copying it into another app, or taking a screenshot—to get the photo onto your device. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with clear step-by-step methods that make the process easy.

Download an Image from Google Docs on a Web Browser (Mac/Windows)

Method 1: Screenshot (Quick & Universal)

If you only need a fast copy of an image and don’t care about original resolution, you can always take a screenshot.

Mac: Press Command + Shift + 4, then drag to select the area around the image. The screenshot will save to your preferred destination.
Windows: Press Windows Key + Shift + S to open Snip & Sketch, then drag to capture the image. The screenshot will be copied to your clipboard — paste it into Paint or save it directly.

Method 2: Save via Google Keep (Best for Single Images)

Open your Google Doc in Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Right-click the image you want to save and scroll down to View more actions.

Select “Save to Keep.” A Keep sidebar will appear on the right with the image you have selected.

In the Keep panel, right-click the image → “Save image as…”

Choose your folder and save the photo to your computer.

Method 3: Download All Images at Once (Best for Multiple Images)

In your Doc, go to the menu and click File → Download → Web Page (.html, zipped).

A ZIP file will download to your computer via your browser download settings.

Open the ZIP and locate the images folder — every photo from the document will be saved there in its original quality.

Method 4: If the Image is a Google Drawing

Click the image → click the small dropdown/“Edit” that says Edit in Drawing.

In the Drawing window, open the File/Actions → Download menu → choose PNG/JPG.

Method 5: Copy and Paste into an Editor

Windows (Works reliably):

Right-click the image in Google Docs and choose Copy (or press Ctrl + C).
Open an editor like Paint, Word, or Photoshop.
Paste the image (Ctrl + V).
Go to File → Save As and choose your preferred format (PNG or JPG).

Mac (Does not work directly in Preview):
Google Docs doesn’t copy the raw image data to your clipboard, so you can’t use New from Clipboard in Preview.

Instead, use one of these options:

Save via Google Keep (right-click → Save to Keep → save from Keep sidebar).
Download as Web Page (.html, zipped) to extract all images at once.
Screenshot if you only need a quick copy of one image.

https://youtu.be/Xl0pwgVJAU4

Download an Image from Google Docs in the Mobile App (iPhone/Android)

The Google Docs app doesn’t have a built-in “Save image” option. Use these reliable workarounds instead.

Method 1: Screenshot (fastest)

iPhone/iPad: Press Side button + Volume Up → tap the screenshot preview → crop → Done → Save to Photos.

Android: Press Power + Volume Down → open the screenshot → crop → Save.
Quick and universal, but not original resolution.

Method 2: Export to Word (.docx), then copy → paste to a note → save to Photos/Gallery

iPhone/iPad

In the Google Docs app, on the file tile tap ⋯ → Send a copy → Word (.docx) → OK.

When the iOS Options menu appears, choose Pages (Must be installed on phone, will open automatically if so).

In Pages, tap the image → Copy.

Open the Notes app → create a new note → Paste.

Tap the pasted image → Share (square with arrow) → Save Image.

\> The image is now saved in Photos.

Android (Two reliable paths)

Option A — Word → OneNote (works broadly)

In the Google Docs app: ⋯ → Share & export → Send a copy → Word (.docx) → Save to device/Downloads.
Open the file in Microsoft Word (Android).
Tap the image → Copy.
Open Microsoft OneNote → new page → long-press → Paste (image appears inline).
Long-press the pasted image → choose Open in Gallery/Share → save to your device (Photos/Gallery/Downloads, label varies). :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Option B — Word → Samsung Notes (for Samsung devices)

Export the .docx as above, open in Microsoft Word (Android).
Tap the image → Copy.
Open Samsung Notes → new note → long-press → Paste (image).
Tap the image → ⋮ → Save to Gallery (or Share → Save image).
Menu names can vary by device/Notes version.

If paste doesn’t appear in your notes app: try using OneNote (Option A), enable Gboard clipboard, or fall back to your Method 3 (mobile browser desktop-site + ZIP) for full-quality extraction.

Method 3: Get full-quality images using your mobile browser (no computer needed)

This method is a bit complicated, but works on iPad (Safari desktop site) and many Android phones (Chrome desktop site). On iPhone, this may be inconsistent; re-requesting desktop site often helps.

On your phone, open docs.google.com in:
- iOS: Safari or Chrome

Android: Chrome
Sign in to your Google account.

You may land on a Google Workspace splash/home page. Request the desktop site:
- iPhone/iPad (Safari): Tap aA in the address bar → Request Desktop Website

Android (Chrome): Tap ⋮ → Desktop site

Your Google Docs homepage loads. On the file you want:
- Tap the ⋮ (three dots) on the file tile → Open in new tab.

Switch to that new tab. Request Desktop Website again (same controls as step 2) and then rotate your phone to landscape so the full Docs page renders cleanly.

In the document, open the top menu: File → Download → Web Page (.html, zipped) → Download.
A .zip file is saved to your phone’s Downloads folder.

Unzip on your phone:
- iPhone/iPad: Open Files → go to Downloads → tap the ZIP to extract → open the new folder → images.

Android: Open Files by Google (or your file manager) → tap the ZIP → Extract → open the images folder.

Inside images folder, tap the photo you want to save:
- iPhone/iPad: Tap Share (square with an arrow) → Save Image (saves to Photos).

Android: Open the image → tap ⋮ / Share / Download (label varies) → save to Gallery/Photos or Downloads.

All embedded images will be inside the images folder at the stored quality.
Tip: If you don’t see File → Download, refresh after re-requesting the desktop site. If it still doesn’t appear, the doc’s owner may have disabled download/print/copy for your access level.

Tip: For one quick image, use Screenshot. For best quality (or many images), use the mobile browser desktop-site + ZIP method. The Word/Pages route is a solid middle ground that stays entirely on mobile.

Tips for Best Results

Need original resolution for many images? Use the Web page (.html) ZIP method on desktop.
Need one image quickly on desktop? Use Save to Keep.
On mobile, screenshots are the fastest; for cleaner results, use copy → paste to Notes/Gmail → save.

✅ Pro tip: If you need just one image quickly, use Keep (desktop) or a screenshot (mobile). If you need all images at once, the Web Page (.html) method on desktop gives you everything in one folder at full quality.

Conclusion

And that’s it! Even though Google Docs doesn’t have a simple “save image” button, these quick tricks make it easy to grab any photo you need, whether you’re on desktop or mobile.

✨ HELPFUL LINKS ✨

https://docs.google.com/

https://downloadsurfer.short.gy/download

https://downloadsurfer.short.gy/store

How to Download an Image from Google Docs (Web Browser or Mobile App)

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