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Microsoft Releases Office Mobile for Android Smartphones

One month after releasing Office Mobile for iPhone, Microsoft on Wednesday released the Office Mobile app for Android devices.

Wednesday's release means Office Mobile is now available for three major smartphone platforms -- Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Phone 8, which comes with Office Mobile built in.

"This means that Office 365 subscribers can now work on their Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from virtually anywhere," according to Microsoft's announcement.

Office Mobile for Android is a free download from the Google Play app store. It works on smartphones running Android OS 4.0 or higher. It will not work on Android tablets, according to this Microsoft FAQ. For Android tablet users, Microsoft recommends using Office Web Apps, which Microsoft is positioning to be more tablet- and Android-friendly.

[Click on image for larger view.] The PowerPoint slide navigator on the Office Mobile for Android app.

Users of the mobile app must have an Office 365 subscription that supports Office 2013 desktop applications, including Office Mobile. Microsoft's FAQ lists the qualifying subscriptions:

  • Office 365 Home Premium
  • Office 365 Small Business Premium
  • Office 365 Midsize Business
  • Office 365 Enterprise E3 and E4
  • Office 365 Education A3 and A4
  • Office 365 ProPlus
  • Office 365 University
  • Some Office 365 for Government plans

Most of these subscriptions allow users to install the app on up to five smartphones, though the Office 365 University subscription only allows installation on two devices, according to Microsoft. Devices running Windows Phone do not count against these limits, because the Office Mobile capability that is pre-built into Windows Phone does not require an Office 365 subscription to use.

The free 30-day Office 365 trial subscription also gives users access to the app.

For now, Office Mobile for Android is available only in the United States. Microsoft says it plans to eventually release the app in 117 markets, and support 33 languages.

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editorial director of Converge360.

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