Recent updates
Updated February 25: Microsoft has issued a statement to PCWorld confirming that this free version of Office is just a test. Statement included at the end of the article.
Microsoft has quietly launched a new version of Microsoft Office for Windows that can be used to edit documents for free, no Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license key required. This free version of Office is based on the full desktop apps, but has most features locked behind the Microsoft 365 subscription.
First spotted by Beebom, the free version of Office for Windows includes ads that are permanently on screen when within a document in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, this new free version of Office also only allows you to save files to OneDrive, meaning no support for editing local files.
To access the free version of Office, just skip the prompt to sign-in when you first run an Office app. From there, you will be given the choice to continue to use Office for free in exchange for ads and limited features. In this mode, you can open, view, and even edit documents, just like you can with the web version of Office.
Limited features include no access to add-ins, dictation, advanced formatting, designer, smartart, and more. The free versions of these apps are literally just designed for basic writing and editing of Office documents. If you want to take advantage of more advanced features in Office, you’ll still need to subscribe.
Unfortunately, it looks like this free version of Office is in limited testing, as we were unable to skip the sign-in prompt when running Office on our test machines. It’s possible that Microsoft is currently only testing this version of Office in specific regions, or is A/B testing it with a small group of people first.
The company hasn’t officially announced this version of Office yet, nor does it acknowledge its existence in support documents. Perhaps we’ll hear more about this new free version of Office from Microsoft in the coming days or weeks.
Update: In a statement to PC World, Microsoft has confirmed that this free version of Office is just a test "Microsoft has been conducting some limited testing ... Currently, there are no plans to launch a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office desktop apps."
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
