How to Edit a Document in Google Drive (Google Docs and Word Files)

Last Monday my crew lead texted from the yard: the handbook had the wrong start time, and could I fix it before the new hires arrived? I was at a client’s house with just my laptop. The handbook was a Word file in Google Drive, and I fixed it in two minutes.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to edit a document in Google Drive, whether it’s a Google Doc or a Word .docx file. You’ll see how to keep a Word file as Word, when to convert it, how to suggest changes instead of making them, and how to edit from your phone.

Method 1: Edit a Google Doc right in your browser

If the file is already a Google Doc, there’s nothing to set up. Google Docs is the editor that opens your Drive files, which is why the difference between Google Drive and Google Docs confuses so many people.

1. Go to drive.google.com and sign in.
2. Double-click the document.
3. Click anywhere in the text and start typing.

There’s no Save button. Every change is saved to Drive as you type, and the same version shows up on your phone, tablet, or any other computer you sign in to.

How does this work? A Google Doc lives in Drive, not on your computer. Docs saves each edit to that one copy, so two people can type in it at the same time and nobody ends up with an old version.

Method 2: Edit a Word file without converting it

Most of my files come from customers as Word documents. Google Docs can edit a .docx and keep it a .docx, so the file still opens fine in Word later. If you haven’t uploaded yours yet, here’s how to save Word documents to Google Drive first.

1. In Drive, right-click the Word file.
2. Point to Open with.
3. Click Google Docs.

Drive also lists a few suggested apps in that menu. You don’t need any of them to edit a Word file, so I stick with Google Docs. Double-clicking the file works too.

The file opens with a blue .DOCX badge next to its name. That badge tells you you’re editing the Word file itself, not a copy.

I changed the start time line to “Start time is 7:00 AM at the Burnet Road yard.” and closed the tab. The edit saved straight back to Crew Handbook 2026.docx.

How does this work? Docs edits Office files directly, without converting them. The file keeps its Word format in Drive, while you get the usual Docs toolbar and autosave.

Method 3: Convert a Word file with Save as Google Docs

Once nobody on my team needs the Word version anymore, I turn the file into a real Google Doc. That way I’m not juggling two formats.

1. Open the .docx with Google Docs (Method 2).
2. Click File.
3. Click Save as Google Docs.

When I did this with Hillcrest HOA Proposal 2026.docx, Drive created a new Google Doc called Hillcrest HOA Proposal 2026 right next to the Word file. The .docx stayed put, so I had both.

How does this work? Converting makes a separate Google Docs copy. Edits to the new doc don’t touch the Word file, so delete or rename the old one to avoid editing the wrong version later.

Pro tip: Google lists a few things that don’t survive conversion: macros don’t run, embedded charts and videos turn into images, and SmartArt becomes a drawing. Check those parts of the new doc before you share it. For file types Docs can’t open at all, see how to open unsupported files in Google Drive.

Method 4: Suggest edits instead of changing the text

When the handbook belongs to someone else, I don’t rewrite it directly. Suggesting mode lets me propose changes the owner can accept or reject.

1. Open the document.
2. Click the Editing button at the top right.
3. Choose Suggesting.

Your typing now shows in a different color, and anything you delete is crossed out instead of removed. The third option, Viewing, is handy when you just want to read or print the final version.

How does this work? Each change becomes a suggestion the owner can accept or reject one at a time, or all at once from Tools > Review suggested edits. People with comment access can suggest too, so this is how most of my reviewers work.

If you also want to know who opened the file, here’s how to see who has viewed a Google Doc.

Method 5: Edit a document on your Android phone or iPhone

Editing on a phone happens in the Google Docs app, not the Drive app. Drive finds the file; Docs edits it.

1. Install Google Docs from the Play Store or App Store.
2. Open the document from the Docs app, or tap it in the Drive app.
3. Tap the Edit icon.
4. Type your changes. Use Undo and Redo if you slip.

Word files work on a phone, too. Open the .docx in the Docs app and you can edit it as Word. To convert it there, tap More, tap the question mark next to Office Compatibility Mode, then Save as Google Docs.

How does this work? The app saves to the same file in Drive, so a fix I make on my phone at a job site is already there when I open my laptop.

Things to keep in mind

• You need edit access. Viewers and commenters can’t change the text. If you only see Viewing or Suggesting, request edit access from the owner.
• Old versions are saved. Click Last edit at the top right, or go to File > Version history, to see and restore earlier versions. My Google Drive version history guide covers naming and restoring.
• Password-protected Word files lose their password once you edit them in Docs. Drive sharing still controls who can open them.
• Personal vs. Workspace. The editing steps are the same in a free Gmail account and a Google Workspace account, but a Workspace admin can limit sharing outside your organization.
• Crowded files. Up to 100 open tabs or devices can edit one file at the same time.

That’s the version history for my converted proposal. I’d restored an older version earlier that day, and Docs kept the edits that came before it in the list, so nothing was lost.

A few more Drive guides I keep handy:

• fix “unable to access document” in Google Drive
• convert an image to a PDF in Google Drive
• change the language in Google Drive
• all Google Drive tutorials

PDFs work a little differently. If the file you need to change is a PDF, follow my steps for editing a PDF in Google Drive: open it with Google Docs, fix the text, then download it as a new PDF, or just leave comments if that’s all you need.

Frequently Asked Questions