- Microsoft appears to be experimenting with ad-supported Office desktop apps
- They are limited in their functionality, and will require OneDrive syncing
- Word, Excel and PowerPoint could be going free
Microsoft appears to have released free versions of its core Office apps – Word, Excel and PowerPoint – although they are supported by ads and limited in their functionality.
The change was first spotted by Beebom, which revealed the free desktop apps show a persistent banner ad, as well as a 15-second video ad which plays “every few hours.”
However the company has already scrambled to clarify the launch is only a test, with a Microsoft spokesperson saying there were “no plans” for a wider launch.
Microsoft quietly launches ad-supported Office apps
“Microsoft has been conducting some limited testing,” a company spokesperson told PCWorld. “Currently, there are no plans to launch a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office desktop apps.”
Users looking to get access to the free office software will also notice that local file editing is not supported and that they’ll be guided to save files on OneDrive.
To access the free apps, users will need to skip the sign-in prompt and then agree to save their files in Microsoft’s cloud storage system OneDrive.
Being no-cost, these three free apps will be more limited in their functionality, lacking certain tools like Add-ins, Dictate, SmartArt, advanced formatting and Pivot Tables. The apps seem to plug a gap between the fully fledged desktop apps and the even more limited online web apps.
Beebom noted that for now at least, the free desktop apps are only available for Windows users, but they can still be used offline despite the requirement to save files in OneDrive.
Downloading the free apps is exactly the same as downloading the full apps, just that users will skip the sign-in stage that would otherwise get them access to all features.
In terms of availability, some users have reported not being able to access the free versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, suggesting it could be in a testing phase, which adds up given that Microsoft has not formally announced anything on the matter. Moreover, there’s no Mac equivalent (yet).
For context, Microsoft recently raised the prices of consumer 365 subscriptions, so this could be one of the ways it’s justifying the change. TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft to confirm some details, but we did not get an immediate response.
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