Contend against Google? Microsoft will no longer allow Chrome OS users to install native Android Office applications

According to foreign media reports, starting in mid-September, Microsoft will no longer support the native Android versions of Office, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive applications on Chromebooks. Microsoft suggests that starting on the 18th of next month, Chromebook users who want to run Office use web-based Office applications to achieve the above functions.

As @Kevin Tofel pointed out on the AboutChromebooks.com website on August 25, Microsoft's migration of its applications to the web version this time is mainly due to restrictions on the Chrome operating system. Web-based applications require Chromebook users to log in to their personal Microsoft account (MSA) or Microsoft 365/Office 365 to subscribe to the associated account.

According to Windows United reports, as early as June this year, some Chromebook users had heard about Microsoft's plan to migrate its applications to the web version, but it did not have much impact at the time.

Around August 13, Microsoft updated the support page of "How to install and run Microsoft Office on a Chromebook" to provide real-time feedback on user feedback after the update.

Before last week, the support page suggested that Chromebook users can install the native Android version of the Office application from the Google Play Store.

This week, the page has been updated to read "Chromebooks do not currently support Android versions of Office, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive." The newly updated page recommends that Chromebook users use Office.com to access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and OneDrive.

On August 26, the relevant Google spokesperson stated in the latest statement:

"We are very pleased to see that Microsoft provides a more optimized experience for Chrome OS users to embrace the open web. People like Chrome OS because it provides a fast, secure and simple computing experience, and helps users work, study, and Keep in touch while having fun."

Subsequently, some media questioned the impact of this update on users, saying that Microsoft's migration of its applications to the network version may cause Chromebook users running Office to be unable to work offline and save in real time. In this regard, Google is temporarily for comment.

It is reported that as early as 2015, the Microsoft Office suite was available on Android devices, and subsequent regular updates also brought many new features to the application. Since then, Microsoft has continued to provide native Office applications for other Android devices.

In response to this update, Microsoft’s only public explanation is that “the web version of the application provides the most optimized experience for Chrome OS/Chromebook customers”. In this regard, people in the industry speculate whether this is just another "Chrome Competite" attempt by Microsoft. What do you think?