Microsoft is ending support for Office Android apps on Chromebooks

Microsoft plans to end support for its Android-based Office apps for Chrome OS users. Beginning of Sept. 18, Chromebooks that rely on Android versions Office, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive will need to migrate to the web to access files and folders.

About Chromebooks confirmed the upcoming change with Microsoft after a reader reported email in an Office app urging them to go to the web. A Microsoft Support The page also suggests that users access Microsoft 365 through the available web apps. The support page adds that the Android versions of Office, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive are not currently supported on a Chromebook.

Microsoft’s move to the web is apparently an attempt to provide an “optimized experience” for Chrome OS users.

“This transition allows Chrome OS / Chromebook customers to access additional and premium features, ”said a Microsoft spokesperson. About Chromebooks.

The Office Web Experience is a progressive web application, or PWA, so it’s comprehensive, not to mention that it will fit better on larger screens (like on a 17 inch Acer Chromebook 317, for example).

But even if it sounds simple enough, osince this transition happens, it will become more difficult to edit and search cloud-based documents when the Chromebook is offline. This denies the interest of Chrome OS, which is a cloud-based operating system that allows you work on documents without an Internet connection. But not if PWAs for Microsoft Office don’t offer offline mode.

On the other hand, being forced to use Microsoft’s web apps removes any awkward interactions you may have had while using Android apps on Chrome OS. Android apps don’t always translate well on the Chromebook’s big screen. But that takes away the ability to add a “native” Microsoft app to Chrome OS, which Chromebook users tend to prefer.

The movement comes as tthe company is launching its makeover Windows 11 in the fall, who adopts a more user-friendly interface. VSconsidering that Windows 11 will have a native Android application compatibility (although via Amazon’s Appstore), it’s a bit strange that Microsoft is moving away from these specific Android apps.

About Chromebooks reminded me that there is a Desktop edition Google extension that lets you upload Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to edit with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It allows you to edit these files in Google Docs without the internet, and it stays idle in the background until it detects an active connection, then downloads your changes. There are also open source alternatives to opening and editing Office files, namely the Linux version of LibreOffice, a relatively easy installation on the Chromebook if you’re not intimidated by Linux apps.

Of course, the simplest solution would be not have to find an alternative at all. With a bit of luck Microsoft is tackling these concerns before the official deadline.