Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides will now warn you of Office file compatibility issues

Google has done a load of work to entice Microsoft Office users to switch over the Drive with Docs, Sheets, and Slides, but without proper compatibility with their files, the bait was never going to be sweet enough. Over the past few years though, it’s created a much more appealing means of opening Office files in Drive – by letting you do so directly without converting it to Google’s own formats.

Now, they did previously have “Office Compatibility Mode”, but unfortunately, it was much too basic and featured virtually none of the tools that made Google Docs worth using to begin with. Because of this, it really didn’t win anyone over. Instead, it was one of those stopgap solutions you would turn to in times of need. This new means of launching Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files in the web via Google’s services though has been much nicer.

Not only can you see that your file has a “.DOCX”, “.XLSX”, or “.PPTX” icon to the right of its name, but all of the same Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides tools are also completely usable. Aside from a few things, it’s virtually indistinguishable for most users.

Now, the company has announced a few new changes to editing for Office file users via its Workspace Updates blog. First and foremost, a new warning indicator will appear if your file has compatibility issues in Drive. It will appear and stay for the entirety of your editing session or so long as there are problems to be certain you address them before shipping the document off to its recipient.

In some instances, Office features simply aren’t available in Google Docs, and in those cases, the warning will also show. Once all issues have been addressed, hovering over the file type icon as seen above will display “No known compatibility issues”, so that you have the peace of mind that whoever you’re sending it to will see and experience the exact formatting you created once they open it in Office (without having to convert it to a PDF).

This update will roll out to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains over the next two weeks, and it’s already begun doing so for some users. Anyone with a Google Workspace account, as well as those who still have a Legacy G Suite license for both Basic and Business. Luckily, even those of you using free Google Accounts will see these notifications while editing – enjoy!