Microsoft’s New Free Office Apps: Limited Features, Ads, and No Subscription Required!

Microsoft has discreetly introduced a fresh edition of Microsoft Office for Windows, which allows users to edit documents at no cost without requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office license key. This free version of Office is built on the comprehensive desktop applications, but many features are accessible only with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Initially discovered by Beebom, the gratis edition of Office for Windows now displays ads that remain visible throughout your document in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Furthermore, this freshly introduced free version of Office restricts users to save files exclusively on OneDrive, thus eliminating the option to edit local files directly.

To utilize the complimentary edition of Microsoft Office, simply overlook the sign-in prompt when you initially launch an Office application. Subsequently, you will be granted the option to carry on using Office without charge, albeit with advertisements and restricted functions. In this setting, you can open, scrutinize, and even modify documents, much like you can do with the web-based version of Microsoft Office.

These software versions only offer fundamental capabilities, such as simple document creation and editing, but lack additional functionalities like add-ins, dictation, sophisticated formatting, design tools, SmartArt, and more. Essentially, the free editions are geared towards basic Office tasks. To access advanced features in Office, you’ll need to subscribe for a premium service.

It appears that the free trial version of Office is still undergoing limited tests, as we couldn’t bypass the sign-in screen when running Office on our test devices. This could mean that Microsoft is only rolling out this version in certain areas or is conducting A/B testing with a select group of users initially.

It seems that Microsoft has not publicly revealed or acknowledged the availability of this particular version of Office, and it’s also not mentioned in their support materials. However, there’s a possibility that they might unveil this new free edition of Office in the near future – whether it be within days or weeks.

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2025-02-24 18:39