Google said this week that it is bringing native Microsoft Office editing capabilities to the mobile versions of its productivity apps.

“We’re making [Microsoft] Office editing available on Android,” a G Suite Updates post reads. “This feature brings the collaborative and assistive features of G Suite to your Microsoft Office files when you’re using your Android device.”

Google added native support for Microsoft Office documents to its web-based versions of Docs, Sheets, and Slides back in April 2019. But its mobile productivity apps had been using a QuickOffice-based solution for editing, which Google says has more limited functionality and collaboration capabilities.

With this change, users of Docs, Sheets, and Slides—and seriously, Google needs a name for this suite of solutions—can now edit, comment, and collaborate on Microsoft Office files using real-time collaboration tools. The change also provides improved sharing options and controls, and it reduces the need to download and email file attachments, or convert file types.

Native Microsoft Office editing capabilities are rolling out to Docs, Sheets, and Slides for both commercial G Suite customers and those with personal Google accounts.

Tagged with Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides