Cloud storage has given us the ability to access files and documents from anywhere. Even more conveniently, some services allow us to add, edit, and share the files anywhere in the world. While Google Docs has always been a popular choice for those who want to access, share, and sign documents with ease, there are times when you need your documents in a tried-and-true format, such as DOCX. If you have a document stored in Google Docs and would like to download an offline copy, it’s easy to convert Google Docs to Microsoft Word format.
Note: while you can convert documents from Google Docs to Word, there is no guarantee that the formatting in your document will be preserved during the conversion.
How to Convert a Single Document
Because Google Docs are in an online format, we can’t just import them into Word! In order to use them within Microsoft Word, we will need to convert Google Docs to Microsoft Word’s DOCX format, then download it afterward. You can easily perform this conversion from both Google Docs and Google Drive.
If you want to convert to DOC format, you’ll need to open the converted DOCX file in Word and then save as a DOC format. If you don’t have Word installed, you can do this online, too.
Converting within Google Docs
First, open the file you want to convert to Word format. Click “File” at the top of the document, then hover over “Download.”
You’ll see a list of options appear within this menu. As you can see, conversion to Word documents isn’t the only thing Google Docs can do! If you’re ever need to download a Google Doc as a PDF, or even convert one into the EPUB ebook format, you can come back to this menu and do that. For now, however, we’ll click the “Microsoft Word” option.
Google Docs will open a “Save As … ” window where you can select where you want to save the document. Once saved to a memorable location, you’ll be able to open the file in Microsoft Word.
Converting within Google Drive
For Google Drive, it’s even easier to perform this conversion. You won’t be able to perform a conversion to other formats (like PDF and EPUB) in Drive, but if you’re just after a Word document, this method works perfectly fine.
To do this, locate the document you want to convert in your Google Drive, then right-click it and click “Download.”
Google Drive will automatically convert it to a Word format and open up a “Save As … ” window to save it.
How to Convert Multiple Documents at Once
Sometimes you don’t want to save just one document as a DOCX file. Sometimes you want to convert multiple Google Docs into Word documents all at the same time. Unfortunately, because the Google Docs method relies on you entering each document to download it, it’s a little time consuming to download them all. However, because Drive performs its conversion through a right-click menu on the main page, we can do it there instead for a much faster and easier experience.
Batch Converting within Google Drive
The Google Drive batch download method works near-identically to downloading a single document. However, if you hold down the Ctrl key when you click on files, you can select multiple files all at once. The files that are selected in the batch will light up in blue as you click them.
Then, right-click any of the highlighted ones and click “Download” as normal.
When you click this, Google Drive will convert all the documents selected, then pack them into a ZIP file. When it’s done, it’ll give you the ZIP file to download. Just save this somewhere memorable and unzip it to access all of your files.
Downloading Docs
Despite all the benefits of cloud storage, sometimes you just need an offline copy of your documents. With a few clicks, you can convert Google Docs to Microsoft Word files with very little hassle.
If you’re trying to retain all your formatting, try converting it to PDF instead to ensure nothing gets left behind.
How much do you find yourself using cloud-based documents over “physical” ones? Let us know below!
Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.
