How to use microsoft office on tablets and smartphones
There are two ways to get Office on your Android phone or tablet:
You can install the new Office mobile app that combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single app, and introduces new mobile-centric features to view, edit and share files without the need to switch between multiple apps. Learn more.
Or you can install the Office apps individually:
Before you begin, make sure you download the Office for Android apps from the local Android Store.
Note: Using a Chromebook? You can install Office mobile apps for Android on your Chromebook if you have the Google Play Store or use Office Online if you have the Google Web Store.
Use the Office mobile apps to work from anywhere, just sign in with a free Microsoft Account or a Microsoft 365 work or school account. With a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, you’ll have access to the app’s extra features.
Set up Office apps for the first time:
Open an Office app like Excel.
Sign in with your Microsoft account, or Microsoft 365 work or school account.
Enter your email address and password associated with your Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet subscription and sign in.
Note: If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can create one for free.
If you sign in with a Microsoft account that’s associated with Office 2016 or Office 2019, you may get the option to upgrade to Microsoft 365.
Follow the instructions to purchase a plan, or select May be later if you want to use the apps without a subscription.
Note that you get extra features if you use a Microsoft 365 subscription.
If you have other Office apps installed on your Android device, your account and OneDrive files will be automatically added.
To add another account, tap Open (or Open other documents if you’re on a tablet) > Add a place.
If you are using OneNote, tap Settings > Accounts.
Choose the cloud service you want to add, such as OneDrive for business or Dropbox.
Enter the email address and password that you use to sign in to that service.
Need help installing and setting up Office apps on Android?
To learn how to use your Office mobile app, see Microsoft Office mobile.
From the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint app: Open or create a document > open the side menu > Settings icon > Send Feedback or Online Help and Support.
From the OneNote app, tap Settings > Help.
Or, select a link in the table below.
Android Help Content
Tap the service where you want to view your files. For example, to view Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents, tap:
Open > OneDrive – Personal where you store personal documents
Open > OneDrive – where you store your work or school documents
You’ll see the list of files you saved to OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school. The type files you see are specific to the app you opened them in. For example, if you opened the Word app, you’ll only see Word documents; if you opened the Excel app, you’ll see Excel spreadsheets.
To view any OneNote notebooks you saved to OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school, tap + Open Existing.
Note: To use the extra features in the Office apps, you must sign in with the Microsoft account or work or school account associated with your qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. For a list of qualifying plans, see What you can do in the Office apps on an Android, iOS, or Windows mobile device with a Microsoft 365 plan.
Here’s a quick way to see how you can use Microsoft 365 on a variety of phones and tablets.
Microsoft 365 mobile comparison chart
If you’re looking for information about how to set up a specific phone or tablet, use the following topics:
Surface with Windows RT
BlackBerry® Business Cloud Services1
Nokia (Symbian OS)
Use Outlook Web App to read mail
Use POP or IMAP email
Use Exchange ActiveSync
Search global address list
Sync calendar and contacts
Admin PIN reset
View-only in browser. Edit in Office Mobile
View-only on iPhone. Edit on iPad
View-only, including in browser on tablets
Use OneNote to view and edit notebooks
Use Office on mobile devices (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
View documents in OneDrive for work or school
Use features that require ActiveX Controls
Yes. Install Lync 2010 for Nokia3
Set and view presence
Support for push notifications
Use Lync to view and search the contacts list and the global address list
Start and accept IM conversations
Send location in an IM
Manage call forwarding
Handle someone else’s calls if configured as a delegate
Join a Lync Meeting
Administer Microsoft 365
BlackBerry Business Cloud Services is available only with Microsoft 365 Enterprise.
For detailed information about Lync support in mobile clients, see Microsoft Lync 2013 for Mobile Clients.
Lync mobile clients don’t update a user’s presence based on the user’s free/busy calendar information:
Lync runs in the background on the device, so push notifications aren’t required.
If a mobile client user is also signed in to the Lync desktop client, the desktop client updates the user’s presence based on the user’s free/busy calendar information.
If the user is signed in to only a mobile client, the user’s presence doesn’t update based on free/busy calendar information.
Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet mobile comparison chart
Note: This article applies only to Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China.
There are two ways to get Office on your Android phone or tablet:
You can install the new Office mobile app that combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single app, and introduces new mobile-centric features to view, edit and share files without the need to switch between multiple apps. Learn more.
Or you can install the Office apps individually:
Before you begin, make sure you download the Office for Android apps from the local Android Store.
