Can I Get Microsoft Word on My Android Phone?

Why No Word?

The programming that creates all of the features in Microsoft Word is too extensive for mobile platforms like the Android. Its operating system is stripped down compared to a full computer operating system and the hardware is designed for portability, speed and battery life rather than heavy computing. This means it needs special versions of any compatible computer software, and Microsoft has not released a full mobile version of any Office Suite programs.

Finding Apps

You can locate apps that let you work with Word documents by selecting the Android Market app on your phone. Select the search icon at the top of the page, and then type in key terms such as 'Word doc' or 'Read word documents' or 'Edit .doc files.' Each phrase will bring up a variety of apps. Read the descriptions to find out which features each one has and check the user ratings to find out how the apps hold up to their delivered promises. Be careful selecting apps, as the Android Market has no system for verifying that apps perform as expected or deliver a secure user experience.

Recommended Apps

Two of the most fully-featured Word apps for Android are Quickoffice Pro and Documents to Go Premium. Both are full office suites that work with Word, Excel and PDF files. Quickoffice Pro includes features such as speech-to-text dictation for creating Word documents without typing and the ability to insert images into your documents. Documents to Go Premium supports adding tables and tracking your changes for editing documents, although this feature has some limitations. Both allow rich text formatting and integration with cloud storage services like Dropbox for easy file syncing with your computer. Both work with .doc and .docx files and can create new documents directly on your Android.

Considerations

Android apps may have trouble with Word documents that include advanced features not available within each app, such as heavy formatting with special fonts and layouts. The apps may simply not show these items, or they may strip them from the document, depending on the app. Always keep a backup of your original Word document when first working with an Android app. This way, you can find out what the app will handle without losing any important work.