You Can Now Edit Microsoft Office Files in Google Docs

Google announced on Wednesday that users Google Docs users can now edit Microsoft Office files through the cloud-based platform, a move that eliminates the limitations of making Docs a full-time home office option.

Google also announced on Wednesday during its I/O Developers Conference that users can now open Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and save them in their native formats via its suite of cloud-based software.

This means you'll be able to view, create and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations on both mobile devices and the desktop. There's offline support too, so users can make edits or start from scratch without an Internet connection and then sync up later.

Google Docs users will have ability to save and edit any type of file, including old Microsoft Office files, and convert them to Google Docs. There's also a new 'suggest edit' mode that tracks collaborators suggestions in documents and users can decide to accept or reject them along the way.

While Google Docs was available on mobile before, the Slides app is new, as is the Microsoft Office editing functions (on mobile and desktop) for the Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps. Updates to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are already available via the Apple App Store and Google Play.

When Docs launched as a cloud solution for the home office, not everyone considered it a viable option to create documents, but Google says it's seen strong growth over the years and now has more than 190 million active users.

To get old files off of a desktop computer, download the Google Drive folder, and then drag and drop files into it. Files are automatically synced to the cloud, which means you can access them via Docs, Sheets and Slides on whatever device you choose. Previously, this was limited to the desktop.

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