Note: Using a Chromebook? You can install Office mobile apps for Android on your Chromebook if you have the Google Play Store or use Office Online if you have the Google Web Store.
Use the Office mobile apps to work from anywhere, just sign in with a free Microsoft Account or a Microsoft 365 work or school account. With a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, you’ll have access to the app’s extra features.
Set up Office apps for the first time:
Open an Office app like Excel.
Sign in with your Microsoft account, or Microsoft 365 work or school account.
Enter your email address and password associated with your Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet subscription and sign in.
Note: If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can create one for free.
If you sign in with a Microsoft account that’s associated with Office 2016 or Office 2019, you may get the option to upgrade to Microsoft 365.
Follow the instructions to purchase a plan, or select May be later if you want to use the apps without a subscription.
Note that you get extra features if you use a Microsoft 365 subscription.
If you have other Office apps installed on your Android device, your account and OneDrive files will be automatically added.
To add another account, tap Open (or Open other documents if you’re on a tablet) > Add a place.
If you are using OneNote, tap Settings > Accounts.
Choose the cloud service you want to add, such as OneDrive for business or Dropbox.
Enter the email address and password that you use to sign in to that service.
Need help installing and setting up Office apps on Android?
To learn how to use your Office mobile app, see Microsoft Office mobile.
From the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint app: Open or create a document > open the side menu > Settings icon > Send Feedback or Online Help and Support.
From the OneNote app, tap Settings > Help.
Or, select a link in the table below.
Android Help Content
Tap the service where you want to view your files. For example, to view Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents, tap:
Open > OneDrive – Personal where you store personal documents
Open > OneDrive – where you store your work or school documents
You’ll see the list of files you saved to OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school. The type files you see are specific to the app you opened them in. For example, if you opened the Word app, you’ll only see Word documents; if you opened the Excel app, you’ll see Excel spreadsheets.
To view any OneNote notebooks you saved to OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school, tap + Open Existing.
Note: To use the extra features in the Office apps, you must sign in with the Microsoft account or work or school account associated with your qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. For a list of qualifying plans, see What you can do in the Office apps on an Android, iOS, or Windows mobile device with a Microsoft 365 plan.
September 15, 2014 by Berta Bilbao
Many critics question Microsoft’s lack of a decent platform for its MS Office suite on iPad tablets and different smartphones. Actually, Microsoft has numerous options of MS Office suitable for cell phones. They are just not completely featured versions of Office. There are some noticeable versions of Microsoft Office for different adaptations of Windows, and also Office Mobile, Office Online and Office 365. Every one of them has many functionalities and separate installment structures.
Full Microsoft Office – Windows 8 and Windows
It is quite easy to utilize Office on Windows 8 Tablets. The complete desktop version of Microsoft Office can be easily purchased and used on a Windows 8 tablet or Windows 8 smart phone. In order to exploit Office on your tablet you just need to utilize the desktop of your tablet. Although it is probably not the ideal interface for a touch screen, it is still the complete Microsoft Office version that can be used on a desktop computer. As the majority of Windows 8 tablets do not actually incorporate Microsoft Office, you will have to pay for it separately. Some of the tablets that for some unknown reason do incorporate Office are:
- 8-inch tablets
- 10-inch tablets, like ASUS T101
- Windows RT tablets – they incorporate a version of Office that is free, but a bit restricted.
MS OFFICE 365 – Android and iPhone
Microsoft offers “Office Mobile to Office 365 supporters” applications for Android and iPhone that are introduced to the user from Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Office 365 is the membership administration for Microsoft Office. For $100 per year, the user can download the newest desktop versions of Office for Windows and Mac computers. The user also gets OneDrive storage room and the option to utilize the Office 365 apps for Android and iPhone. These apps allow the user to create and change archives in his One Drive stockpiling.
These applications cannot simply be purchased and used forever. Their utilization requires a membership.
MS OFFICE OFFLINE – Android and iPhone
The Office Mobile for Office 365 applications was specifically meant for cell phones. The applications are quite basic and do not look like the ones for Microsoft office for desktop PCs. The full versions of Office cannot be locally utilized on Android tablets and iPads. What users can do is try to utilize the Office Mobile for Office 365 endorsers’ applications on Android tablets and iPad. But this off course cannot substitute Office on Windows or Mac OS X.
Earlier, Microsoft has recommended using Office Online as a part of a web program on the user’s tablet in order to utilize a more desktop-like interface. Office Online is a program based adaptation of Microsoft Office, which can be accessed inside OneDrive. Although it is not as prominent as the full desktop version of Office, it still has a comparative interface.
