Edit Microsoft Office files using Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Did you know you can now edit Microsoft Office files in G Suite without converting them from their native format?

This is BIG NEWS for corporate users that are required to use Microsoft Office but want the flexibility to share and collaborate on files with their colleagues.

With Office editing, you can now edit, comment, and collaborate on Microsoft Office files using Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. This feature brings the collaboration benefits of G Suite to Office files while streamlining workflows by eliminating the need to convert file types.

How to get started:

• In Google Drive, double-click your Office file. This will open a preview of the file. 
• At the top, click Open in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. 
• From here, you can edit, share, view version history, collaborate in real-time with others, and more. 
• All changes you make will be saved to the original Office file. 

Additional details:

The following Office file types are supported: 

• Word files: .doc, .docx, .dot 
• Excel files: .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm (macro enabled Excel files), .xlt 
• Powerpoint files: .ppt, .pptx, .pps, .pot 

Note: If you edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents older than Office 2007, files will be saved to a newer format when editing using Office editing.

Potential Issue:  If you have installed the Office compatibility app in Chrome, you may experience issues using this feature.  Use the following steps to remove this extension from Chrome if you have it installed:

1. Click the Chrome menu icon   while signed in to your managed Google Account.
2. Scroll down to More tools.
3. Click Extensions.
4. Find the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides extension and click Remove.