Although you will not have all features available as the Microsoft Word application, it should still do the job. In this article, we will be discussing the workarounds for the Microsoft Word application. Keep reading this article to learn more about how to open or edit word documents without the Microsoft Word application.
How to Open or Edit Word Documents Without Word?
You can access your word documents from in-built applications such as WordPad/TextEdit to free browser extensions like Office Extensions. We have gathered 8 ways you can open and/or edit word documents without the application for free.
WordPad/TextEdit
You can use your built-in text editor to make a quick change on a Word document. Depending on if you use Windows or Mac, you can use either WordPad or TextEdit. For Windows For Mac
From OneDrive
You can open any Office document, including a Word file, from OneDrive. To open your documents from OneDrive, if you haven’t already, you need to make a Microsoft account. Then, you can open and edit your document online once you upload it to OneDrive. Follow these steps to open a Word document on OneDrive. When you open your word file from Outlook, you can view and enjoy many editing features like the Word application.
Microsoft Office Online
The online version of Microsoft Office is free to use. Like Outlook, you must be signed in to your Microsoft account to open Office documents from Office Online. Here are the steps you can follow to open your document from the online version of Office: Once you’ve dropped your file, you will automatically be redirected to OneDrive live, where you can view and edit your documents.
Office Extension
You can download the office extension to view and edit Office documents. The Office extension is available on popular browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. You can open and edit word documents from the Office extension following these easy steps: Google Chrome Microsoft Edge
Mobile Application for Word
Unlike the desktop version of Word, you can use the mobile version for free. Apart from a few missing features and a different interface, the mobile application isn’t as different as the desktop version of Word. You can use the mobile application if you want to view or quickly make minor changes to the Word file. You can install the application on Play Store for Android and App Store for iOS.
Google Docs
If you’re looking for more editing options, you can also use Google Docs to open and edit your Word file. After making changes, you can download the file as a Microsoft Word file again. Follow these steps to view or edit your Word document on Google docs: Google Docs will automatically open your word file. After you’ve made the necessary changes, you can go to File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx) to download your file as a Word document again.
Pages (For Mac)
You can use Pages to open and edit the contents of a Word document on a Mac. After making the required changes, you can export the document as a .docx file again. Here are the steps you can follow to use the Pages application on your Mac to open and edit Word documents: It is worth remembering that normally saving your document will not export it to a Word file. To export your document to a Word file, head to File > Export To > Word.
Word Mobile (Read-Only for Windows)
If you are looking for an application to quickly view your Word documents, use the Word Mobile application. You cannot make any other changes except moving the embedded pictures in the document. You can download the Word Mobile application on your Windows for free from the Microsoft Store. To make changes to your word file, you need to get the entire Microsoft 365 package.
