Office app now free for home use on iPhone, Android

In addition to launching Office for iPad, a freemium app that requires a paid Office 365 subscription in order for people to also be able to edit their documents on the tablet, Microsoft has made some changes to its Office Mobile for iPhone and Android applications. Both mobile apps are now free of charge, The Next Web reports, but only for home use, speculating that business customers will likely require an Office 365 subscription for either version of the app. Previously, an Office 365 subscription was also required for Office for iPhone and Android in order for people to be able to edit documents on the go — the apps were available as free downloads before yesterday’s update but offered support only for viewing documents, Yahoo Tech reported. Microsoft may be interested in better competing against Apple and Google on their mobile platforms, as the companies offer iWork and QuickOffice, respectively, for free to new iOS 7 and Android 4.4 device owners. Microsoft also plans to bring Office to Android tablets in the future, as well as a Metro version for touch-friendly Windows devices, the publication has learned. “In the future, we will bring Office apps to the Windows Store and other popular platforms, including Android tablets,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.