Google Launches Offline Docs Apps For iPhone And Android

Google has launched standalone mobile applications for its Docs and Sheets office tools for iPhone, iPad and Android, allowing users to edit, create and comment on documents and spreadsheets offline.

The two apps are available to download from the Google Play and App Store immediately, and will soon be joined by an app for Slides, Google’s answer to Microsoft’s  PowerPoint.

Google Docs apps

Document editing and creation has been previously possible on both platforms through the Google Drive app, but this requires an Internet connection. With the new applications, users will be presented with their most recently edited documents, and files will be automatically saved to Google Drive as you type.

The Google Drive App will continue to be offered alongside the new applications, allowing users to organise files stored via the cloud service.

“Every year, phones and tablets get better, and more of you are starting to use your mobile devices not just to view, but also to create and edit content,” says Google. “And while the Drive app is a convenient place to store your stuff, we want to make it easier for you to quickly find, edit and create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on the go.”

Docs, Sheets and Slides will compete against Microsoft’s recently launched Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications for iPhone and iPad as well as Apple’s iWork suite of apps.

The increasingly platform-neutral approach by both Google and Microsoft is indicative of the former’s desire to secure users for its services, as well as the latter’s desire to shift more Office 365 licenses and attract users to its competing OneDrive cloud storage platform.

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