Chromebook laptops WARNING! Users will no longer get these free apps; deadline looms

Chromebook laptop users have been using Microsoft Office for free, but that will change next month. If you own a Chromebook, here is what you will have to do.

The Google vs Microsoft struggle for supremacy is all set to hit Chromebook laptop users very hard. (Representational image) (HP)

Chromebook laptops are popular thanks to their tight integration with Google's services, and that includes access to the Chrome browser and the ability to use Android apps. Users can download and use several Android apps as if they were using them on their smartphones as Google's operating system supports running them natively without any emulator software like Bluestacks on Windows 10. Many users have been downloading and using Microsoft Office apps for free on their Chromebooks in the form of Android apps, but that is changing next month, according to a new report.

Many users are now seeing messages that Microsoft is no longer supporting or updating the Office app for that device, urging them to switch to Office.com which offers a more limited version of the service. This means that starting from September 18, users who are running Chromebooks will soon lose access to the service and will not be able to use the Microsoft Office app for Android on their laptops, according to a report in About Chromebooks. Most users will not be happy about this Microsoft decision, but it is not a novel policy from the company.

Not sure which
laptop to buy?

.@KevinCTofel, Following your advice I deleted @Microsoft #Word/#Excel/#PowerPoint #Android apps from my #Chromebook when it warned me that I shouldn't use them and installed the @Office app instead. Got the same error. Now I am thinking this is really bad news. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/nb1xAiuEJJ

— Levente Littvay (@littvay) August 24, 2021

If you have an Android smartphone, you can access and edit documents for free. This is the same for tablet devices, but if your screen is larger than 10.1 inches, you will not be able to edit files. This means that you will have to purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription in order to continue using the service starting from September 18.

However, users who do pay for the Microsoft 365 subscription will still have to use the service as a web app on Google Chrome, which is not the same experience as using a native app as XDA notes. Accessing your files while you are offline will also prove extremely challenging -- the report states that it simply does not work at this time.

However, it is possible that Microsoft will eventually add more features to the web app version of its Microsoft Office suite to bring it on par with the mobile app.