It’s no coincidence that one of the first things users ask when they buy a new device is how to download Microsoft Office for free. Microsoft Office is the world’s leading productivity software, a suite of applications that enables users to do more at work and at home. Fortunately, you can use Microsoft Office for free, without a free trial or download, thanks to Office Online.
Why Use Microsoft Office Online?
Before discussing how to use Microsoft Office Online to access Word, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint, it’s important to understand why Office Online is so important.
To put it mildly, Microsoft’s suite of Office productivity apps is expensive. It costs $139.99 to purchase Microsoft Office Home and Student for a single PC, and this edition doesn’t include all the extras professionals might need, like the Outlook email and calendar tool. Outlook is included with Microsoft Office Home and Business, which only costs $219.99.
Users who purchase either of these two versions can only download and install them on a single PC. For those who are uncomfortable with these prices, Microsoft also sells the Office suite of productivity apps as a kind of subscription service. Users who want to install Microsoft Office on a PC pay Microsoft $6.99 per month for access to a full download of Microsoft Office on a single PC. Paying $9.99 per month gives users access to Microsoft Office on five different desktop and laptop computers.
Either way, both of these options cost a lot of money in the long run, and that’s why Office Online exists and every user – Mac or PC – thinks about it. This is one way to access Office without giving up hope, and because it’s based on OneDrive, it’s an easy way to access documents and presentations from almost any device.
How to Use Microsoft Office Online
Armed with your Microsoft Account username and Password, go to the Office Online website. Click the button in the upper right corner of your screen.
Your documents, PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets will only be available to you through Office Online with a Microsoft Account. If you already have a copy of Microsoft Office 2013 on a machine, you must use the Microsoft Account you used in that version of Microsoft Office. Microsoft Accounts are also used on Windows 8, Outlook.com, and Xbox One. Do not create a new account if not required.
After logging in, click on the application icon of the Microsoft Office application you want to use. We are using PowerPoint for this example. Click on the icon that best fits the activity you want to complete. If you only need a blank document, clicking the plus symbol is what you want, the rightmost folder will let you open documents uploaded to OneDrive. We showcase this again in PowerPoint Online, but the process is the same for Word Online, OneNote Online, and Excel Online.
Every command in every Office Online application is accessed from a floating bar at the top of the window. Microsoft calls it the Ribbon because it shows users each option in a long line that runs from right to left of the screen. Navigate through each tab in each Office Online app to find out where the important commands are. Don’t forget to think about what task you’re trying to complete when using Office Online. For example, if you’re trying to make your slides more appealing in PowerPoint Online, you’ll want to click the Design tab. If you think the ribbon is taking up too much space, click the arrow in the rightmost ribbon to make it smaller.
Printing and opening of new documents is managed via the File button on the far left, as in other versions of Microsoft Office. Documents created in all Office Online apps are synced from OneDrive.
Things to Keep in Mind
Before you decide to use Office Online applications, there are a few important things you should know. As much as warnings and tips are, they are not a reason not to use Office Online.
First, there is absolutely no Save button in a single Office Online app. At first glance this may seem crazy, but there is no need to worry. Office Online constantly saves copies of your documents on Microsoft servers. There is no save button because it is not needed.
Second, Office Online is not a native app in the sense that it saves documents and things to your device’s local storage repository. Impossible. It saves everything to OneDrive, which you can then sync to your computer. You can also sync jobs manually, but you can’t open them without the Desktop version of Office. If you’re a user who doesn’t spend a lot of time with a good internet connection, this is definitely not the version of Microsoft Office for you. An Office 365 subscription may be better for your needs.
On the other hand, Office Online is perfect for people who are not heavy Microsoft Office users in the first place. It has enough features to make it a good light replacement for the desktop version of Office, provided there aren’t any advanced features you need.
Good luck with Office Online and don’t forget to download one of Microsoft’s Office apps to your phone or tablet to complete the Office Online experience. The iPhone and iPad versions are completely free as long as you view the documents you create.
