Google announced this week that its G Suite apps for Android, which includes Docs, Sheets, and Slides, are getting native editing Office capabilities (via Thurrott). Native Office editing first came to G Suite on the web last year, making it easier for users of Google’s popular web apps to open and edit Microsoft Office files with real-time collaboration tools.
Until now, editing Office files using the G Suite apps for Android was supported through QuickOffice, a solution which has more limited functionality and collaboration capabilities. “Office editing will make it easy for G Suite users to open and edit Microsoft Office files that have been shared by partners, vendors or other teams. In cases where some members of your organization use Office while others use G Suite, this ensures seamless collaboration and eliminates the need to consider or convert file types,” Google explained.
Native Office editing on Android will be available to all G Suite customers as well as users with personal Google Accounts. With Google’s Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps being preinstalled on Android, users may now be a little less tempted to install Microsoft’s free Office apps to edit Office files. However, both Microsoft Excel and Word have now crossed more than 1 billion downloads on the Google Play Store, and the company’s Office suite remains incredibly competitive on mobile devices.
