4 Ways to Get Microsoft Office for Free

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4 Ways to Get Microsoft Office for Free
4 Ways to Get Microsoft Office for Free

Video: 4 Ways to Get Microsoft Office for Free

Video: 4 Ways to Get Microsoft Office for Free
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Office is one of the most popular suite of productivity apps in the world, so chances are you'll come across an Office document eventually. If you need to open, edit or create such a document, but don't want to pay for the whole package, there are a few options available. You can use a free trial version to get access to all Office functions for an entire month. You can also use Office web apps to create and edit document online for free. There are several free options for mobile devices, and you can also use alternatives that support Office formats.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Getting a Trial Version

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 1
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 1

Step 1. Use the trial version to try Office 365 for a month

You can use Office for free for a month by downloading the trial version. This includes the 2016 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other programs. Office 365 is the only version that offers a free trial period.

Signing up to use it requires a valid credit card, but you won't be billed until the beginning of the second month. Unsubscribing before the end of the first month avoids any charges and allows you to use the trial version for the entire first month

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 2
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 2

Step 2. Visit the Office website

You can download the trial version from the Office website at the following link

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 3
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 3

Step 3. Click the "Try it free for 1 month" button

This will start the login process.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 4
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 4

Step 4. Login to your Microsoft account or create a new account

You will need a Microsoft account to continue. You can use any email address from Hotmail, Live.com or Outlook.com to continue access, or you can create a new account for free. This Step is a prerequisite for downloading the trial version of Office.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 5
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 5

Step 5. Enter a valid credit card number

To start the Office trial period, you will need a credit or debit card. The amount will not be charged immediately, only if you do not cancel your subscription before the end of the first month.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 6
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 6

Step 6. Download the Office 365 installer

After creating the account and entering your credit card details, you will receive the program installation link. The installer itself is small, and should be downloaded in no time.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 7
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 7

Step 7. Run the installer after downloading

At the end of the download, open the downloaded file to start the actual Office download. Before the download begins, you may need to enter your Microsoft credentials again.

  • During installation, you will be able to choose which Office products you want to install. You can save time and disk space by removing programs you don't intend to use. If you need any programs in the future, just run the installer again.
  • The installation process can take a while, especially if you have a slow internet.
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 8
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 8

Step 8. Open Office programs

You can find the newly installed programs in the "Start" menu. All Office functions are available in the trial version.

Method 2 of 4: Using Web Applications

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 9
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 9

Step 1. Access the Office website

Microsoft offers Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other applications on its online platform for free. The online version isn't as complete as the desktop version, but they can do pretty much everything you need and don't require installation or payment. Go to https://products.office.com/en-us/office-online/documents-spreadsheets-presentations-office-online to see available web applications.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 10
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 10

Step 2. Click on the program you want to use

You can see available programs by scrolling down the page. Click on the one you want to use.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 11
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 11

Step 3. Sign in to your Microsoft account

You will need to sign in with your personal (or school/work) Microsoft account. After logging in, you can use the selected programs. If you don't have a Microsoft account, create one for free. Free accounts offer 5GB of OneDrive storage, where documents will be saved and can be accessed from any computer or mobile device.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 12
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 12

Step 4. Use the program

The layout of the web apps is almost identical to the desktop version. Use the top tabs to switch between different editing options. There may be some missing or limited functions. To access them all, you will need the desktop version. Check this Microsoft support page and see the differences between versions.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 13
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 13

Step 5. Save the document

Web apps don't automatically save the document, so remember to save them often. Save the document by clicking on the "File" tab and selecting "Save As".

  • When you save a file, it is sent to OneDrive.
  • You can also choose to download the file to your computer from the "Save As" menu. There are several format options, including PDF and open formats.
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 14
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 14

Step 6. Upload documents to OneDrive to open them in Office web apps

If you've received an Office document from someone, you can view it through the web app by sending it to OneDrive.

  • Access https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/ in a web browser. You can also use the OneDrive app on a mobile device.
  • Drag the file into the browser window to upload it to OneDrive. Small documents should be sent quickly, but larger ones, such as a PowerPoint presentation, can take longer.
  • Click on the uploaded file on OneDrive to open the Office web app. This allows you to view and edit the document (if it is not protected).

