- Android phone owners can now quickly see office files in a trouble-free way
- Previously, if you were sent an office file you had to log in to your Microsoft account, even to get a quick look at it
- No login required now as has been the case with iOS for a while
Microsoft has just brought the anonymous file sharing ability already in iOS to Android users, so these phone owners can see an office file that has been sent to them without being forced to log in to their Microsoft account.
Currently, if you get a link to a Word file (or other Microsoft Office format as Excel), when you access it on an Android smartphone, sign in to your Microsoft account before you can see it.
However, as Android Authority reports, Microsoft has now removed this requirement so you can just click and view the office file on your phone. But if you want to do something else – like editing a word document you have received or will be in a comment – you still need to log in as these changes need to be attributed to you. (You will see a quick that informs you of this, by the way).
However, you need an up -to -date version of Office on your mobile so this can work, with Microsoft noticing in the blog post that introduces the change that version 16.0.18827.20066 or newer is required.
As Android Authority notes, has the opportunity to click on a link and open an office file in this way without being logged in, has been available on the iPhone for a few months now.
Analysis: About time for Android
It took some time to give this functionality to Android, which is a bit strange as you would think it would be a priority for Microsoft (with the mobile OS representing the majority of smartphones). Still, it’s good to see the feature debut, although Android users have had to wait a while for this trick to draft.
Obviously, it is quite impractical to click on a link on a file you have been sent and then be asked to log in if all you want to do is a quick look at the document sent.
I should note that the sender of the file still has to be logged in with their Microsoft account to share a file, of course only the recipient can see the file (and only see it) anonymously without needs that are not signed up.
