Export Google Sheets to PDF on Android: The Desktop Mode Hack - karawela

Exporting Documents to PDF on Your Phone is a Pain!

Have you ever tried to export a document to PDF using the Google Sheets mobile app? It's stress-inducing! When you're in an emergency, far away from your laptop or computer, downloading or exporting a Google Sheet document as a PDF is a seriously complicated business.

What makes it so annoying is that you have to figure out which page your document is on. You have to manually select the documents you want to download, one by one. Okay, this part is still relatively easy. It only requires a little cold sweat and some effort. Haha, let me laugh at you a bit first.

After the selection is done, you have to choose the right paper size for the document. When you tap it, the print page interface reloads (a.k.a. loading), and you have to wait for a very long time. I once waited so long that the veins in my head felt like they were bulging. But the "preparing preview" just wouldn't finish. I don't know, maybe my phone is just a potato, haha.

And there's another thing that will make the veins in your head and neck bulge, just like when your cholesterol level shoots up past the safe limit. You can't use the "Selected Cells" feature, where you can define exactly which area or zone you want to export. When you're using a phone, you end up exporting the entire sheet. Basically, the features on the Android app are severely limited. This whole post is starting to sound more like a rant disguised as a tutorial.

Don't be sad, my friend, because I'm going to give you a way that's equally complicated!

Prepare Your Browser

Get the Firefox browser. This browser has tons of advantages, like being able to install extensions just like on a desktop. I highly recommend making it your main browser.

Then, open Google Sheets and go to the document you want to download/export. Look for the three dots on the right side of the screen, and tap it. Go to Share/Export. Then, Copy Link.

• Select the 3 Dots

• Then Copy

Next, open Firefox. Access the settings by tapping the three dots, which are also on the top right of the screen. Scroll down and look for "Open links in apps", just tap it. Then you decide whether you want it to be Always, Ask Every Time, or Never. 

Turn Link Feature On or Off

Look for this feature in Firefox settings.

Let me explain a bit: Always means the link will be passed straight to the app. You won't be able to open the link in the browser because every link will be connected to the app. For example, if you paste a link you copied from Google Sheets, it won't open; instead, it'll send you back to the app.

For the Always Ask option, here's the explanation. This option will bring up a pop-up when you paste the link into the browser, asking if you want to open it in the app instead. The choices are: tap Yes to go to the app, or No to stay in the browser.

This second method is more flexible; you won't need to bother changing the setting again for different situations.

Lastly, there's Never. I'm sure you already know what that means, right? 

Here's a small piece of advice: this option is only suitable for those who truly understand browser features, or if you can easily remember and locate where this setting is. Because at some point, when you do want to open a link in the browser instead of the app, this will become an issue. You'll have to go back and change the setting.

How to Export Using Desktop Mode

Once you've finished setting that up, proceed to paste the link you copied earlier into the browser. Then, go back to the browser settings, look for Desktop Mode (or Desktop Site), and activate it. And just like that, you can use Google Sheets in full desktop mode!

• Activate 'desktop site' or desktop mode

You have to select the area you want to export. Now, this part can be a little tricky because of the small screen. After selecting, tap File, then Download, then PDF. In the export interface, at the top where it says Print, tap the column that currently says "Current Sheet" and switch it to "Selected Cells." With this option, you will only export the selected part, not the entire active sheet.

• Desktop mode with PC-like features

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few tips to make your work easier when using Google Sheets desktop mode on your phone. One is to increase the font size, and then use zoom. When zooming, you have to be careful that the zoom area is only on the top toolbar or menu section.

Although zooming on a phone isn't always effective, especially if the document you're exporting has many cells or is very wide. It's better to select carefully without lifting your finger from the screen until the entire area is properly selected.

Conclusion & Closing

The Google Sheets app can be said to have almost perfect features, but in some cases, those features don't work as expected. Especially since there are so many Android phones out there, it's very possible that bugs will occur in the app, or maybe the phone's capability just can't handle it. So, this is one way to overcome the problem if the feature isn't working on your phone.

Alright, that's enough of this tutorial, which has probably been written a million times by other people. You can probably even find it on platforms like YouTube and others, which can be an option if you don't understand my messy writing. But if you have any questions, feel free to write them in the comments section!