Microsoft has quietly launched a free version of Office for Windows, but access comes with significant limitations. This “limited test” means users will encounter constant banner ads and periodic video ads, cannot save files locally (only to OneDrive), and face restricted functionality in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. To access it, download Office from Microsoft’s website, run the installer, and during the sign-in process, select “Skip for now,” then click “Continue for free” followed by “Save to OneDrive.” While free to use, users should be aware of the extensive limitations on features.
Did you know that Microsoft has discreetly rolled out a free version of Office for Windows without public announcement? A recent report confirms this is indeed the case. However, there are significant caveats to consider. For starters, this seems to be a “limited test”—whatever that entails—meaning the steps outlined below may or may not grant you access to the Office apps for free.
Additionally, you’ll constantly encounter a banner ad, along with a video ad appearing every few hours. File saving is restricted to OneDrive only; local saving is not an option. Lastly, the functionalities of these free versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are quite limited.
Nonetheless, they are available. To access them, simply download Office from the Microsoft website, run the installer, and allow it to download the complete suite of applications. When you open any Office app, a pop-up will appear prompting you to sign in.
Select “Skip for now,” and then another pop-up will welcome you to “free Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.”
At this point, click “Continue for free,” then on the following screen, select “Save to OneDrive.”
That’s all there is to it! You should now have free access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows, albeit with a severely limited range of features—the complete list of restricted functionalities can be found at the Source linked below.
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