How To Use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook

If you use a Chromebook for work or personal computing, you may be interested in learning how to use Microsoft Office on it. While Chromebooks provide a fast, affordable and straightforward computing experience, figuring out how to use some of your favorite applications on them can be challenging. Fortunately, there are a few options for using Microsoft Office on a Chromebook.

Reasons To Learn How To Use Microsoft Office With Your Chromebook

First, you may be wondering whether it is worth the trouble to learn how to use Microsoft Office. For a lot of people, the answer is yes. While other productivity applications are out there, including options from Google, the company behind Chromebooks, Microsoft Office continues to be the dominant productivity suite, especially for businesses.

When you need to create a document, you don’t want your computer to get in the way of your efficiency. This is especially true if you are collaborating with someone else. Thus, it makes sense to use Microsoft Office, regardless of the operating system, for many people.

Option 1: Use Microsoft Office in a Browser

The first and simplest option for using Office on a Chromebook is to simply use the web applications. Chromebooks are designed to use browser-based software. Many of them have very little local storage for native apps and files. Thus, it probably makes the most sense to use Enterprise Office 365 to create, edit and store your documents, presentation, spreadsheets and other files.

The web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Office apps are very comprehensive. Many users are surprised by how similar they are to native applications. You can even extend them with Office add-ons. When it released 365, Microsoft committed to adopting a more cross-platform architecture for Office. These impressive web applications are the perfect examples of this approach.

To get started, simply navigate to the Office 365 website and log in. Select the file you want to open or the web app you want to use. Then, you can create, edit and manage all your Office files from your Chromebook. You can work with files saved in the cloud on OneDrive or locally on your Chromebook’s drive.

Option 2: Use Microsoft Office Android Apps

Another option is to install the Android versions of Office apps. As you may know, both Android and Chrome OS are based on Linux and made by Google. Recently, Google has worked to make a lot of Android apps available for Chrome OS as well. Thus, you can use quite a few apps from the Google Play store on your Chromebook, especially apps made by major developers like Microsoft.

The basic editing features are available for free for devices with a screen smaller than 10 inches (most Chromebooks are above this threshold). However, if you want more advanced editing or have a larger screen, you will need a 365 subscription.

Simply open up the app store and search for the Office app you want to install, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OneNote. Then, tap “install.” It is fast, easy and works impressively smoothly even though many Chromebooks have relatively basic hardware.

Option 3: Use Parallels Desktop and Windows Apps

There is a final option for enterprise users, the Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS. This is a system that can run a version of Windows in a container on your Chromebook. This runs quite well on many Chromebooks and can help enterprise users to access a variety of Windows-only software that may be required for normal business operations.

Simply install the Parallels app on your Chromebook. Then, you can download and install the Windows versions of Microsoft Office apps. This is the most resource-intensive and storage-heavy way to work with Office on a Chromebook. However, it is also the most desirable option for some users and some situations (such as needing a Windows-only add-on).

How To Use Microsoft Office, Cloud and More at Your Business

One of the best aspects of using the Microsoft cloud for your business is that it is surprisingly platform-independent. While there are some unique features and integrations for Windows users, people on macOS, Android, iOS and even Chrome OS can take full advantage of Office and Microsoft 365. It speaks volumes to Microsoft’s cross-compatibility that “how to use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook” has multiple, reasonably simple answers. If you are considering moving your business to the Microsoft cloud, you may have considered the migration process. Cloudficient is here to help. We offer migrations services to help you move from legacy systems to the cloud. 

With unmatched next generation migration technology, Cloudficient is revolutionizing the way businesses retire legacy systems and transform their organization into the cloud. Our business constantly remains focused on client needs and creating product offerings that match them. We provide affordable services that are scalable, fast, and seamless.

If you would like to learn more about how to bring Cloudficiency to your migration project, visit our website, or contact us.