Office Online is free of charge and can be utilized even on a Windows PC.
OFFICE MOBILE – Windows Phone
Windows Phone supports a free version of Office, which is also known as Office Mobile. Unlike the version of Office Mobile for Android phones and iPhone, the one for Windows Phone is absolutely allowed ti utilize. You also do not need an Office 365 membership.
Clearly, Office Mobile is a streamlined version of Office meant for smartphones. It is created so the user can view his Office archives and complete basic tasks on the move, without having to install the complete version.
And how do you prefer to use Microsoft Office?
Berta Bilbao
Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.
A few months ago, we introduced a new mobile app called Office—a whole new experience designed to be your go-to app for getting work done on a mobile device. It combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single app and introduces new capabilities that enable you to create content and accomplish tasks in uniquely mobile ways to help you achieve more. Today, we’re proud to announce the Office app is out of public preview and now generally available worldwide for anyone on Android and iOS phones.
Hundreds of millions of people use Office to achieve more at work, home, and school. We know many people save rich document creation or editing for their computer or laptop and work on their phones in limited ways. We took this as a challenge for Office to find a better overall productivity experience that would change perceptions of how you could work on a mobile device to create an experience that was simpler, more integrated, harnessed the unique strengths of mobile devices, and truly put mobile needs at the forefront.
The Office app delivers several key benefits including:
- Combining Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in a way that simplifies the experience with fewer apps to download or switch between. It requires far less phone storage than installing individual apps while maintaining virtually all the capabilities of the existing mobile apps people already know and use.
- Integrating our Lens technology to unlock the power of the camera with capabilities like converting images into editable Word and Excel documents, scanning PDFs, and capturing whiteboards with automatic digital enhancements to make the content easier to read.
- Adding new functionality for common tasks people often encounter when working on a phone—things like making quick notes, signing PDFs, scanning QR codes, and transferring files between devices.
Altogether, the Office app is a powerful tool that is intuitive and familiar yet still uniquely different.
We’ve been thrilled and humbled to see the response to the public preview of the Office app since introducing it at the Microsoft Ignite conference last November. After the announcement, tens of thousands of people immediately rushed to get the Android and iOS apps, causing us to hit the 10,000-user limit in Apple’s TestFlight program in just a few hours. The feedback we received through customer conversations, social media, and the press has been very positive and encouraging— with the Office app seen as part of a new wave of innovation for Office and Microsoft. This inspired us to work hard to get this app ready for full release as soon as we could.
We have made several enhancements since the public preview—such as support for third-party storage services including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud; templates to help you create new documents, spreadsheets, and presentations; and general performance improvements.
Today’s release is also available for download on Android tablets with limited support. The Office app for Android is fully optimized for tablets when working with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents and we are committed to making the rest of the Android app as well as the iOS app fully optimized for tablets soon.
More features coming soon
But we’re not stopping here. We’re constantly thinking about ways to enrich the Office mobile experience to help people be more productive on a phone. We want people to think of the Office mobile experience as a tool they would turn to for content creation and more sophisticated work—not just for light editing and information consumption.
In the next few months, we’ll add three new exciting features that will help us deliver on that promise:
- Word Dictation—Let Word turn your voice into written text and use voice commands and simple toolbars to easily apply the right formatting and punctuation you need.
- Excel CardsView—View and edit data in an Excel table row in a simple, digestible card format so you do not have span across columns that extend beyond the limits of the screen.
- Outline to PowerPoint—Write your presentation content as a simple outline and let PowerPoint Designer turn it into presentable slides with the proper styling, formatting, and iconography of your content.
Get started with the Office app
Anyone can now download the Office app on phones for Android and iOS. The app is free to use, even without signing in. However, signing in with a Microsoft Account or connecting to a third-party storage service will enable you to access and store documents in the cloud. An Office 365 or Microsoft 365 subscription will also unlock various premium features, consistent with those in the current Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps.
Download the Office app now and discover a whole new way to organize your work and get things done for work, for home, and for school.
Office365 includes Microsoft’s official web app for Word, Powerpoint and Excel so you can use it on a tablet, like the new Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
One of the questions we get asked most often is about how to use Microsoft Word and Excel on tablets and smartphones. And while we love using iPads and other tablets to work whenever and wherever, but until now there hasn’t been a great native solution for those devices. Instead we’ve been using Android and iOS apps to try to recreate the laptop or desktop experience.
