Google Docs app now available on Android

Google has just announced the launch of the Google Docs app for Android today. Folks who use the cloud “office” service on their computers will be glad to know that they now can access Google Docs on their phones natively instead of having to go through a browser.

In case you’re not familiar with the service, Google Docs is essentially your typical “Office” productivity suite (done by Google) that is in the cloud. All your work is edited and stored online, with benefits such as being able to work on the same document at once with another person and never having to rely on physical media – just access your work through the internet anywhere. You don’t even need to install any fancy software – the office is in the cloud.

What sets Google Docs on Android apart from the browser version is the ability to create a document from a photo – just select the option when you’re creating a new document, and snap a picture of some text. The program’s OCR will convert the picture of text into editable text. At the moment only printed English is supported, but expect more languages to arrive in the future.

Because it’s still in its infancy, the app still has a long way to go before it becomes a full-featured app like its web-browser offering, but it’s a good start. Google usually does a good job with their apps for Android phones and Google Docs shouldn’t disappoint after a few more updates. Check it out on the Android Market now.

George Wong
Categories: Cellphones, Web
Tags: Android, Apps, Google, google docs, launch