Microsoft's Unified Office App for Mobile Now Compatible With iPad

[MacRumors]

Microsoft's Office app for iOS has been updated today to version 2.46 with support for iPadOS, bringing the unified Office experience of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to Apple's tablet platform.

Office is now available on iPad: We're combining the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps you know into a single, iPadOS-optimized app. Plus, you’ll see additional tools to keep you more productive than ever. For example, you’ll be able to quickly create and sign PDFs, and transform pictures into documents.

While individual Office apps have been available for the iPad since 2014, the unified Office app launched in February 2020 has until now only been able to run on the iPad as a windowed iPhone app.

Office for iPad is free to use for iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini users, but requires an Microsoft 365 subscription to make full use of all features. For iPad Pro users, a paid subscription is required to even edit or create documents.

Article Link: Microsoft's Unified Office App for Mobile Now Compatible With iPad

 

[Jaro65]

I know these have been available for the iPhone. I'm frankly not sure what is the advantage versus just starting the Word or PowerPoint standalone apps.

 

[ghanwani]

Why the discrimination against IPP?

 

[Populus]

Office for iPad is free to use for iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini users, but requires an Microsoft 365 subscription to make full use of all features. For iPad Pro users, a paid subscription is required to even edit or create documents.

I don’t understand. As far as I know, Office is completely free on devices under 10”. The current iPad (10,2”) and iPad Air (11”) are bigger, so a paid Office 365 subscription should be required. Office should be free on the mini tho.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Also sharing the same sentiment as others in this thread. Why does the “pro” iPad need a subscription to edit a word document? Maybe I’m in the minority but editing a word document or sorting a table my boss sent me doesn’t qualify as “pro work”. Definitely doesn’t warrant a subscription. Anyone with facts know what extra features I would get on the iPad Pro version? I hope there are actually other features and it’s not just a blatant money grab.

 

[cmaier]

Can’t decide if this is useful or not. Not sure it’s better than using the separate apps, though I’ll try it and see if there’s some benefit I’m missing.

 

[ian87w]

Also sharing the same sentiment as others in this thread. Why does the “pro” iPad need a subscription to edit a word document? Maybe I’m in the minority but editing a word document or sorting a table my boss sent me doesn’t qualify as “pro work”. Definitely doesn’t warrant a subscription. Anyone with facts know what extra features I would get on the iPad Pro version? I hope there are actually other features and it’s not just a blatant money grab.

Blatant money grab? How so? Editing documents, no mater how simple, means editing. And why would you even bother with Office if you didn't have MS 365 subscription in the first place? Just use Google docs or Apple's iWorks.

 

[Rich74]

I know these have been available for the iPhone. I'm frankly not sure what is the advantage versus just starting the Word or PowerPoint standalone apps.

Real estate? One app or three separate apps on your home screen. Some people are OCD about things like that.

 

[Jeaz]

I know these have been available for the iPhone. I'm frankly not sure what is the advantage versus just starting the Word or PowerPoint standalone apps.

For me, who has a device managed iPhone and iPad there’s one nice benefit of having it in one app. One of the rules imposed on the device is that on corporate managed apps (Which includes the office apps) copy-pasting more than 75 chars between apps isn’t allowed. So if you want to copy an excel table to a PowerPoint you can’t. With this it’ll be possible since it’s within the same app.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This will be handy among the college students

 

[Westside guy]

For me, who has a device managed iPhone and iPad there’s one nice benefit of having it in one app. One of the rules imposed on the device is that on corporate managed apps (Which includes the office apps) copy-pasting more than 75 chars between apps isn’t allowed. So if you want to copy an excel table to a PowerPoint you can’t. With this it’ll be possible since it’s within the same app.

That sounds like a basic (and rather ridiculous) shortcoming on the part of the OS, though. There should be a way to allow that, even if it involves a second "are you sure" warning prompt.

 

[Arsenikdote]

That sounds like a basic (and rather ridiculous) shortcoming on the part of the OS, though. There should be a way to allow that, even if it involves a second "are you sure" warning prompt.

