Open DOCX Files on Android with MS Word or Google Docs

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Easily open, view, and edit DOCX files on your mobile device
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Do you want to be able to view and/or edit Microsoft Word (DOCX) files on the go using your Android phone? Well, you’re in luck! It’s super easy to view and edit DOCX files using the Microsoft Word app or Google Docs on an Android device. This wikiHow teaches you how to open DOCX files on your Android phone.

Opening a DOCX File (Android)

  1. Open the Microsoft Word app on your Android phone.
  2. Tap the Open folder icon and tap Allow if prompted.
  3. Navigate to the file you want to open and tap it.
  4. If your file is in the Google Docs app, follow the same steps in that application.
Section 1 of 3:

Using Microsoft Word

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  1. The app icon looks like a blue "W" on a white page with another page behind it. You can find this on either your home screen, the app drawer, or by searching. [1]
    • You can get this app from the Google Play Store if you don’t have it.
    • Log in to your Microsoft account if prompted.
  2. This is in the bottom menu at the bottom right. A list of locations will open, including your OneDrive and the local storage of your device. [2] .
    • Tap Allow if prompted. This will allow the app to access your documents.
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  3. Tap This device if the document is stored on your phone. Tap OneDrive - Personal if the file is stored on your Microsoft OneDrive account. If the document was shared with you tap, Shared with me .
    • Alternatively, you can also tap Browse to connect to Google Drive, or an SD card.
    • Tap Add a place to sign in and connect to another cloud service.
  4. This can be in your collective OneDrive folder, Google Drive, another cloud service, a file shared with you, or a file downloaded to your phone.
  5. The file will open in Microsoft Word.
    • You can edit the document by tapping the pencil icon.
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Section 2 of 3:

Using Google Docs

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  1. This app icon looks like a blue piece of paper with a paragraph on it. You can find this on either your home screen, in the app menu, or by searching. [3]
    • You can get this app from the Google Play Store if you don’t have it, though it generally comes pre-installed on most Android devices.
  2. A box will pop up asking if you want to open from Google Drive or Device Storage.
  3. [4]
  4. This can be in your collective Google Drive or the Downloads folder of your phone’s storage.
    • If you are navigating your phone storage, tap the icon with three dots (☰) in the upper-left corner. Then tap Documents or Downloads to browse your phone storage.
  5. The file will open in Google Docs.
    • You can edit the document by tapping the white pencil within the blue circle.
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Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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  1. 1
    Is Microsoft Word free on mobile? Yes, Microsoft Word is free on mobile to complete basic tasks, such as viewing DOCX files, basic editing, and creating new DOCX files. However, you will need a subscription if you are using a tablet that is larger than 10.1 inches, are using cloud storage services for business, or want to use advanced formatting features.
  2. 2
    What features do you get in Word mobile with a subscription? If you have a Microsoft Word subscription, you can use the following features on your mobile device: [5]
    • Edit documents on any sized screen
    • Save files to business storage services like OneDrive Business, or Google Drive business accounts
    • Insert page a section breaks
    • Enable columns in page layout
    • Create custom headers and footers
    • Change the page orientation
    • Track and review document changes
    • Change the color of table cells
  3. 3
    Does Google Docs have all the same editing features for DOCX files? Yes, all the features that are available for Google Docs files are available for DOCX files. You can add and edit text, add bold, italics, or underline, select new fonts, change font colors, add bullet points and numbered lists, add columns, change line spacing, as well as add hyperlinks, images, tables, comments, page numbers, footnotes, and horizontal lines.
  4. 4
    Does Google Docs need to convert the document to a Google Doc? No, you can use Google Docs to edit DOCX files in DOCX format and save them to Google Drive as a DOCX.
  5. 5
    Can I save a DOCX from Google Drive to my phone? No, you cannot use Google Docs to save a DOCX file to your phone. However, you can save a file in DOCX format to your PC or Mac. To do so, click File, followed by Download . Then select Microsoft Word (.docx) .
  6. 6
    Can Google Docs save documents in other formats? Yes, you can use Google Docs to save a document as a PDF, OpenDocument (.odt), text file (.txt), rich text format (.rft), web page (HTML document), or EPUB publication.
    • To save a document to your phone, tap the icon with three dots (â‹®) in the upper-right corner (â‹®), and select Share & export . Select Save as and select the file format you want to save the document as.
  7. 7
    Can I save a DOCX file to my phone using Microsoft Word? Yes, you can save a DOCX file to your phone using the Microsoft Word mobile app. To do so, tap the icon with three dots (â‹®) in the upper-right corner. Then tap Save as . Enter a name for the document and tap Save .
    • You may need to grant the Word app permission to access your phone file system in order to save files to your phone. If prompted, tap Go to settings and tap the toggle switch to enable the app to access your phone storage.
  8. 8
    How can I share a DOCX file in Microsoft Word? To share a DOCX file in Word, tap the icon with three dots (â‹®) at the top and tap Share . You can either tap your OneDrive account, or tap Share as an attachment . Tap Document and then select the app you wish to use to share the document.
  9. 9
    How can I share a DocX file in Google Drive? To share a DOCX file in Google Drive, tap the icon with three dots (â‹®) in the upper-right corner (â‹®), and select Share & export . Tap Share . You can either enter the name or email address of people you wish to share the file with or tap the chain link icon in the upper-right corner to copy the link. You can then share the link over email, text, or messaging application.
    • To share a link, you need to make sure you allow anyone with the link to access the file. To do so, tap Manage access at the bottom. Then tap Change below "General Access." Tap Anyone with the link .
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/basic-tasks-in-word-87b3243c-b0bf-4a29-82aa-09a681999fdc
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-documents-in-word-for-windows-7eb6d9c8-d7a1-441d-acb0-9e55c32e83f7#:~:text=Open+a+document,select+the+document+you+want
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/docs/answer/7068618?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop
      4. ↑ https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2423485?hl=en
      5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/when-do-i-need-a-microsoft-365-subscription-b6518311-893a-4a89-bfcd-bdc56bf52085

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Microsoft Word app.
      2. Tap Open .
      3. Tap the location of your file.
      4. Tap your file to open it.

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