Microsoft Deprecates Office Mobile Apps with Touch Activation for Windows



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Microsoft offers several versions of its Office applications on the market. There is the Win32 version of Office, the Web / Online version of Office (now called Office.com applications) and a Universal Windows Platform (UWP), touch-screen version. Office called Office Mobile. There are also versions of Office applications for iOS and Android.

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Credit: Microsoft

This week, Microsoft has paved the way for potentially a lesser version of Office by specifying that Office Mobile applications under Windows are no longer a priority.

At least until now, Microsoft no longer removes support for this version of Office, but will not offer new features. Company representatives have informed attendees at the Microsoft Ignite conference for IT professionals of this depriorization, as Neowin.net noted.

When I asked Microsoft if the company was putting Office Mobile for Windows on the back burner, a spokesman confirmed the move with the following statement:

"Office for Windows mobile apps have not been deprecated, but for mobile, we are currently prioritizing development for iOS and Android versions of our apps, and Windows is giving priority to Win32 and Web versions." of our applications. "

The current list of Microsoft's mobile desktop applications for Windows includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Teams, OneDrive, Skype, Skype for Business, Sway, Office Lens and Yammer. OneNote is one of the applications of this list that seems to remain an application only UWP, the last we have heard. I have a question to Microsoft to check it out.

Office Mobile applications for Windows were running Windows 10 Mobile, which Microsoft is slowly but surely eliminating, now that it is no longer in the consumer phone business. But they also worked on tablets, Surface Hub and HoloLens. In fact, on the new version of Microsoft Surface Go, the Office Mobile suite can be downloaded and used for free because Office Mobile is free on devices whose screen size is less than or equal to 10.1 inches.

The decision not to prioritize Office Mobile on Windows is certainly closely linked to Microsoft's decision to move away from Windows Mobile. But this probably also has to do with the growing recognition by many companies, both inside and outside, that the original UWP strategy has not been successful. Microsoft has introduced ways to bring Win32 and Progressive Web Apps (PWA) to its Microsoft Store, alongside "pure" UWP applications.

On Windows, Microsoft actively encourages users of devices with screens of all sizes to subscribe to Office 365 to use its Office applications. And maybe there will be a PWA version of most Office applications in the not-too-distant future?

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