What Happened to Quickoffice?
Quickoffice was a popular mobile productivity suite, founded in 1997, that allowed users to view, create, and edit Microsoft Office documents on various mobile platforms. Acquired by Google in 2012, it was initially re-released as a free app before its core functionalities were integrated into Google's own Docs, Sheets, and Slides applications, leading to its discontinuation as a standalone product in 2014. Today, its legacy lives on through the robust Microsoft Office compatibility offered by Google Workspace.
Quick Answer
Quickoffice was a mobile office suite acquired by Google in 2012 to enhance its mobile productivity offerings and improve Microsoft Office file compatibility. After making it a free app, Google integrated Quickoffice's technology directly into its Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides applications. Consequently, Quickoffice was discontinued as a standalone app in June 2014, with Google encouraging users to transition to its native suite for document editing and creation. Its features are now a fundamental part of Google Workspace's ability to handle Office files.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline12 events
Founded as Cutting Edge Software Inc.
The company, which would later become Quickoffice, Inc., was founded by Jeff Musa, focusing on Microsoft Office compatibility for mobile devices.
Awarded 'Best in Class' Honors
Quickoffice's flagship products, Quicksheet and SmartDoc, received 'Best in Class' honors from Tap Magazine.
Acquired by Mobility Electronics
Cutting Edge Software Inc. was acquired by Mobility Electronics for an undisclosed sum.
Rebranded as Quickoffice, Inc.
The company was sold to Mobile Digital Media, which then changed its name to Quickoffice, Inc.
Appeared on Symbian OS
Quickoffice became the primary office editing suite on Symbian OS, often pre-loaded on devices.
Released for Android
Quickoffice expanded its reach by releasing a version for the Android operating system.
Acquired by Google
Google acquired Quickoffice, Inc. and its development team to enhance its mobile productivity suite and improve Microsoft Office file compatibility.
Re-released as a Free App by Google
Google made Quickoffice available as a free app for iOS and Android, integrating it with Google Drive.
Symbian Version Officially Discontinued
Google officially ceased support and development for Quickoffice on Symbian OS.
Google Unbundles Drive Apps
Google began releasing standalone Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps, separating them from the main Google Drive application.
Quickoffice Discontinued
Google announced the discontinuation of the standalone Quickoffice app, removing it from app stores as its features were integrated into Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Legacy Continues in Google Workspace
As of today, Quickoffice's technology is fully integrated into Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which are actively maintained and provide robust compatibility with Microsoft Office file formats within Google Workspace.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Quickoffice, Inc. originated in 1997 as Cutting Edge Software Inc., founded by Jeff Musa in Plano, Texas. The company quickly gained recognition for its mobile productivity applications, such as Quicksheet and SmartDoc, which offered compatibility with Microsoft Office and Excel on early mobile devices like Palm OS. These products earned 'Best in Class' honors in 1998 and 1999.
Over the years, Quickoffice underwent several ownership changes, including acquisitions by Mobility Electronics in 2002 and Mobile Digital Media in 2004, at which point it was rebranded as Quickoffice, Inc. It became a dominant office editing suite on platforms like Symbian OS, where it was often pre-loaded on devices from 2005 onwards, and later expanded to Android in 2010.
A pivotal moment arrived on June 5, 2012, when Google acquired Quickoffice for an undisclosed sum, along with its development team. Google's primary motivation was to bolster its own Google Apps suite, particularly Google Drive, by integrating Quickoffice's proven ability to seamlessly interoperate with popular Microsoft Office file formats. This acquisition was seen as a strategic move to compete more effectively with Microsoft in the burgeoning mobile office market, especially as Microsoft was planning its own Office applications for iOS and Android.
Following the acquisition, Google initially re-released Quickoffice as a free app for iOS and Android devices on September 19, 2013, making it accessible to a wider user base and integrating it with Google Drive for cloud storage. However, this also marked the discontinuation of support for older platforms like Symbian. The long-term strategy, however, was not to maintain Quickoffice as a separate product. Google's goal was to incorporate Quickoffice's robust Office compatibility directly into its native productivity applications.
In late April 2014, Google began unbundling its Google Drive app into standalone Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides applications. By June 2014, Google had integrated Quickoffice's core features, particularly the ability to view, create, and edit Microsoft Office documents without conversion, into these new standalone apps. Consequently, on June 29, 2014, Google announced the discontinuation of the standalone Quickoffice app, removing it from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Existing users could continue to use the app, but no further features or updates would be provided.
As of March 20, 2026, Quickoffice no longer exists as a standalone product. Its technology and legacy are fully embedded within Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which continue to be actively developed and updated. These Google Workspace applications offer comprehensive compatibility with Microsoft Office file formats, allowing users to work on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents directly within Google's ecosystem, fulfilling the original strategic intent behind the Quickoffice acquisition.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Quickoffice made different choices?