The Google Docs app for Android recently introduced the ability to directly create .docx files. This allows users to create Microsoft Word documents on their phones without needing to first create a Google Doc and then export it.
Enabling this feature is simple and only takes a few steps:
Prerequisites
To enable .docx creation, you will need:
- The Google Docs app installed on your Android device
- A Google account
That’s it! Now let’s look at how to turn on this capability.
Enable .docx Creation
- Open the Google Docs app on your Android device
- Tap the 3-line “hamburger” menu icon in the top left corner
- Select Settings
- Toggle the switch for Create Word files to the On position Create Word Files Setting
And that’s it! The Google Docs app is now enabled to create .docx files.
Create a New .docx File
To actually create a Word document:
- Open the Google Docs app
- Tap the + button in the bottom right to create a new document
- You should now see New Word file as an option alongside the existing New document option New Word File Option
- Tap New Word file
- The Google Docs editor will open up ready for you to start writing your document in .docx format
As you write your document, you’ll notice the file extension shown at the top is .docx rather than the standard .gdoc Google Docs format.
Collaboration and Sharing
An advantage of using Google Docs over desktop Word is easy collaboration. Other users can view or edit your .docx documents in real-time from their browsers or mobile devices.
To share your file:
- Tap the 3-dot menu icon in the top right
- Choose Share & export
- Tap Share
You can enter email addresses to share the doc with specific people, get a shareable link, or change the access levels.
Exporting and Converting Documents
If you need to export your .docx document to share with someone who does not have Google Docs access, you can download it to your device:
- Tap the 3-dot menu icon in the top right
- Choose Share & export
- Tap Save as
- Choose Word (.docx)
The .docx file will be saved in your Downloads folder or another location you specify.
You can also use Google Docs to open and edit Word documents by uploading them to Google Drive and opening them with the Google Docs app. The contents will be converted to an editable Google Doc.
Advantages Over Desktop Word
Choosing to create .docx files on your mobile device with Google Docs has some advantages over installing Microsoft Word:
- Free – No need to purchase Microsoft Office
- Cross-platform – View and edit from any device with a browser
- Collaboration – Real-time co-editing and built-in sharing
- Cloud storage – Documents saved to Google Drive by default
- History – Restore past versions of your documents
For basic formatting and word processing needs, Google Docs is a convenient free alternative to Microsoft Word for creating industry-standard .docx documents on the go.
Conclusion
The Google Docs app for Android now allows you to enable direct .docx file creation, eliminating the need to export Google Docs as Word documents.
Turning on this capability only takes a few taps in the app’s settings. You can then start writing Word documents that support text formatting, images, lists, headers, footers, tables, and other standard word processing features.
Google Docs makes collaborating on-the-go easy. You can share your .docx files with others to view or edit in real time from any device.
For people looking for basic word processing on their mobile device at no cost, the Google Docs app combined with .docx support provides a compelling alternative to purchasing Microsoft Office. It allows you to ditch the desktop and create industry-standard Word documents from anywhere.