But starting today, Microsoft has partnered with AT&T to create a cloud-based Office Suite, so you can have Microsoft Office on all your devices. They’re calling it Office365, and the idea is that the cloud can provide everything you need to be productive on any device. Using the cloud actually enables lots of professional-level IT tools beyond just the Office Suite, which we’ll talk about later this week, but for now we’ll just concentrate on getting you up to speed on the Office Web Apps mobile stuff.
In the past, you bought the MS Office Suite, plus a licensing key, one time upfront. Office365 is different, and you access the programs via a monthly subscription plan. It’s good for businesses, who can quickly scale up or down depending on how many people in the office need Office at any given moment. Without any of the other Office365 features, just accessing Office Web Apps will cost $10 a month.
So how does it work? Basically, Microsoft has recreated the program experience as an app. AT&T is there to take care of the online cloud component, taking care of deliverability. And because it’s all online, it’s actually easier to collaborate and share documents, across all the Web Apps and users. So what’s included as a Web App? Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote. If you haven’t tried OneNote, you may want Web Apps just for that! It’s basically a free-form document you can use to record anything: notes, pictures, general idea, whatever. It’s good for sharing and brainstorming, and you can share images, audio, and more with other users to work together.
There’s more to Office365 than just Web Apps; Office365 is a complete package designed to deliver the feeling (and productivity) of being at your desk – we’ll talk more their new exchange email and videoconferencing later this week. For now, you can go to the AT&T website to see if Web Apps might make sense for your business; if you’re using a tablet for work at all, it’s definitely worth checking out.
There are two ways to get Office on your Android phone or tablet:
You can install the new Office mobile app that combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single app, and introduces new mobile-centric features to view, edit and share files without the need to switch between multiple apps. Learn more.
Or you can install the Office apps individually:
Before you begin, make sure you download the Office for Android apps from the local Android Store.
Note: Using a Chromebook? You can install Office mobile apps for Android on your Chromebook if you have the Google Play Store or use Office Online if you have the Google Web Store.
Use the Office mobile apps to work from anywhere, just sign in with a free Microsoft Account or a Microsoft 365 work or school account. With a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, you’ll have access to the app’s extra features.
Set up Office apps for the first time:
Open an Office app like Excel.
Sign in with your Microsoft account, or Microsoft 365 work or school account.
Enter your email address and password associated with your Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet subscription and sign in.
Note: If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can create one for free.
If you sign in with a Microsoft account that’s associated with Office 2016 or Office 2019, you may get the option to upgrade to Microsoft 365.
Follow the instructions to purchase a plan, or select May be later if you want to use the apps without a subscription.
Note that you get extra features if you use a Microsoft 365 subscription.
If you have other Office apps installed on your Android device, your account and OneDrive files will be automatically added.
To add another account, tap Open (or Open other documents if you’re on a tablet) > Add a place.
If you are using OneNote, tap Settings > Accounts.
Choose the cloud service you want to add, such as OneDrive for business or Dropbox.
Enter the email address and password that you use to sign in to that service.
Need help installing and setting up Office apps on Android?
To learn how to use your Office mobile app, see Microsoft Office mobile.
From the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint app: Open or create a document > open the side menu > Settings icon > Send Feedback or Online Help and Support.
From the OneNote app, tap Settings > Help.
Or, select a link in the table below.
Android Help Content
Tap the service where you want to view your files. For example, to view Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents, tap:
Open > OneDrive – Personal where you store personal documents
Open > OneDrive – where you store your work or school documents
You’ll see the list of files you saved to OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school. The type files you see are specific to the app you opened them in. For example, if you opened the Word app, you’ll only see Word documents; if you opened the Excel app, you’ll see Excel spreadsheets.
To view any OneNote notebooks you saved to OneDrive or OneDrive for work or school, tap + Open Existing.
Note: To use the extra features in the Office apps, you must sign in with the Microsoft account or work or school account associated with your qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. For a list of qualifying plans, see What you can do in the Office apps on an Android, iOS, or Windows mobile device with a Microsoft 365 plan.
Despite how easy it is to use Microsoft Office on Android devices it’s sure is hard to convince people to make the switch from their desktops onto their smartphones. Even more so when it comes to traditionally desktop bound functions like word processing. The truth is, these days connecting a smartphone to an external monitor or physical keyboard is easy enough, and using Microsoft Office on Android devices is a more portable and lightweight option than ever. Even more so when you stop to consider costs, there is a completely free (you read right, it costs exactly $0) app for the most usual Microsoft Office tools and they ready to use on Android devices. The only problem is that most of us aren’t taking full advantage of this great package. Here are our answers to your questions.
