If you work for an organization that relies on Google’s G Suite apps to communicate and get work done, or if you’ve simply opted to use it at home, chances are you have many of the corresponding mobile apps on your smartphone.
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Applications like the Google Docs app for iOS allow users to access their documents on the go and keep them organized. They also allow you to export a document or make it available in another application.
Jump to:
- How to export a Google Doc from your iPhone
- Exporting between Apple devices with AirDrop
- Exporting Google Docs with Print Preview
How to export a Google Doc from your iPhone
To export a Google Doc from your iPhone as a PDF or Word file, you can start by opening the Google Docs application and tapping on the document that you wish to export.
Once in the document, tap on the three dot icon in the top right corner of the screen (Figure A). From the following drop-down menu, tap Share & Export.
Figure A
From the following window that opens, you can choose to add another user to the doc with Share to make a copy of the document or to copy a link to the doc on your clipboard. To create a PDF Word file, you’ll want to tap the option that says Send A Copy.
Once you tap that option, a pop-up window will appear asking you to choose between a PDF and a Word file (.docx). Choose the option you want by tapping on it, and make sure a blue checkmark appears next to the file type. Then tap OK.
Exporting between Apple devices with AirDrop
After tapping OK, a gray menu will appear from the bottom of your screen. This is called the iOS Share Sheet (Figure B). From here, you can AirDrop the file by tapping on an available user in that section. You can also attach it to an email, import it to iBooks if it’s a PDF or add it to iCloud Drive.
Figure B
If you choose the email option, the file will appear as an attachment in a blank email in the Apple Mail app. Simply add a recipient and message, and hit send.
Exporting Google Docs with Print Preview
There’s another option available for exporting documents as well. From the Google Doc of your choice, tap the three dot icon and then tap Print Preview. Another window will open with a preview of your document. From there, tap the three dot icon in the top right corner again and tap Open In.
This will take you, once again, to the iOS Share Sheet. From there, you can pursue many of the same options afforded by the Share & Export option discussed earlier.
For more, see the best 2023 extensions and add-ons for Google Docs. These tips might also help wrangle long documents and pageless writing.
