Google brings a slew of new updates to its browser-based spreadsheet that now supports offline viewing and editing along with several other features.
Google is pushing the Chromebooks to more users by partnering with leading PC makers. The web giant has been working to improve its QuickOffice to attract MS Office users after Microsoft tried to push cloud only paid version of the software. The MS Office alternate is now included in smartphones upgrading to Android KitKat 4.4, which is an attempt to lure away Microsoft users. Now, the internet company is focusing on its MS Excel alternative, Google Sheets. A wave of updates has rebuilt the app from the ground for better speed, efficiency, offline support and more.
Google wants its Chrome and Chromebook users to make the most of all internet connected applications. The updated online office suite is available starting Wednesday to all its users. The updated version of Sheets simplifies complex formulas and supports millions of cells. The speed has been improved with users browsing through the list of all the cells.
The most highlighted feature is the Offline support for Google Sheets.
"So just like Google Docs and Slides, you can now make edits to Sheets offline," Zach Lloyd, Software Engineer at Google, wrote in the company's blog Wednesday. "When you reconnect to the Internet, your edits will automatically sync. If you've edited Docs or Slides offline in the past, then you're already set up to edit Sheets offline."
To simplify the process of naming, saving and sharing different files, Google has introduced Filter Views. Users can share data to specific groups of people without affecting how others see it.
Remembering all the formulas for different functions takes a lot of time spent on the Sheets, and for those who are not pros, Google has the new "function help" that guides users as they start typing a formula. Users can also continuously type and the text automatically shifts to the adjacent cells when they are empty, without manual merging. If the next cell has text in it, users can choose one-click "wrap text" option to wrap up the text in one cell.
Watch a short video below demonstrating the new Google Sheets features:
To try out the updated Sheets, users must check the "Try the new Google Sheets" box in Google Drive Settings.
