M365 Changelog: Microsoft Office app is now optimized for iPad

MC237384 – If your organization is not using iPads you can safely disregard.

With this release, we are bringing the Microsoft Office app to the iPad, combining the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps you know, plus additional tools to keep you more productive than ever. Optimized for iPadOS, users can now also use keyboard, mouse, and trackpad to create and collaborate on documents, sign PDFs, jot down notes, or create using your camera, and more from within the Office app. On iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office is designed to be the go-to app for getting work done.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 60685

When this will happen:

  • Available to Office Insiders via TestFlight in early February
  • Generally available in mid-February

How this will affect your organization:

Deployment managers using Intune or device based checks can now choose to make the Office app available on iPad within their tenants, unlocking a productive experience for iPad users within their organization.

Note: The Microsoft Office app for iPhone is available on the iPad. This release provides the optimized experience for the iPad.

What you need to do to prepare:

Opt-in to the Office Insiders program for early access to the app for evaluation.

Optionally, modify the deployment policies to make the app available to all employees on release.