Skip to main content
Tech Radar
  • Tech Radar Pro
  • Tech Radar Gaming
Tech Radar Pro TechRadar the business technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Expert Insights
  • Website builders
  • Web hosting
  • Security
Trending
  • World Password Day
  • Best website builder
  • Best web hosting
  • Best office chairs
  • Expert Insights

Recommended reading

Microsoft Office Online on an MacBook Pro
Software & Services 5 things I never realized about using Microsoft Office online
Microsoft 365 Business app logos
Software & Services Office 2024 LTSC vs Microsoft 365 Business: what are the differences?
Microsoft Excel in use.
Pro Microsoft sneaks out a free desktop-based version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint - then backtracks and says it was just a "test"
Microsoft 365 vs Office Online
Software & Services Microsoft 365 vs Office Online: What’s free, what’s not and do you need the paid version?
Student watching video with a cup of coffee in a library
Software & Services Best free office software of 2025
A man sitting at his desk in the evening and using a desktop computer
Software & Services Office 2021 vs Office 2024: is it time to upgrade?
Someone using Excel on a Laptop.
Pro Microsoft pledges to keep Windows 10 M365 apps secure into 2028
  1. Pro

5 things you should know about Office for Windows 10

News
By Mary Branscombe published 2 July 2015

There is still some confusion over this version of Office

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

Simple, easy to use, and the same on desktop PCs and tablets as well as Windows phones, Office for Windows 10 can still be confusing if you're not clear about what it's for and when it's free.

Luckily, we're on hand with some handy clarifications about exactly what you can expect from this touch-friendly incarnation of Microsoft's Office suite. We'll look at exactly how it's different from the desktop version of Office 2016, what caveats there are in terms of it being free, and how it's tied into OneDrive more.

Not to mention discussing which Windows users will be able to avail themselves of these handy apps. Anyway, enough of the introduction, click through our slideshow to get the full lowdown on Office for Windows 10…

  • Also check out our hands on with Office for Windows 10
Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Get ready for Office for Windows

Get ready for Office for Windows

When Windows 10 arrives, it will include its own version of Office, which Microsoft calls Office for Windows, or sometimes Universal Office, to distinguish it from the familiar desktop version of Office, which also has a new version coming out soon (both for Windows and Mac). Office for Windows is a set of touch-friendly versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote – as separate apps, rather than being tools inside a single Office Hub.

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
Office for Windows is only for Windows 10

Office for Windows is only for Windows 10

The latest previews of the Office apps refer to themselves with names like Word Mobile Preview, probably because this is the first preview build that runs on both Windows 10 and Windows 10 for Phones. They're 'universal' Windows apps, which means you get the same app whether you run it on a Windows 10 notebook or a phone – or even HoloLens and Xbox One if Microsoft decides to make the apps available there.

That's different from the way Microsoft reuses as much code as possible for versions of Office on different platforms (so PowerPoint for Mac 2016 and PowerPoint on iOS have quite a lot of code in common).

Universal apps are exactly the same app on all Windows 10 devices, but on smaller screens the interface changes to fit into the available space better. But universal apps like this only run on Windows 10, so you won't be able to use these new Office apps on Windows 7 or 8.

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Office for Windows differences

Office for Windows differences

The Office for Windows apps have a lot of familiar Office features thanks to that code reuse, especially OneDrive integration, but there are also lots of features they don't have: Word has reading view and PowerPoint has transitions, and in time you'll be able to use the Office add-ins that already work in Office for iPad, but there are no macros in Excel for Windows, for instance.

The apps will get more features over time, especially OneNote which currently lags a long way behind the desktop version. But Microsoft isn't planning to add all of the missing features or get rid of the desktop version of Office – Office for Windows is intended to be the same kind of quick, easy, on the go experience for viewing, editing or creating documents that you get in Office for iPad and Android.

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Office for Windows is free, with caveats

Office for Windows is free, with caveats

Some Windows 10 PCs will come with Office for Windows 10 already installed; that's devices with a screen that's 10.1-inch or smaller. Other Windows 10 users will be able to download the Office for Windows apps from the Windows Store.

If you do have to download them, we expect they will be free in the same way as for iOS and Android, where you can install and use the apps, but you have to have an Office 365 subscription to unlock some of the features.

