Category: Office for Android

Microsoft has released a new update to the OneNote for Android app that brings several new and advanced editing features to the note taking app.  The update, version 15.0.3931.1008 for those keeping score at home, follows up on the general release of the entire Office for Android Phone yesterday.  While a part of the Office suite as a whole, OneNote for Android has been out for Android phone and tablets for some time now and is on a different development cycle.  This app is also free and it uses your OneDrive account to store and sync your notes.

OneNote for Android – Free – Download Now

After spending the last few months in Preview (Beta) mode, Microsoft has officially launched the Office for Android Phone apps to the general public.  The new Excel, PowerPoint and Word apps are now universal apps for both Android tablets & phones and are available for free from the Google Play Store.  If you have a device that is under 10.1″ in screen size, they are able to view, create and edit files while those with an Office 365 subscription will have every feature fully enabled.

For those who keep score at home, the Office for Android new versions are builds 16.0.4201.1008.

I’ve been testing the Office for Android apps for the entire Preview period and while there were a few bugs here and there, generally speaking they were all solid on performance and stability.  The release today brings some additional features to the apps including support for Google Drive.

Excel for Android – Free – Download Now

PowerPoint for Android – Free – Download Now

Word for Android – Free – Download Now

Microsoft has released an update to the Office for Android apps today and it is an utter mystery what is addressed in the update. All three of the Office apps – Excel, PowerPoint and Word – have received an update and they are available now for those who have Android Tablets and if you are in the Office for Android Phone preview, you will see them available on your phone.  The version of the builds is 16.0.4201.1004 for those keeping score at home.  While mysterious “bug fix and performance improvement” updates are common in the Google Play Store, updates with literally no release notes are not as common (but not unheard of).  What Microsoft addressed in these updates is only known to them at this point but I think it is safe to assume that they are aimed at the phone builds.

Microsoft Word for Android – Free – Download Now

Microsoft Excel for Android – Free – Download Now

Microsoft PowerPoint for Android – Free – Download Now

A couple of weeks ago I did a quick overview of Microsoft’s preview of Word for Android Phone. Since that overview, Microsoft has already released another update to the preview, giving it more stability and improving some of the functionality.  Now it is time to look at PowerPoint for Android Phone. Like Word (and Excel), it is also in Preview (or as it use to be called, beta) so if you decide to download these apps you may run into the odd behavior or bug.

PowerPoint for Android Phone is impressive.  In my “day job” I use PowerPoint on a daily basis and regardless of platform – Windows Phone, Android or iOS – I have found Office for Mobile (the old Microsoft Office app for phones) to be very limiting and in some cases, useless. That is not the case with the new breed of Office apps and PowerPoint for Android phone is a prime example. It is feature rich and easy to navigate, a far cry from it’s predecessor.  In fact, if you were stuck with only your Android Phone and had to create a presentation, this app is more than powerful enough to allow you to do it including things like slide transitions and photo inserts.  It is as close to desktop PowerPoint as you can get on a phone and unless you have some very specific need, PowerPoint for Android Phone will do 99% of what the average user needs.

Microsoft has released another update to Outlook for Android today, bringing improved navigation and several bug fixes to the app.  The update, version 1.2.5 for those keeping score at home, is available now and is highly recommended for those who are using the email app.  While the improve navigation elements actually were release last week in version 1.2, they have been smoothed out a good bit in this update.  You shouldn’t see the hesitation many users were experiencing when moving between accounts or from mail to calendar or people for example.

Microsoft Outlook for Android – Free – Download Now

Today Microsoft has released a new update to their suite of Office for Android apps.  The update applies to the tablet versions of these apps (remember, you have to use Office Mobile for your sub-7″ devices) and impacts Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  There are a lot of things that have been improved but the biggest news is support for Android Lollipop 5.x, the latest flavor of Android.  The updates are version 16.0.3930.1010 for those keeping score at home and that version number applies to all three apps.

Excel for Android Tablet – Free – Download Now

PowerPoint for Android Tablet – Free – Download Now

Word for Android Tablet – Free – Download Now