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iPad Pro and Microsoft Office

Apple’s iPad Pro has been released, to mixed reviews.  But there’s little mention of the special requirements for Microsoft Office users that don’t apply to other iPad’s.

To use the Office for iPad apps on an iPad Pro, you must have an Office 365 subscription.

Regular iPads can use the Office for iPad apps for free.  Office 365 subscription is only necessary for some advanced features.

iPad Pro and its larger screen is treated differently by Microsoft.

You can install the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps on an iPad Pro but they’ll only allow viewing of documents.  No editing.

To edit documents, you need an Office 365 subscription (Personal, Home, University or applicable Business plan).   That’s different to standard iPad/iPad mini where editing is permitted for everyone (only advanced features need an Office 365 annual plan).

Outlook and OneNote are free on all Apple devices – no change there.

The differences in the iPad Pro go beyond the licensing.  The Office apps make good use of the larger screen.

Slide Over

First, there’s Slide Over which is a way to quickly view a second app ‘on the side’ while keeping the main app visible.

This is available on iPad Pro, iPad Air or Air 2, iPad mini 2,3 or 4.   Each app has to be ‘Slide Over’ enabled by the developer.  Most major apps, including the Office apps, can use ‘Slide Over’.

Swipe from the right-side.  A small arrow may appear on the middle of the right side, tap on that to open a list of apps.

Choose the app you want and it will open ‘over’ the main app.

This is a temporary side view.  Work in the slide over pane and, when you’re finished, tap in the primary app to make it full screen again.

Over time, iOS will learn which apps you like to slide over the primary app and show that one automatically.  If you Slide Over again in the current session, the last app you chose will appear again.  To choose another app, pull down the bar at the top of the slide over pane.

Of course, you can copy / paste between the two apps.

Split View

Slide Over is part way to having two apps properly side by side.  It’s an ability that Windows and Mac take for granted but is an innovation for iPad users (iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro only).

Source:  Microsoft

To get apps into a split view, side in from the right side and choose the second app, just like for Slide Over.   On the second (right) app there’s a grabber on the left side (ie the dividing line between the two apps).  Hold the grabber and move it towards the center to position the two apps.

The difference with Split View is that both apps remain visible on the screen and active at the same time.

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