Get a simplified version of Microsoft’s office suite tools for free on your Windows 10 PC by installing the Progressive Web Apps.
Using the applications of the Office office suite does not necessarily require the purchase of a paid license, especially if, like many people, you only use the most basic functions offered in the various tools of the suite office automation.
Instead, you can perfectly use their online versions, available for free after signing in to a Microsoft account. If Office Web Apps are satisfied with the minimum, the features they offer will suffice for the greatest number. Everything you need to achieve simple layouts is present. The documents generated with these online tools can be saved to your OneDrive storage space (5 GB of space offered by Microsoft), and you can even, if necessary, export a copy locally to your computer.
One of the biggest advantages of this option is that the documents you create from the online version are automatically saved online and can be opened on any device, landline or mobile, through a web browser or an application connected to the same. account.
Because if these tools are accessible from any browser, you can also choose to install the Progressive Web Apps (PWA). Once installed on your machine, they work the same as native applications, except that your PC will need to be connected to the Internet.
1. Download Microsoft Edge Chromium
If it hasn’t already been done through a Windows 10 update, manually download and install the new version of Microsoft Edge. Based on Chromium, the open source project that Google Chrome relies on, the new Edge has little to do with the old one.
The new version of Microsoft’s web browser, much faster than before, includes most of Chrome’s functions, and even has the luxury of offering some new ones.
Download Microsoft Edge for Windows 10 (Free)
But above all, you will need this new version of Edge to be able to install the Progressive Web Apps of the Office suite online on your computer.
2. Sign in to Office Online
Launch Edge on your machine, go to Office Online, and sign in using your Micrososft account.
Go to Microsoft Office Online (Free)
3. Install a PWA
Once signed in, from the Office Online home page, open the application of your choice. We will choose for our example, Word.
Then click on the main Edge menu, go to the Applications menu, and choose to Install this site as an application, choose a name (Word PWA for example) and confirm its installation by clicking on the Install button .
Repeat this procedure for each of the applications that you want to find in the form of a Progressive Web App on your computer.
You can then verify their correct installation by clicking on the Windows Start menu where each one should appear in the recently added items.
You can then launch each of these Progressive Web Apps like any native application installed on your machine. Keep in mind, however, that they will not be able to work offline on your computer.
And if, however, the free online version of Office is not enough to meet your expectations, you can always download Microsoft Office 2016 for Windows to access a more complete version of the Microsoft office suite, with a free trial period. of a month.