Microsoft is evaluating a free tier for the Microsoft 365 Copilot or Office apps that is supported by ads. Typically, access to these apps is restricted to individuals who purchase the Microsoft 365 subscription. However, some users are now discovering an option to select a free version that includes limited features and ads. At present, the tech giant based in Redmond is only providing three apps—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—in this tier. According to a report, the company is not planning to launch this new tier and is only performing a limited test in certain regions.
Microsoft Provides Ad-Supported Free Version of Office Apps to Selected Users
Gadgets 360 team members noticed this ad-supported free tier of Microsoft 365 on their computers on Monday. The option appears when a user clicks on the “Buy Microsoft 365” button located at the top of the Office apps. Normally, this action brings up a pop-up window that details various subscription plans. However, at this time, a “Try Microsoft 365 for free” message appears, indicating the availability of the free tier.
Typically, once the Office license lapses, users can still view documents with the apps, but they are unable to edit or create new documents without purchasing a subscription. Now, however, the free tier is enabling access to three apps—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—at no cost. The pop-up emphasizes that users can utilize limited features within these apps, will be presented with ads, and will receive 5GB of cloud storage, which will be facilitated by OneDrive.
As first reported by Beebom, the ad-supported tier displays a constant ad banner on the right side of the app interface that cannot be closed. Moreover, Microsoft is said to be playing a muted 15-second video advertisement every few hours. The publication indicated that the free tier restricts users from saving documents locally, allowing only the use of cloud storage. Some advanced functionalities are also reported to be disabled in the free tier, such as installing add-ins, adding watermarks, or analyzing data.
“Microsoft has been engaged in some limited testing. At the moment, there are no intentions to release a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office desktop apps,” a Microsoft representative informed PCWorld in a statement. It seems that India might be included in this limited testing area. Other regions are currently unspecified.
