Office 365 comes to Android phones

Microsoft is bringing Office 365 to Android, but certain restrictions apply.

To get Office 365 on your Android device you need to be in the U.S.; other markets will follow. It needs to be an Android phone; it’s not yet available for Android tablets. And you can’t buy it separately; Office Mobile for Android is only available as a free benefit as part of certain Office 365 subscriptions.

Microsoft made the announcement in a blog post on Wednesday by Guy Gilbert, a senior product manager with Microsoft focused on Office apps.

“The release of this app shows that we’re committed to keep providing additional value for Office 365 subscribers,” said Gilbert. “Office 365 subscribers will now be able to access, view, and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents with Windows Phone, iPhone and Android phones.”

8032.Image4_OfficeAndroid_176x312.jpg-550x0

Office Mobile for Android is supported on phones running Android 4.0 or higher with a qualifying Office 365 subscription plan. Availability in markets besides the U.S. is expected “over the next several weeks” ramping-up to 33 languages and 117 markets. There’s no additional cost for Office 365 subscribers, and it can’t be purchased separately.

Gilbert said Office Mobile is phone-only for now as Microsoft optimized the user experience for the screen size.

“We built Office Mobile for Android phones to ensure a great Office experience when using a small screen device.  Therefore, you will not be able to download and install Office Mobile for Android phones on an Android tablet from the Google Play store,” wrote Gilbert.  “If you have an Android tablet, we recommend using the Office Web Apps which provide the best Office experience on a tablet.”

Several commenters questioned why Canada wasn’t included in the initial launch, to which Gilbert responded, “We’ll be launching in Canada in the next several weeks. Hang in there!”

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Jeff Jedras
Jeff Jedras
A veteran technology and business journalist, Jeff Jedras began his career in technology journalism in the late 1990s, covering the booming (and later busting) Ottawa technology sector for Silicon Valley North and the Ottawa Business Journal, as well as everything from municipal politics to real estate. He later covered the technology scene in Vancouver before joining IT World Canada in Toronto in 2005, covering enterprise IT for ComputerWorld Canada. He would go on to cover the channel as an assistant editor with CDN. His writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, the Ottawa Citizen and a wide range of industry trade publications.

Related Tech News

Featured Tech Jobs

 

CDN in your inbox

CDN delivers a critical analysis of the competitive landscape detailing both the challenges and opportunities facing solution providers. CDN's email newsletter details the most important news and commentary from the channel.