Method 3 of 4: Using Office Mobile Apps

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 15
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 15

Step 1. Download Office mobile apps on iOS and Android device

Microsoft offers these applications free of charge for such mobile operating systems. You can download them from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Free versions of these applications contain basic editing and file creation functions. An Office 365 subscription guarantees access to the most advanced features.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 16
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 16

Step 2. Authorize Office apps access to your storage device

When opening them for the first time, you may need to allow access to files on the device. Allow access so they can be saved and loaded more easily.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 17
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 17

Step 3. Sign in to your Microsoft account to connect to OneDrive

When opening the app for the first time, you will need to enter your Microsoft credentials. While this isn't necessary, signing in to an existing account or creating a new one allows you to have 5GB of storage on OneDrive, ensuring that Office files sync across all your devices.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 18
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 18

Step 4. Tap "Open" to open files from various locations

You can open files downloaded to the device or documents saved in Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. Office applications support all commonly supported formats (eg Word can open DOC, DOCX and TXT files).

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 19
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 19

Step 5. Tap "New" to create a new document

At the top of the "New" window you will see a menu to select where the file will be created. If you're signing in to your Microsoft account, the OneDrive "Personal'" folder will be the default selection. You can also save files on the local device used.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 20
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 20

Step 6. Use the top buttons to access the formatting tools

The "A" button with a pencil drawing opens the formatting menu You can select basic formatting and editing tools similar to the desktop version of Office. Tap the "Home" button to view the different tabs available. Navigate through the formatting menu to view available options.

When the keyboard is open, switch between the top menus to view the quick access formatting tools

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 21
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 21

Step 7. Tap the "Save" button to save the document

It will be automatically saved at regular intervals, but you can save it whenever you want by tapping the "Save" button. You can also tap the "Menu" button in the upper left corner and select the "Save" option at any time.

Method 4 of 4: Using Office Alternatives

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 22
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 22

Step 1. Check the Office alternatives available for computers

There are several programs available that can provide most of the features of Office, and even some new ones. These programs are capable of opening all Office documents, including a variety of open formats. The most popular options are: FreeOffice, OpenOffice and LibreOffice.

FreeOffice is considered the easiest to access option, while OpenOffice and LibreOffice are more powerful. If you are familiar with Office, consider using FreeOffice or LibreOffice

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 23
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 23

Step 2. Download the chosen software

After choosing the best option for you, download the program's installer. Visit one of the following sites to download the installer:

  • LibreOffice -
  • FreeOffice -
  • OpenOffice -
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 24
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 24

Step 3. Open the installer

Just like when installing Office, you'll be able to choose which programs you want to install. By selecting only those you intend to use, you save installation time and disk space.

Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 25
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 25

Step 4. Familiarize yourself with the new program

All three alternatives listed above have a different look and functionality, and are full-featured programs. As such, they present a line of learning, especially if you're used to Office. The basic functions should be simple and easy, and you can also check out YouTube videos or wikiHow tutorials on more advanced functions.

  • Go to the How to Use OpenOffice Writer article (English only) and see details on how to use the OpenOffice text editor, the Word alternative.
  • Go to the How to use LibreOffice article (English only) and see tips on how to get acquainted with the LibreOffice text editor.
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 26
Get Microsoft Office For Free Step 26

Step 5. Consider a cloud-based Office alternative

As online tools become more powerful, there is less and less need to install productivity programs on a computer. In addition to the Office web apps listed above, there are several options for these programs available in the cloud. All of these services allow you to upload and edit Office files.

  • Google Docs is the most famous option. It allows the creation and editing of text documents, spreadsheets and presentations using Google's online tools. You can do this all on the Google Drive page itself, where documents are stored. If you have a Gmail account, you can sign in to Google Docs. Go to the How to use Google Drive article and see details on how to create and edit documents.
  • Zoho is another cloud option that can replace Office. Its interface is more like Office than Google Docs. Zoho also allows you to create text documents, spreadsheets and presentations. See How to use Zoho (English only) for more details on how to use it.
  • OnlyOffice is another alternative to Office that allows you to create text documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

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