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The freedom to use the world's most widely used word processing tool on your mobile device

The freedom to use the world's most widely used word processing tool on your mobile device

Vote: (158 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Microsoft

Version: 16.0.17328.20152

Works under: Android

Also available for Windows Mac

Vote:

Program license

(158 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Microsoft

16.0.17328.20152

Works under:

Also available for

Android

Windows Mac

Pros

  • It's a free copy of Microsoft Word for Android
  • Authors can create, edit and format cover letters, resume's, journalistic content, and more
  • Includes templates
  • Also incorporates collaborative features
  • Inserts tables and graphics

Cons

  • Requires an Office 365 subscription to access all features

Microsoft Word is a world-renowned word processor program with a strong presence on desktop computers, but the text editor is also available for download on Android devices. Aspiring novelists use the software to write their novels while commuting to work. On the way to work, sitting on a train or bus on a dreary Monday morning, bored civil servants polish their resume's on their phones or tablets. Students sitting in car passenger seats edit their class projects or debate club speeches. Generally, Microsoft Word for Android can create, edit, and format all sorts of text.

Just like its big brother, which is a core member of the MS Office Suite, the Android version of Microsoft Word is packed with desirable features. User flexibility is key here, with the software providing plenty of avenues for keen writer types to express their creative sides. Efforts that involve the application of basic letter writing skills are a cinch to implement, but such endeavors barely tap the program's full potential. By really tapping into the software's full range of capabilities on an Android device, mobile editors can create fliers and calendars, novels and cover letters, plus a whole smorgasbord of additional document types. If there are formatting problems hampering the work, instead of starting with a blank sheet of digital paper, there's an option to load a preformatted template.

Like some of the other mobile Apps available from Microsoft, the goal of this mobile version is probably to help document creators to create a time-saving workflow. For example, a young executive might create a speech for an important boardroom meeting while in the office. Finished for the day, he'd continue to polish and refine the text as he commutes home. A grammar and spell check menu is called up to finalize the document, but the work isn't quite done yet. Stuck for words, the junior executive opens the software's collaborative panel and invites input. With all the peer reviews and collaborative input complete, the speech is copied into an email and sent to the office, complete with all formatting. Happily, there's also a built-in PDF reader included with Microsoft Word on Android devices, so commuters can read a book after they've finished creating and editing their documents.

Under the hood, Microsoft software engineers ask for a 7-inch to 10.1-inch smartphone or tablet touchscreen display. A 1GB RAM minimum memory requirement shouldn't be hard to meet, especially with most mobile phones now including at least twice that memory. A look at the OS minimums indicates KitKat or Lollipop equipped mobiles should run the software, but a more recent operating system can only improve the word processor's performance. Incidentally, although Microsoft Word has been referred to as a bloated program on desktop machines, it's been slimmed down somewhat to perform better on mobile smartphones and tablets. However, even to access this smaller feature set, users on a budget may hesitate, for an Office 365 subscription might be required. With these thoughts in mind, Microsoft Office is a free word processor for Android, but its full power isn't instantly available, not until a monthly fee is made to an Office 365 account.

Pros

  • It's a free copy of Microsoft Word for Android
  • Authors can create, edit and format cover letters, resume's, journalistic content, and more
  • Includes templates
  • Also incorporates collaborative features
  • Inserts tables and graphics

Cons

  • Requires an Office 365 subscription to access all features