14 DAY TRIAL // Google has just announced a new update for Gmail that allows users to edit .DOCX Microsoft Office documents straight from their inboxes, without the need for additional software.
Despite the growth experienced by freeware Office suites in the last couple of years, Microsoft Office continues to be the number one solution for users who work with documents on a Windows computer, so Google's decision to add support for .DOCX documents doesn't come as a big surprise.
What's more, Microsoft is making its own Office solution available on more platforms, including iPhones and iPads, where it can now be used completely free of charge without the need for an Office 365 subscription.
Automatic conversion in your inbox
Thanks to this new update, Microsoft Office documents can be used right in your inbox, with Gmail taking care of the whole process in the background.
Basically, what Gmail does is convert the .DOCX document to Google's own format and save the file in your Google Drive account for editing and sharing. The document is then opened with Google Docs, so you can edit it right in your browser. When you're done, you can either save it back to .DOCX format, or stick to the native Google extension.
The whole process doesn't take more than a few seconds and can be performed no matter the browser you're using right now. Google, however, recommends users to install the Office Editing Chrome extension in order to edit Office documents more easily, but the same thing can be done from pretty much any browser without any other software solution being required.
"With just one click on the new edit icon in Gmail attachments, you can automatically convert Office documents -- giving you the additional benefits of a single document to keep track of, access from anywhere (even offline!), and revision history," Google explained.
Support for 15 new Office formats
In addition to .DOCX, Gmail can now work with no less than 15 different Office formats, including PowerPoint files using .PPS and .PPSX extension, macro-enabled items and templates. Google guarantees that you'll get flawless charts, images, and tables in the converted documents.
If opening .DOCX documents in Gmail isn't really your cup of tea, you can always switch to Microsoft's Outlook, a rival email service that provides similar features, but with a significant advantage.
Basically, in Outlook documents are launched in Office Online, so you get the same familiar Office interface right in your browser, again without the need to install third-party apps. Office Online is free of charge and comes with support for the majority of browsers out there.
