Google unveils standalone iOS apps for editing Google Docs, Sheets & Slides
Internet search giant Google on Wednesday announced a trio of new native mobile applications on Apple's App Store that will allow iOS users to edit and create Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides from their mobile device.
In addition to creating new documents and editing existing ones, users will also be able to employ the suite's popular collaborative editing features. Google also enabled local caching for offline editing, and changes are automatically saved as users type.
Until now, the Drive app was the only first-party native solution for accessing Google Docs on smartphones or tablets. Google says the new apps are a response to a growing trend that has seen users turn to those devices more often, which has sparked a desire for more robust options.
"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," Google product manager Brian LeVee wrote in a blog post announcing the move. "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."
The apps' development may have also been spurred by Microsoft's decision to bring its Office 365 suite to the iPad, leaving Google's offerings in third place behind Apple's iWork suite and Office. Though Office was released only recently, whispers of Microsoft's imminent entry began to appear last fall.
Docs and Sheets are available now on the App Store as free universal downloads,?with Docs clocking in at 19.9 megabytes and Sheets a heftier 41.7 megabytes. The Slides app is said to be "coming soon."
In addition to creating new documents and editing existing ones, users will also be able to employ the suite's popular collaborative editing features. Google also enabled local caching for offline editing, and changes are automatically saved as users type.
Until now, the Drive app was the only first-party native solution for accessing Google Docs on smartphones or tablets. Google says the new apps are a response to a growing trend that has seen users turn to those devices more often, which has sparked a desire for more robust options.
"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," Google product manager Brian LeVee wrote in a blog post announcing the move. "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."
The apps' development may have also been spurred by Microsoft's decision to bring its Office 365 suite to the iPad, leaving Google's offerings in third place behind Apple's iWork suite and Office. Though Office was released only recently, whispers of Microsoft's imminent entry began to appear last fall.
Docs and Sheets are available now on the App Store as free universal downloads,?with Docs clocking in at 19.9 megabytes and Sheets a heftier 41.7 megabytes. The Slides app is said to be "coming soon."
Comments
On iWork. And, deputy-in-charge-app MSOffice. No thanks Google!
I'd rather use iWork....
Google is on the way down and they know it.
GooGoo, no matter what you put out there, I'm not using it.
Edited: forgot the sarcasm tag.
No kidding. And they also have QuickOffice that they acquired. They're all over the place.
I agree goog is all over the place, but unfortunately, this disruptive functionality will be popular for the masses. The mainstream love google docs, gmail, etc. This is good for google, good for mobile users (of all platforms) but bad for MS mobile. I'm not saying that Office/iWork is not better, just saying that the masses prefer google docs.
I like how Google has no fucking clue what direction to go in. They first removed these apps and consolidated everything into Google Drive. Now, they're bringing them back. I guess the Office thing motivated it. Oh well, competition is good.
they are learning that consolidation only makes Android users happy.
I agree goog is all over the place, but unfortunately, this disruptive functionality will be popular for the masses. The mainstream love google docs, gmail, etc. This is good for google, good for mobile users (of all platforms) but bad for MS mobile. I'm not saying that Office/iWork is not better, just saying that the masses prefer google docs.
I think the term you are long for is disruptive technology. Not sure many would find disruptive functionality appealing. That is what Google has been doing of late. They take something that works and then they break the functionality.
As much as I dislike MS, I am pretty sure Office has both Google Docs and iWorks beat in terms of users.
Guess we will just have to agree to disagree unless we can up with some statistics.
I like how Google has no fucking clue what direction to go in. They first removed these apps and consolidated everything into Google Drive. Now, they're bringing them back. I guess the Office thing motivated it. Oh well, competition is good.
No kidding. And they also have QuickOffice that they acquired. They're all over the place.
when they get a clue, its too late and they tick off users when they attempt to changes things to get them to point in common direction through consolidation.
a.k.a. "Google is Doomed"
I enjoy the competition. Microsoft is probably more scared by this than Apple.
Didn't Google say something like the future all applications would be browser based on the web? Quite the about face.
I enjoy the competition. Microsoft is probably more scared by this than Apple.
Microsoft... no. Samsung... yes. Google has no allies, only sources for eyeballs.
While this is a copy of Microsoft's play, they are going against 2 different installed bases.
This is google realizing that you _may_ buy a chrome book, but it's likely you'll have an iPad or an iPhone, and if they have to compete with iWork they will eventually lose (single ecosystem). Better to keep a toe hold on users across browsers and platforms, until they figure out a winning play
to monetize writing a presentation on an iPad.
Apple, they want to be the App Store for everyone.
Bingo, bro!
The Masses :
Google ? Oh, I Remember There EXISTED SUCH COMPANY BEFORE !
I enjoy the competition. Microsoft is probably more scared by this than Apple.
Thats because Apple was never good in Office Suites and Microsoft's big share is there. So Apple does not care. And it is meaningful if MS gets scared of.
Google is getting scared. Now that MS is on iOS you'll see the majority switch to it or iWorks.
Google is on the way down and they know it.
a.k.a. "Google is Doomed"
I think the point is that Google support on iOS has always been lacking. Now that iWorks and MS Office has gain popularity, I think Google is concerned that they will lose relevance on iOS. So is Google Doomed on iOS? They sure are acting like they are worried about it.
The G+ mass integration (vaporization) effort hasn't helped either. Google was caught with their pants down and are scrambling to fix things, without any clear path of execution from what I can tell. I guess you could compare this to .Mac or Ping, but on a larger scale.