Google Takes On Microsoft In Mobile Productivity With Standalone Docs, Sheets, And Slides Apps

It was a big deal when Microsoft finally pushed out Office apps for the iPad, but already Redmond has a Mountain View problem. Google is in hot pursuit of Microsoft on the desktop/cloud office productivity front with Drive apps, but the search giant has also now debuted mobile app versions of its Docs and Sheets products, too.

These won’t exactly replace the Google Drive app, but they represent much better integration into the mobile platform; accessing Docs or Sheets from within Drive felt like having to enter into a secondary environment. With native apps, you can get to your various documents with a single tap.


Predictably, the apps will open with the most recently edited files shown first, and they offer offline support, as well.

This is clearly a threat to Microsoft Office on mobile devices; both offerings include dedicated apps backed by the cloud, and if you’re working on a mobile device to begin with, all the bells and whistles that make Microsoft Office a more compelling spate of tools aren’t a factor.

You can grab Docs and Sheets from the Google Play store and the App Store now, and Slides will be coming at some point in the near future.