You'll have easier access to Microsoft 365 and OneDrive on Chromebooks

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Key notes

  • If you are using Microsoft's 365 services on a Chromebook, there's good news.
  • Google is making efforts to improve the setup and overall experience for them.
  • There is no exact release date for this makeover so we'll just have to wait for it.
chromebook

Even though laptops from Asus, Lenovo, or Acer are all the rage nowadays, there are still some of us that rely on Chromebooks for our daily needs.

And, while Google tried to push Chromebooks as a cheaper way to enjoy cloud gaming lately, many now use it for work, including connecting to Microsoft 365 apps and OneDrive cloud storage.

Just as users have complained, for the time being, it’s not all that intuitive to install Microsoft 365 and OneDrive on Chromebooks.

That is about to change soon, and we are more than happy to tell you why. Before we do though, make sure you know what to do when your Chrome browser shows a white screen.

Chromebooks facilitate Microsoft 365 access for users

The Google company has recently announced it will be much easier to install and use those services for Chromebooks in the near future.

In case you didn’t know, in a post on the Chrome OS Beta Tester Community website, Google said it would soon start testing a new Microsoft 365 setup for Chromebook owners.

Of course, it will be available first on the Chrome OS Dev and Beta channels before its official release, which will happen sometime in the months ahead.

For the time being, Chromebook users with Microsoft 365 have to install the Office Progressive Web App from the Office website.

The new installation procedure doesn’t look like it will require a website visit, so Chromebook owners will get a more integrated way to install the Progressive Web App.

Furthermore, users can connect their Chromebook’s Files directory to their OneDrive cloud servers, and the new system will move those Chromebook Files content into OneDrive when users launch Microsoft 365.

There had to be a downside as well, so just keep in mind that this integration won’t be available to the general public for quite a while.

Google didn’t really have to make this kind of effort, since the Google Docs and Drive online products are direct competitors to Microsoft 365 and OneDrive, so we can’t really demand a shorter delivery time.

Apparently, Google is aware that many Chromebook users like using Microsoft 365, which could trigger more purchases of Chromebooks by business users.

On the other side, Microsoft 365 recently added a new and cheaper $1.99/month subscription tier, which includes, among other features, access to Outlook without ads on mobile apps and its website, along with 100GB of OneDrive cloud space.

As Google officials mentioned in the document, the final designs and flow may appear different. so don’t get too attached to what you see now.

We’ll keep you posted on any changes or developments that might appear in this case. Comment below with other neat functionalities you envisioned for the Microsoft 365 service.

More about the topics: Chrome, chromebook