If you want to enable or disable Office Viewer in Edge, here’s what you need to know first. Microsoft Edge has this built-in feature that would open Office files in the browser – for example, Excel sheets, Word documents, etc. But the catch is that once you click on the Office file, it automatically downloads it first, and then you can view it.
However, Microsoft has now integrated a new feature called the Office Viewer that will open the file right within the Edge browser without downloading it. In this post, we have covered how to enable or disable the Open Office files feature in Edge.
Having said that, the Office Viewer feature is now available to limited users. Once you enable it, Office files will automatically open within Edge instead of downloading them. If you have been using a separate app like Microsoft Office or another software, you won’t need it once you enable this feature. You do not need to install Microsoft Office, but you can still open, read, print, and view Word and Excel files.
Moreover, if you open the Excel or Word file through a link from a website, you will find a Save button. Clicking on it will download the file, which you can then save on your device. You can also choose to automatically open downloads in Edge. However, the Office Viewer feature does not yet allow you to edit the Word file or the Excel file or perform any other advanced functions.
So, if you prefer to open the files using another app that helps you open Office documents or spreadsheets and also allows you to edit them and use other advanced features, you can disable the feature. In this case, the file will download within the browser, and you can then open it using the other app.
How to Enable or Disable Office Viewer in Edge?
To enable or disable Office Viewer in Edge, launch the Edge browser, click on the three dots on the upper right, and select Settings.
- In the Settings window, click on Download on the sidebar.
- Now, on the right, go to Open Office Files in the browser and move the toggle switch to the right to turn it On.
- By doing this, you can now open the Office files in a new tab instead of downloading them.
- However, if you prefer downloading the file first, you can then disable the feature. For this, just move the toggle switch to Off.
Read: How to open XML File In Excel, Word, Chrome, Edge
How do I disable the File viewer?
To disable the File Viewer feature in Windows, open Windows Settings (Win + I). Now, in the Settings window, click on Apps on the left, and then click on Apps & features on the right. On the next screen, go to the App list, locate File Viewer, click on the three dots next to it, and select Uninstall. Press Uninstall again in the prompt to confirm the action.
How do I disable Microsoft Edge Web Viewer?
To disable Microsoft Edge Web Viewer, click on the three dots on the top right side of the Edge browser and select Settings. Next, select Privacy, Search, and Services on the sidebar. Now, on the right, scroll down to Services, and turn off Use a web service to help resolve navigation errors option.
