Microsoft clears up confusion with its Office apps on Android and iOS, making it easier to multitask on massive phones and foldables
Office files will now open in standalone apps if you have Microsoft 365 and Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on your phone.
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What you need to know
Microsoft 365 can be assessed several ways on a smartphone, which is convenient but can also cause confusion. Users shared with Microsoft that the default way Office files opened on iOS and Android created uncertainty. Microsoft has cleared things up with new default behaviors that dictate how Office files will open.
If you have a standalone Office app installed, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, files you open will open in their respective standalone apps. If you do not have any standalone Office applications on your smartphone, you’ll see no change and files will still open in the Microsoft 365 app. If you are sent an Office file but do not have any Microsoft apps to open it, you will now be directed to the App Store or Google Play Store page for the appropriate standalone app.
Microsoft broke down the changes in aTech Community post:
“Our goal is to improve predictability for how files get opened when starting from our key “hub” experiences on mobile devices (OneDrive, Outlook, Teams) – the standalone Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps if installed will essentially be favored to handle file open operations,” said Microsoft.
“For customers who want to open more than one Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file at once, the standalone apps can better handle side by side and windowing scenarios that modern tablet and mobile operating systems support.”
OneDrive on iOS and Android have already received the change. Microsoft will ship the update to Outlook on iOS and Android gradually throughout October and November. Exact dates for the change being implemented in Teams on iOS and Android are still being determined by Microsoft.
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Microsoft 365 vs standalone Office apps
Microsoft’s Office apps have been available on iOS and Android for years, though the exact method of using the apps has shifted a bit over time. In 2020, Microsoft introduced a combined Office app that included Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. The app also integrated with Office Lens to make scanning documents easier.
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If you look in the Google Play Store or App Store for Microsoft Office, you won’t see an app named “Office.” That’s because Microsoft rebranded Office to Microsoft 365 in 2022. Along with that shift in branding came anew name for the tech giant’s mobile efforts. Now, Microsoft 365 is a central hub for Microsoft services.
While a centralized hub is convenient, having all your Office files open in a single app can be restrictive. As highlighted by Microsoft, multitasking is made better with standalone apps because you can open them side-by-side. For example, if you want to have a Word document and an Excel spreadsheet open at the same time, you’ll want at least Word and Excel installed on your smartphone.
Having a spreadsheet and a document open at the same time on a smartphone would have been laughable when devices were smaller, but with large screens now the standard and folding devices being normal, multitasking on a smartphone is now a viable option. Being able to open multiple files at once is also handy if you have a device that supports a desktop-like environment, such as Samsung DeX.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