It's also worth noting a line in the new Microsoft services agreement and privacy statement for consumers that points out: "Office consumer based services, applications or products... are for your personal, non-commercial use unless you have commercial rights under a separate agreement with Microsoft."

So even if Office for Windows comes free on an 8-inch tablet, you technically need to have an appropriate Office subscription if the document you're working with is for work and you're doing more than just looking at it.

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
You'll be using OneDrive more

You'll be using OneDrive more

Because they're designed to be easy to use on the move, on small devices, the Office for Windows apps don't make you do things you're used to on the desktop like explicitly saving or naming your documents. Changes are automatically saved as you work, and if you don't remember to rename them yourself, you'll end up with a lot of documents called Document 42 and Document 513.

Your documents are also saved into OneDrive by default – if you want to keep them anywhere else you'll have to move them explicitly. Leave them where they are and the recent files menu that opens automatically in every app will show all the documents you've been editing on all your devices. Once Office for Windows is released with Windows 10, we expect Intune to get the same options for controlling whereby users can save documents that it already has for Office on iPad.

You will be able to set things up so that any document opened from a secure company location can't be saved into someone's personal folders, on their PC or on another cloud storage service, or even copied and pasted into email if it's not a message on a company account in an email app that's also managed. Office for Windows will be simple to use, but it will also work with the management and security tools that businesses need to get personal devices back under control.

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
TOPICS
Microsoft
Mary Branscombe
Contributor

Mary (Twitter, Google+, website) started her career at Future Publishing, saw the AOL meltdown first hand the first time around when she ran the AOL UK computing channel, and she's been a freelance tech writer for over a decade. She's used every version of Windows and Office released, and every smartphone too, but she's still looking for the perfect tablet. Yes, she really does have USB earrings.

Read more
Microsoft Office Online on an MacBook Pro
5 things I never realized about using Microsoft Office online
Microsoft 365 Business app logos
Office 2024 LTSC vs Microsoft 365 Business: what are the differences?
Microsoft Excel in use.
Microsoft sneaks out a free desktop-based version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint - then backtracks and says it was just a "test"
Microsoft 365 vs Office Online
Microsoft 365 vs Office Online: What’s free, what’s not and do you need the paid version?
Student watching video with a cup of coffee in a library
Best free office software of 2025
A man sitting at his desk in the evening and using a desktop computer
Office 2021 vs Office 2024: is it time to upgrade?
Latest in Pro
Google Chrome app is seen on an iPhone next to Edge and other web browser apps. Microsoft is using new prompts in Edge to try and stop users from downloading Chrome.
Google removes Chrome admin privileges to reduce threat posed by dodgy extensions
Security padlock and circuit board to protect data
Australian Human Rights Commission leaks docs and personal information in browser-indexing mishap
Wixel, Wix's online designer, in use
Wix takes aim at Adobe and Canva with new online design platform
A hand holding a phone showing a suspected scam phone call, next to a hand holding a mug
Millions seized and 17 arrested in Europol criminal banking bust
security
Scattered Spider moves beyond the UK, places crosshairs on US companies
A digital themed isometric showing a neon padlock in the foreground, and a technological diagram of a processor logic board in the background.
Dior fashion brand hit by cyberattack and customer data leaked - here's what we know
Latest in News
Chocolate Coffee Heart
She let ChatGPT read her coffee grounds – then filed for divorce
The Nintendo Switch 2 on a red background
Nintendo Switch 2 is forecasted to sell 100 million units by the end of 2029, according to industry analysts
Surfshark
Surfshark's Dedicated IP service now has 7 new locations – here's what you need to know
Garmin watches in foreground, female runner in background
Garmin surprise launches two new Forerunner watches – the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Garmin Forerunner 970 – plus the HRM 600
an image of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller being held
Nintendo reveals that the Switch 2's GL/G2 buttons are easily customizable, and can be mapped for any game in the console's quick menu
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 16 (game #1208)
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    I compared ChatGPT 4.1 to o3 and 4o to find the most logical AI model – the result seems almost irrational
  2. 2
    I reviewed hundreds of apps for a living, and these are the security features that best protect your data
  3. 3
    Sandisk could use new architecture called Stargate to power its 256TB and 512TB SSDs in 2026 and beyond
  4. 4
    A compact biodegradable battery with fungal paper electrodes is what researchers at this university are dreaming of
  5. 5
    She let ChatGPT read her coffee grounds – then filed for divorce

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...