

In October 2012, Google Spreadsheets was renamed Google Sheets and a Google Chrome app was released that provided shortcuts to Sheets on Chrome's new tab page. In June 2012, Google acquired Quickoffice, a freeware proprietary productivity suite for mobile devices. Improvements based on DocVerse were announced and deployed in April 2010. DocVerse allowed multiple-user online collaboration on Excel-compatible documents as well as other Microsoft Office formats such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. In March 2010, Google acquired the online document collaboration company DocVerse. The limited test was later replaced with a beta version available to all Google Account holders, around the same time as an official announcement press release was issued. It was launched as a test for a limited number of users, on a first-come, first-served basis on June 6, 2006. XL2Web was acquired by Google in 2006 and turned into Google Labs Spreadsheets.

Google Sheets originated from XL2Web, a web-based spreadsheet application developed by 2Web Technologies, founded by Jonathan Rochelle and Farzad “Fuzzy” Khosrowshahi.

Sheets is one of the services provided by Google that also includes Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, Google Sites and Google Keep. Updates have introduced features that use machine learning, including "Explore", which offers answers based on natural language questions in the spreadsheet. A permissions system regulates what users can do. Where an editor is making changes is highlighted with an editor-specific color and cursor. Edits are tracked by which user made them, along with a revision history. The app allows users to create and edit files online while collaborating with other users in real-time.

The app is compatible with Microsoft Excel file formats. Google Sheets is available as a web application a mobile app for: Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, BlackBerry OS and as a desktop application on Google's ChromeOS. Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google.
