Top 5 Chrome extensions for MS Office users
Those who spend a lot of time on the Internet and also have to work with Microsoft Office files or services generally spend a lot of time switching between their web browsers and Office suite applications. Copying a lot of files and constantly moving from one window to another (or one desktop to another) usually cause much hassle and waste your time. That's why I've decided to show you the most effective solution for dealing with Office-related files and services that is made directly from your Chrome browser. Here are the top 5 extensions to help you achieve this goal. Just to mention, all of these add-ons are free, so even if you end up not liking them, you won't spend a dime.
Office Online
Office Online
As far as I'm concerned, Office Online is the best Chrome tool to help you deal with Office files. This extension comes from Microsoft itself, as the company has finally decided to admit Chrome's supremacy over Edge or Internet Explorer. Office Online is an add-on that allows you to create Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Sway files or edit any of the previously mentioned formats, directly in your web browser. The only disadvantage is that the output files can only be saved on an OneDrive or OneDrive Business accounts, so you will need to have one of those in order to use the extension.
Word Online
Word Online
In case Word is the only Office tool that you actually use, there's no need for you to install the entire Office add-on. Word Online is a Chrome app that lets you view, edit and create .DOC and .DOCX files, directly in Google's browser. Just like in the previous case, this tool also saves your work on your OneDrive account and is also a great solution for collaborative work. As I have already said, Word Online is actually an app for Chrome and not an extension, but the functionality was too important for me to ignore it on a simple technicality.
Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides
Office Editing for Docs Sheets and Slides
What do you do when your friends or coworkers prefer using Microsoft Office applications, but you like working with Google's productivity suite or simply don't have MS Office installed? The answer is quite simple: you use Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides. This extension allows you to view and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Sway files, but when you modify them you will use the Docs, Sheets or Slides interface (depending on the format that you're working on) to do so. To use this extension, all you have to do is to install it, then drag and drop your Office file into Chrome's window. Lastly, the output file can be saved with its original extension or in a format specific to Google's suite.
Open with Microsoft Office Online
Open with Microsoft Office Online
In case you're not interested in editing files, but you just need a quick and reliable way to view online or publicly accessible Office files, the Open with Microsoft Office Online extension is exactly what you need. This tool works with documents (DOC or DOCX), spreadsheets (XLS or XLSX) and presentations (PPT, PPS, PPTX). The fact that it only works on online and publicly accessible files can be a bit inconvenient, but it's still a nice tool to have around. As far as I know, the biggest disadvantage for Open with Microsoft Office Online is that it doesn't seem to work on Google's search results pages.
Notifier for Mail Microsoft Outlook
Notifier for Mail Microsoft Outlook
And last on out list is an extension that is really useful for those who like using Chrome while also employing Microsoft's Outlook email client. As you can easily guess from its name, Notifier for Mail Microsoft Outlook will let you know whenever a new email has arrived on your Hotmail portal. The add-on provides a simple button to the right of your address bar, showing you when there's a new message and the number of mails that you've received since the last time you checked your inbox. Simply click the respective button and you will be automatically taken to your Outlook account.
Now, when you've seen the best five Chrome extensions for Microsoft Office users, you might also want to check out these seven Chrome extensions, which make the Internet easier to use or find out what are the best timesaving tips for Word users.
