-
The Office iPad home screen has two tabs: one for recent files (which also includes notes) and one for files shared with you. It also has an interface for creating new documents in any of the supported applications.
Samuel Axon
-
As seen in the iOS app, the Actions panel provides easy access to various PDF-related features, among other quick actions.
Samuel Axon
-
The Open screen allows you to browse supported file services, such as OneDrive or the Files app on your iPad in a traditional directory structure.
Samuel Axon
-
-
Creating or opening a Word document takes you to this view, which looks like the previous stand-alone Word application.
Samuel Axon
-
Here’s Excel.
Samuel Axon
-
And PowerPoint.
Samuel Axon
-
Finally, this is the settings panel for the Office app for iPad.
Microsoft yesterday launched an Office all-in-one app for iPads, bringing a new approach to Office on mobile previously seen on iOS and Android for iPadOS. The application combines Word, Excel, PowerPoint and several mobile-specific features, including PDF management tools and a file browser.
Almost a year ago, almost the same day, Microsoft released this update for iPhones and Android phones, and the update appeared on some Android tablets as well. As an iPhone application, it previously ran on iPads, but only in a kind of windowed mode. This new version features a full-screen tablet interface and supports multiple iPad multitasking features.
Users can still download individual Word, Excel or PowerPoint applications from the iPad App Store; standalone apps and this all-in-one option probably seem to coexist at least for a while, as standalone alternatives have not disappeared on the iPhone.
In addition to making work between the three productivity applications a little simpler, the main value proposition of the application is the “Actions” panel. In it, users can access fast-action icons to transfer files between devices, convert images to text or tables, sign or scan PDFs, convert PDFs to word, scan QR codes and do a few other things. The complete list is illustrated in the gallery above.
Users can access files stored locally on the device, in the cloud via OneDrive or iCloud.
The app is available for download today from the App Store for free, but requires a Microsoft 365 subscription to access all features.
The iPad manufacturer, Apple, has made significant software and hardware changes to make the iPad a fully viable desktop or laptop replacement, including the iOS branch in a new specific version of the iPad called iPadOS. In our iPadOS reviews, we found the operating system to be functional and sometimes even exceptional, but many frustrations still remain.
Apple is expected to launch a new iPad Pro in the coming months, and may add more productivity features with this hardware update.
List image by Samuel Axon