Microsoft has updated the Office app for Android smartphones, adding support for Dropbox and further integration with the company’s own OneDrive cloud storage service.
The update to Office Mobile – the name of the all-in-one app that includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint – was promised two weeks ago when Microsoft announced a partnership with Dropbox.
Shortly after Microsoft and Dropbox trumpeted the deal, the former updated its iOS apps – Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the iPhone and iPad – to let users connect to their Dropbox accounts from within the apps.
Android’s Office Mobile now does the same.
“With [this] update, you’ll get the same integration in Office Mobile for Android phone, including the ability to… add Dropbox as an online storage location, browse your files on Dropbox, [and] use Office Mobile app for Android Phones to edit your Dropbox files and automatically save them back to Dropbox,” Microsoft said in a short blog post.
Unlike Office for iOS, which Microsoft has split into separate refreshed apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Android’s Office Mobile retains an older UI and the three-app grouping that was formerly the sole option for iPhone owners.
The new Android app also now lets users share a link to a OneDrive-stored document, spreadsheet or presentation via e-mail. OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud-based storage and sync service, and competes with Dropbox.
Although Office Mobile on Android can be used free of charge by consumers, it requires a linked Office 365 business-grade subscription for commercial purposes. The same goes for the iPhone and iPad apps.
Still missing from Microsoft’s mobile Office portfolio is a version suitable for Android tablets. Microsoft has been taking requests for a beta programme since 6 November, and has been sending invitations to some potential participants. All Microsoft has said about a launch date is “early 2015“.
As with iOS – both iPhone and iPad – the Android tablet version of Office will feature separate apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
The updated Office Mobile for Android can be downloaded from Google Play.
Computerworld
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers