Image via Twin Design/Shutterstock
Google has released standalone mobile apps for Docs, Sheets and Slides, its cloud-based services for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, respectively. The apps will be available for both iOS and Android devices in a bid to ward off competition from Microsoft.
Docs and Sheets apps should be available in the App Store and Google Play already, with Slides to follow.
The standalone apps come with no new features or abilities compared to what was already available to users through the all-encompassing Google Drive app, but the split gives Google a better chance of squaring up to rival offerings from Microsoft’s Office productivity suite on mobile.
In March, Microsoft released its Office app for the iPad and reached the top of the App Store charts in just 12 hours.
Having individual apps could also mean more focused and faster development for each of the cloud-based services.
On opening the new Google productivity apps, the most recently edited files will be ready and waiting. Offline support is also built in, so users can keep working even without an internet connection.
Prompts will start appearing for users of the Drive app to download the standalone apps, though the Drive app still stands as a single access point for all documents, spreadsheets, presentations, photos and more.
App download image by Twin Design via Shutterstock
