Chromebooks Will No Longer Support Microsoft Office Android Apps

Over the past few years, Chrome OS has become something of a “one-stop-shop” operating system. Along with the usual native Chrome OS apps and web apps, Google’s OS has also gained support for Linux and Android apps. With a little willpower, and to some extent, he can even run Windows applications.

This does not mean, however, that the application experience of these other platforms is equivalent to that of full-fledged Chrome OS applications, and Microsoft seems to be using this to justify the end of official support for Android versions of its. Microsoft Office and Outlook apps on Chrome OS from September.

Microsoft is working around the clock to improve the Office experience on all fronts, and more recently the company made the decision to remove Android versions of the Office productivity suite from Chromebooks.

In other words, if you’re running Chrome OS and using the Android versions of the Office apps, you won’t be able to do that anymore , as Microsoft is ending this approach next month.

On the other hand, the Redmond-based software giant is hoping that users will stick with web apps, and therefore rely on the browser version of the productivity suite to work on documents on their Chromebooks.

If you launch an Android Office app on a Chromebook, you should now see a message telling you, “  We no longer support or update this version of the Office app.” For the best and most up-to-date experience on this device, go to Office.com  ”.

The change will take place next month

According to a statement from Microsoft sent to About Chromebooks, the retirement date for Android Office apps from Chromebooks is September 18 . “  In order to provide the most optimized experience for Chrome OS / Chromebook customers, Microsoft apps (Office and Outlook) will move to web experiences (Office.com and Outlook.com) on September 18, 2021.

This transition allows Chrome OS / Chromebook customers to access additional and premium features. Customers will need to sign in with their personal Microsoft account or the account associated with their Microsoft 365 subscription , ”the company explains.

Obviously, that doesn’t mean Android versions of Office are being discontinued, just that Microsoft wants Chromebook users to switch to the web experience in the future. Office apps on Android will continue to be updated and supported, especially as Microsoft is now a manufacturer of Android devices. In addition, Office apps for Android come preinstalled on a number of devices, including Samsung mobile smartphones and the Surface Duo.

While the web version has all the basic features you need, one disappointing fact is that it won’t work offline .