A Chrome extension from Microsoft makes life easier for Office Online users.
Let's say you're a Windows who prefers Google Chrome browser, after all, it's proven to be one of the best browsers today and far superior to Internet Explorer. However, you may have been frustrated at times by Chrome's built-in Google bias, especially if you use Microsoftlike Office Online. However, a Chrome extension from Microsoft, aptly named Office Online, helps you with this frustration.
The Office Online extension introduces an Office and gives you one-click access to your Office documents.
Start by installing the Office Online extension from the Web Store . Then, type chrome://extensions in the address bar and scroll down until you see the list for Office Online. If you want to upload documents to OneDrive from your hard drive using drag-and-drop, click the box that says “Allow access to file URLs.”
Once that's done, close the Extensions tab, then click the Office logo next to the address bar to sign in to the extension with your Microsoft account. You can use either a free Microsoft or your business account.
Once you're signed in, clicking on the Office logo will show you your most recent documents. At the top of the extension's drop-down window, you'll also find options to create a new document using Office Online. The extension supports all major Office file types including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and the relatively new Sway. Additionally, the Office Online extension has an option to open a document in Office Online that's either stored on OneDrive or on your local drive.
Beyond the basics, the Office Online extension allows you to drag-and-drop files in the browser, which automatically uploads them to OneDrive, provided you adjust your settings, as described above.
Also, when you run various Office document formats on a web page, such as resumes or scientific papers, they will automatically open in Office Online. PDF files will continue to open in the classic Chrome viewer.
One day, Microsoft may catch up to Chrome with its new browser, Windows 10's Edge. For now, though, most of us need tools like Office Online that integrate third-party programs into Microsoft 's digital ecosystem
