# Editing Word docs on Android/iOS/Kindle Fire?



## Brian G Turner (Oct 12, 2014)

Does anyone here type and edit word docs on Android/iOS/Kindle Fire OS?

Simply that I'm open to recommendations for apps to do this. 

(No, I don't use the official MS one as it requires a subscription.)


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## Jo Zebedee (Oct 12, 2014)

I use pages for the ipad (ios) and it works pretty well although I need to change fonts and what not across to word.

A basic MS is now free, btw. I had to pay for pages, too, but the 6.00 was well worth it.


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## Abernovo (Oct 12, 2014)

I'm presently without a working laptop and using QuickOffice (pre-installed on my Moto G, and I think free in Play Store) on my android phone. 

It's a little limiting in terms of speed (no multi-finger touch typing), but finding it an acceptable substitute. If I could get one of those roll-up keyboards which plug into phones and tabs, I might even be happy continuing to use my phone a lot of the time.


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## Lenny (Oct 12, 2014)

All the Office programs are available as basic, free versions to use online, and there are free Android and iOS apps**.

Alternatively, QuickOffice on Android is good if you can find it (it was killed off in recent months), but if not, it's replacement Google apps for documents (Docs - Android, iOS), spreadsheets (Sheets - Android, iOS), and presentations (Slides - Android, iOS), do the job just as well.

All three allow offline editing, but my vote is for the Office webapp and phone apps, as you have the convenience of the newer versions of Office being able to save to OneDrive, which you can then access directly through the Office apps.

**Had a quick play with the Android app, and it's surprisingly nice! Word is limited to text, with basic formatting (B, I, U, text size, red/blue/green colour and highlighting), but it seems to work well. I also use the OneNote app quite regularly, and find that to be very good.

EDIT: No Microsoft Office for the Kindle Fire, but OneNote is available. Obviously the Google apps aren't available.


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## Brian G Turner (Oct 12, 2014)

Just to clarify - isn't the "free" version of Office just to read docs? But to actually write to existing docs, you need a subscription?

I need to save to Google Drive, not MS SkyDrive. Microsoft have a long history of deleting accounts, so I do not consider any uploads there to be safe.


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## Lenny (Oct 12, 2014)

Used to be that you had to pay to use Office online, but they opened it up to everyone with basic free versions earlier this year, as long as you've got a OneDrive account (which is also free).

If Google Drive is the need, then the *Google Docs* app is your best bet. If it's not to your fancy and you don't mind sideloading apps, I could probably send you an .apk for *QuickOffice *from a backup of my device.


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## Ray McCarthy (Oct 12, 2014)

Google Drive is no more to be trusted than MS Azure or whatever not called SkyDrive due to Mr Murdoch, Avoid Google Drive or MS OneDrive. They are quite likely to delete the service, lose the docs or in Google's  case read them

Use ordinary Text or ODF or Word 2003 or earlier. I think only Open Office and Libre Office are free solutions for Word Docs.


Avoid the Corporate Cloud, use your own hosting.

Google Docs is horrid.


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## Lenny (Nov 7, 2014)

Small update: Microsoft announced yesterday that their mobile Office suite is coming to iOS and Android tablets... for free - no Office 365 subscription necessary. They're also making changes to the Android phone app to make it more like the tablet app, which is set to launch in early 2015.

On top of that, Microsoft recently entered into an agreement with Dropbox, to integrate Dropbox with Office apps, meaning Dropbox users can now edit Office documents in the Office apps, and save directly to Dropbox (rather than having to rely on Microsoft's own cloud service, OneDrive).


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## alchemist (Nov 7, 2014)

Lenny said:


> Alternatively, QuickOffice on Android is good if you can find it (*it was killed off in recent months*), but if not, it's replacement Google apps for documents (Docs - Android, iOS), spreadsheets (Sheets - Android, iOS), and presentations (Slides - Android, iOS), do the job just as well.


 
Oh dear. I swear by QuickOffice; I've used it for three years and found it very good. I knew Google had taken it over, so it appears they killed it on behalf of their own product.


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## Lenny (Nov 7, 2014)

alchemist said:


> Oh dear. I swear by QuickOffice; I've used it for three years and found it very good. I knew Google had taken it over, so it appears they killed it on behalf of their own product.



Unfortunately yes, but they have integrated all of the QuickOffice stuff into their own Drive apps. For example, here's changing texty stuff in a document in QuickOffice (left) and a document in Docs (right):







EDIT: In Docs, text and highlight colour are below the screen - scroll the options box up and you'll see them.

EDIT2: Smaller picture, with the two side-by-side.


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## Brian G Turner (Dec 26, 2014)

Just to update this - I'm on a _Kindle Fire HDX_  and using _OfficeSuite Professional 8_ to access my Word docs in Google Drive, edit, and save them.

Just experimented with that now, and appears to be working.

There may be other options in Android, but I've struggled to find anything else that allows cloud editing of docs - outside of Microsoft's Skydrive - for the Kindle Fire OS.

Now I can use my Kindle Fire on an evening to read, listen to music, and update my writing notes, all from the same device - which is great.


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## Brian G Turner (Jan 6, 2015)

Brian Turner said:


> Just to update this - I'm on a _Kindle Fire HDX_  and using _OfficeSuite Professional 8_ to access my Word docs in Google Drive, edit, and save them.
> 
> Just experimented with that now, and appears to be working.
> 
> ...



What's really great about this arrangement is that when I download my notes to add to them, if I wait a few seconds, the document will automatically zoom to the end of the document so that I can continue, without having to scroll through pages till the end. I presume this means that it remembers your last cursor position. Either way, incredibly useful for me.


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