Word Count on iPhone: Pages, Google Docs and Notes
Blog / WRITING APPS
On iPhone, Pages provides Show Word Count under View Options, while the Google Docs app provides Word count under More. For text drafted in Notes, a dependable workaround is to copy the desired passage into Pages, Google Docs, or a browser-based word counter.
Show the counter in Pages
Open your document, use the top-screen menu to reach View Options, and enable Show Word Count. Apple's guide explains that the counter appears near the bottom and can be repositioned.
Tap the counter to inspect other statistics, or select a passage to measure only that selection. For a grant proposal, select the project summary rather than accidentally counting the entire application document.
Open Word count in the Google Docs app
Open the document in the Google Docs iPhone app, tap More, and choose Word count. Google documents words, characters, and characters excluding spaces in this view.
Google says the default count excludes headers, footers, and footnotes unless you select a specific part. It also says word count is unavailable for documents opened in Microsoft Office Compatibility Mode.
Move Notes text into a verified counter
We could not verify a native Notes word-count command in current official instructions, so this guide does not promise a hidden Notes menu. Select and copy the passage, then paste it into a blank Pages or Google Docs document.
For a journal entry, copy only the prose you intend to measure. A pasted heading or checklist label changes the scope, while handwriting and text inside an image require separate attention before they can be counted as ordinary text.
Choose a repeatable workflow
For frequent drafting, use the same destination and selection rules each time. That is more useful than switching counters whenever their totals differ.
A browser counter can help with a quick, non-sensitive passage. For confidential material, follow your organization's data-handling rules and use an approved app rather than pasting it into an unfamiliar service.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pages count only selected text on iPhone?
Yes. Apple's guide says the counter updates to reflect selected text.
Where is word count in the Google Docs iPhone app?
Open a document, tap More, and select Word count.
How can I count a note without a Notes counter?
Copy the relevant text into Pages, Google Docs, or a suitable word counter and measure the pasted passage.