Chromebook users might be in for some long-awaited positive news, as recent reports indicate that the Microsoft Office Android app suite has now been made available to all Chromebooks with support for Android applications. To be precise, Microsoft hasn’t made any official announcements on the matter but according to reports, an increasing number of Chromebook users who were previously unable to acquire Microsoft Office from the Google Play Store have now been given access to the app suite, and the software has been confirmed as working on a number of Chromebook models including the Pixelbook, Samsung Chromebook Pro, two Acer Chromebook 15 models, and the Acer C771.
Chrome OS gained support for Android applications more than a year ago and many Chromebook users with newfound access to the Play Store assumed that the Microsoft Office app suite should work on their notebooks without a hitch. That wasn’t the case, and for reasons that haven’t been explained by Microsoft, only certain Chromebooks with Android app support were able to acquire the company’s productivity apps. This came as quite a disappointment for many users who rely on their Chromebooks for office or school work, but the good news is that the situation appears to have now changed in the wake of the new Pixelbook release, at least according to several user reports indicating that Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint should now be available across all Chromebook models offering support for native Android applications.
This change, assuming that it’s permanent, might breathe more life into the Chromebook scene and in addition, it could persuade prospective buyers who have been previously turned off by the lack of Microsoft Office support to reconsider their past decisions and acquire a Chromebook or two. As no official explanation has been given in light of these new events, it’s not entirely clear if all Chromebook models have already received the same treatment, though Microsoft previously confirmed it’s working on universal Chrome OS support for its Android apps. In any case, existing Chromebook users with an interest in Microsoft Office should head to the Google Play Store and check whether their respective models have now gained compatibility with the app suite.