How To Save Google Docs - Android Police

Most of us find Google Docs fantastic for writing in the cloud without losing our work or running out of storage. This makes it easy to collaborate on the document, and your documents are accessible from any device. What if you need to do tasks beyond Google Docs, like attaching it to an email, printing, or converting to a different format? This guide walks you through the steps to save and export your document in Google Docs.

Saving and exporting in Google Docs is easy, whether on your phone, desktop browser, or one of our favorite Chromebooks, as long as you have an internet connection and a Google account. You can save your file in PDF, Word, HTML, and more formats based on your needs.

Related

How to scan a document into Google Docs

Need to add scanned documents for work? We've got you covered!

Posts By Anu Joy

How to download your Google Docs documents

Downloading a Google Doc document lets you open it in desktop word processors (for example, Microsoft Word) and transfer it to physical storage mediums. We show you how to download a Google Doc document on a web browser and mobile.

How to download a Google Docs file in a web browser

You can also follow these steps if you use a Chromebook to download Google Docs files.

1. Open the Google Docs document you wish to download.
2. Click File in the upper-left corner of your screen.
3. Hover over Download in the drop-down menu.
4. Select the file type you'd like to save your document as.

Docs saves the document to your browser's default download destination.

How to download a Google Docs file from your Android or iPhone

1. Open the Google Docs app and open a document.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Tap Share & export. Close
4. Tap Save As.
5. Select the file type you'd like to save your document as. Close

One quirk of saving on mobile is that Google Docs saves your file to Google Drive, which means there's one more step to make a copy on your device.

Want to share the file as a Google Doc? Select the Share or Email button instead of Download or Save As.

How to download a Google Docs file from Google Drive

Google Docs is an excellent word-processing tool. However, it isn't very good at organizing files. Although it's not perfect, Google Drive does a better job of helping you find and manage your Google Docs document. Here's how to download Google Docs files from Google Drive.

How to download a Google Docs file from Google Drive on your Android or iPhone

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Select the document you wish to download and tap the three-dot menu to the right of the document title.
3. Scroll down and tap Download. Close
4. You'll receive a push notification displaying the download status. Close

How to download a Google Docs file from Google Drive on your desktop

1. Open Google Drive in your browser.
2. Right-click the document you wish to download.
3. Click Download from the drop-down menu.

Like the Google Docs web app, Google Drive saves your document in the default download directory of your browser. However, Google Drive always saves files in DOCX format. If you want to convert your file into a PDF, you'll need to do it through the Google Docs web app, not Google Drive.

Why you should save your Google Docs files offline

Google Docs offers plenty of export options. You can export your files in different formats with Google Docs. It's more than a simple word processor and has many powerful features that help you work smarter and faster. Learn how to boost your productivity with these advanced tips and tricks in Google Docs. If you struggle with the process, we recommend trying one of these Google Docs alternatives.