This is not a limitation of the OS. This is a restriction imposed upon his device by the company who owns the device. Corporate profiles can have limiters, such as a limit to the number of characters that can be copied at a given time.

 

[carrot_bg]

Microsoft once again try to enforce the subscription software model. I own my hardware and I wish to own my software too. If it's one time purchase app - I'll buy it, but I'll never pay for office 365 every year.

 

[swm]

jack of all trades?

 

[TheOldChevy]

I remember the good old time of iWorks, Jazz, 123...

 

[Mr Lizard]

Also sharing the same sentiment as others in this thread. Why does the “pro” iPad need a subscription to edit a word document? Maybe I’m in the minority but editing a word document or sorting a table my boss sent me doesn’t qualify as “pro work”. Definitely doesn’t warrant a subscription. Anyone with facts know what extra features I would get on the iPad Pro version? I hope there are actually other features and it’s not just a blatant money grab.

Microsoft requires a subscription for O365 running on anything larger than a 10” screen.

 

[Mr Lizard]

That sounds like a basic (and rather ridiculous) shortcoming on the part of the OS, though. There should be a way to allow that, even if it involves a second "are you sure" warning prompt.

Not an OS restriction. It’s a restriction enforced by the user’s employer through an enterprise config profile.

 

[Mr Lizard]

I don’t understand. As far as I know, Office is completely free on devices under 10”. The current iPad (10,2”) and iPad Air (11”) are bigger, so a paid Office 365 subscription should be required. Office should be free on the mini tho.

You’re correct. Article author has made a mistake.

 

[ian87w]

Microsoft once again try to enforce the subscription software model. I own my hardware and I wish to own my software too. If it's one time purchase app - I'll buy it, but I'll never pay for office 365 every year.

If you don't want to pay for it, then don't use it. Use many other alternatives, which many are free.

 

[ian87w]

For me, who has a device managed iPhone and iPad there’s one nice benefit of having it in one app. One of the rules imposed on the device is that on corporate managed apps (Which includes the office apps) copy-pasting more than 75 chars between apps isn’t allowed. So if you want to copy an excel table to a PowerPoint you can’t. With this it’ll be possible since it’s within the same app.

Oh, interesting. I Learn something new. ??

 

[Ubuntu]

I know these have been available for the iPhone. I'm frankly not sure what is the advantage versus just starting the Word or PowerPoint standalone apps.

I think it could be useful if you’re working in a project across multiple apps. I think it could be useful in that way.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

That sounds like a basic (and rather ridiculous) shortcoming on the part of the OS, though. There should be a way to allow that, even if it involves a second "are you sure" warning prompt.

Companies with sensitive data don’t allow ANY copy/paste. It’s a big pain, but it forces folks to do work stuff on their security controlled laptop instead

 

[contacos]

Also sharing the same sentiment as others in this thread. Why does the “pro” iPad need a subscription to edit a word document? Maybe I’m in the minority but editing a word document or sorting a table my boss sent me doesn’t qualify as “pro work”. Definitely doesn’t warrant a subscription. Anyone with facts know what extra features I would get on the iPad Pro version? I hope there are actually other features and it’s not just a blatant money grab.

nothing to do with the iPad Pro. It’s for any device over 10 inch screen size. I am guessing their „logic“ is, any device smaller than that is too small to work productive on it

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

I know these have been available for the iPhone. I'm frankly not sure what is the advantage versus just starting the Word or PowerPoint standalone apps.

Yeah - having 3 apps instead of one - makes no sense to you!

 

[tills24]

Microsoft once again try to enforce the subscription software model. I own my hardware and I wish to own my software too. If it's one time purchase app - I'll buy it, but I'll never pay for office 365 every year.

But, you’ve never “owned” the software. Even in the days we’d buy the Office box, that was a license key on there, we were still licensing the software that Microsoft owns. Most software companies have moved to the subscription model, this isn’t limited to Microsoft.