Which Microsoft Office app should I install?
It might sound kind of silly, but Microsoft made a bit of a mess in these past couple of years. Early on, the whole Office package was included on a single app titled Microsoft Office Mobile, but a while back that option was nixed in lieu of three separate and independently functioning apps: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These are the only ones you need to install. Another bonus is that none of them are required for the other ones to function properly. All you need to do is download the one you want on your phone depending on the type of document that you need to edit. Don’t waste time confusing these with Office 365, though. Office 365 which is a paid-for subscription service that includes access to and the use of the whole Microsoft software cloud. In short, check these out:
- Microsoft Word App for word processing [Download]
- Microsoft Excel App for spreadsheets [Download]
- Microsoft PowerPoint App for presentations [Download]
Do I have to link an email account to Microsoft Office?
Linking your email account to Microsoft Office is a completely optional but certainly recommendable feature. Whenever you open one of the Office apps for the first time, you’ll have the option to either: log in to an already existing account, create a new one, or skip this step entirely. The offline version of the application doesn’t allow you to save a history of the latest opened files, nor will it let you synchronize your favorite actions between devices, so if you would like to use these features we recommend that you do log on.
Even though you can choose to use any account you’d like, regardless of it’s domain, ideally you should use an Outlook/Hotmail/Msn account to associate the rest of your Microsoft tools into one single account. That way you’d be taking full advantage of how seamless and interconnected these functions really can be. In any case, these days Microsoft is much more open, and as we’ll explain further along in this article they are much more willing to work with competing products. Mind blown.
What can I do on the smartphone version of Microsoft Office?
You can do pretty much everything you might need on a smartphone without missing much from the desktop versions of Microsoft Office. You’re able to edit existing documents as well as create them from scratch. Saving them on your local device or on the associated cloud is also an option. Without looking any further, it is possible to open files from OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and SharePoint. You can even use any other remote access root as a folder file.
As far as functionality goes, you can use all of the basic options from each of the apps- be it writing with different fonts and text formats or sizes on Microsoft Word; filling in tables and adding formulae on Excel; or even resizing objects or images for a PowerPoint presentation. The basics are all still there.
Obviously enough, not everything is included for free from the original desktop version, but what the smartphone app for Microsoft Office does include is more than enough to stick in your pocket while on the way to your workplace.
What is included in the latest version?
The latest updates for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint add on a few new functions that were missing. Take for example, the possibility to automatically save a document while it’s being edited, or the ability to access different versions of the same file over time, or collaboratively work on editing a text in real time, or even inserting pictures straight from your smartphones’ camera. These are all much needed functions that are now already included on all of your Microsoft Office apps.
Your go-to productivity app for Android devices*
The new Office Mobile app combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with exclusive features to make it your go-to productivity app.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in one app
View, edit and share files without the need to switch between multiple apps.
Uniquely mobile ways to make document creation easier
Transform pictures into editable Word and Excel files with the press of a button, and more.
Quickly perform common mobile tasks with built-in Actions
Create and sign PDFs, use Sticky Notes, quickly transfer files between devices, and more.
Get more productivity apps*
How your email address is used.
Microsoft will use your email address only for this one-time transaction.
Office apps for Android*
Create and edit beautiful documents on the go and read them comfortably on any device.
Excel
PowerPoint
Edit slides on the go and add animations, transitions, charts, or speaker notes right on your device.
Outlook
Microsoft OneNote
Easily organize your notes, plan a trip, and keep track of your lists.
Microsoft OneDrive
View or share photos, videos, and documents from your mobile device with 1 TB of cloud storage.
More apps for Android*
Skype
Stay in touch with free video and voice calls, messaging, and file sharing.
Skype for Business
Stay connected, communicate, and conference with others.
Microsoft Family Safety
The Microsoft Family Safety app empowers you to protect what matters most with digital safety and location sharing.
Office Lens
Trim, enhance, and make pictures of whiteboards and documents readable, then save them to OneNote.
Yammer
Stay on top of conversations and the latest company news and collaborate on the go.
Microsoft Teams
Instantly access all your team’s content and collaborate from a single place where messages, files, people, and tools live together.
Microsoft Stream
Stay productive on the go with fast access to all your videos for online and offline viewing.
Get more with Microsoft 365
*Availability of mobile apps varies by country/region.
