Press Space.
See the document.
Real Quick Look previews for Google Workspace files on macOS.
macOS 14 and later · one-time purchase · free tier included
Google Drive turns your files into blobs
When you sync Google Drive to a Mac, Workspace files download as tiny stub files that hold only a document ID. Press Space in Finder and macOS shows you the raw JSON inside. Spyglass shows the real document instead.
Six stub types: .gdoc .gsheet .gslides .gdraw .gform .gsite
{
"url": "https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AbC.../edit",
"doc_id": "1AbC2dEfGh3IjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz",
"email": "you@gmail.com",
"resource_key": ""
}A blob of JSON. No title, no content, nothing useful.
Q3 Planning Notes
Google Docs · owned by you@gmail.com
The real first page, the title, the owner, and a link to open it.
What Spyglass does
Spyglass is a Quick Look extension plus a small menu-bar app for macOS 14 and later. It plugs into the same Space-bar preview you already use in Finder. No new app to open, no window to manage. Select a stub file, press Space, and see the document.
No sign-in
A branded info card for all six file types. Document icon, title, owner, and a link to open it on Google. Instant, offline, no account. This is the whole free app, not a trial.
Rendered previews
Rendered first-page previews for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. Spyglass fetches the document's export from Google Drive and draws it. If you are not signed in or the network is slow, it falls back to the free info card. Never blank, never hangs.
Forms and Sites cannot be exported, so they always show the info card.
Free vs Paid
The free tier is fully usable on its own. Paid adds rendered previews.
| Feature | Free | Paid · $9 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $9 one-time |
| File types covered | All six | All six |
| Works offline | Yes | Info card only |
| Sign-in needed | No | Yes, for previews |
| Rendered previews | Info card | Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings |
| Delivery | Direct download | License key on Gumroad |
Why Spyglass needs Google access
Rendered previews need to read the document from your Google Drive. That is the only reason Spyglass asks to sign in. Here is exactly what it does and does not do.
-
Read-only
Spyglass uses the
drive.readonlyscope. It cannot edit, delete, or share your files. It can only read them to draw the preview. -
Used only to render previews
Access is used for one thing: fetching the document export so Spyglass can show the first page. Nothing else.
-
Stays on your Mac
Previews are cached locally on your machine. There is no Spyglass server. Your documents are never uploaded to us or to any third party.
-
Email only to show the account
Your email is used only to display which Google account is signed in. It is not sent anywhere.
-
Reversible
Sign out at any time. Doing so clears the stored tokens and revokes the grant at Google.
Full details in the Privacy Policy.
How the license works
Buy on Gumroad
Pay $9 once through the secure Gumroad checkout. No subscription, no account with us.
Receive your key
Gumroad emails you a license key right after purchase.
Paste it in the app
Open the Spyglass menu-bar app, paste the key, and rendered previews unlock.
Specs
Requires
macOS 14+
Price
$9 one-time
Subscription
None
Free tier
Included
Questions
Is my data safe?
Yes. Spyglass requests read-only access with the drive.readonly scope, so it can never edit, delete, or share anything. Previews are cached only on your Mac. There is no server and your documents are never uploaded to us or any third party. See the full Privacy Policy for details.
What do I get for free?
The free tier shows a branded info card for all six stub types. You get the document icon, title, owner, and a link to open it on Google. It works instantly, offline, with no sign-in. It is a complete app, not a trial.
How do I unlock the paid features?
Buy Spyglass on Gumroad for $9. You get a license key by email. Paste the key into the Spyglass menu-bar app and sign in with Google, and rendered previews turn on. One payment, no subscription.
Which file types work?
All six Google Drive stub types: .gdoc, .gsheet, .gslides, .gdraw, .gform, and .gsite. Rendered previews cover Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. Forms and Sites cannot be exported by Google, so they always show the info card.
Does it work offline?
The free info card works fully offline. Rendered previews need a connection to fetch the document from Google Drive. If you are offline or the network is slow, Spyglass falls back to the info card, so a preview never hangs or comes up blank.
Stop previewing JSON.
Start seeing your documents.
Free to start. $9 once to unlock rendered previews for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings.