Google keeps improving its service day after day. Now, Gmail has made it easier to edit Microsoft Office documents within your email account.
Recently, Google has updated Gmail with a new feature which allows users to automatically open and edit Office files with Google Drive. Here is an official statement from Google:
“We realize that as a Docs user, you still sometimes have to work with different file types, so we often launch updates to make it a little smoother for you,” the company wrote on Google+. “It’s now even easier for you to edit Office files where you often come across them — as attachments in your email.”
When Office files are included in the email as attachments, Gmail now includes an “Edit with Google Docs” option. Selecting this option automatically converts the document and opens it in Docs, Sheets or Slides.
This option is not only convenient for those who don’t have Microsoft office installed, but also beneficial for collaboration as all changes are automatically synchronised to the cloud. All collaborators can manage on the most recent version of the document at any time.
Google also added support for 15 new Microsoft Office file types, including .pps and .ppsx presentation files, along with templates and macro-enabled files. The company has also improved the service’s ability to convert charts, tables and graphics within documents
Users who want to open and edit Microsoft Office files in Drive without converting the file type can also do so with the help of Office Editing for Docs, Sheets and Slides Chrome extension. The extension allows users to open and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in Google Drive, even if they don’t have Microsoft Office installed.