Office 365

Question

use iPad third generation. I have subscribed to office 365 for a couple of years but have only used the read only version. Trying to activate my subscription all morning to no avail. I want the full office 365 version

Answer 1

On an iPad, Word/Excel/PowerPoint switch from read-only to full editing only when both of these are true:

1. The device and app are eligible for full features.
2. The signed-in account has a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription (Personal, Family, or a business plan that includes Office apps).

Follow these steps to get out of read-only mode and use the full version on the iPad:

1. Confirm the subscription type
   Make sure the subscription is not a plan like Microsoft 365 Basic, which does not include desktop apps and can cause apps to be read-only or view-only on some devices. If the subscription does not include Office apps, upgrade to a plan that does (for example, Microsoft 365 Personal or Family).
2. Install or update the Office apps on the iPad
   • Open the App Store on the iPad.
   • Install or update Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or the Microsoft 365 app).
   • Ensure the apps are up to date; a recent software update can resolve issues where the apps stop working properly.
3. Sign in with the correct Microsoft account
   • Open Word (or another Office app) on the iPad.
   • Go to the account/profile area and sign out of all accounts if needed.
   • Sign back in using the same Microsoft account that owns the Microsoft 365 subscription.
   • If using a work or school subscription, sign in with the work/school account assigned a license that includes Office apps.
4. Check device and usage conditions
   On mobile devices, full editing requires:
   • A qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription if the device screen is larger than 10.1".
   • A qualifying subscription if creating, editing, and saving files to online business storage (OneDrive for Business, Dropbox for Business, Google Drive/Box business, etc.).
5. If the apps still stay read-only
   • Verify again that the subscription is active and includes Office apps (for home: Microsoft 365 Personal/Family; for business: a plan with Office desktop/mobile apps).
   • If using an iPad and seeing errors like No subscription found or similar, reset the app:
     • Open Settings on the iPad.
     • Scroll to and select Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
     • Under RESET, tap Reset <app name> and enable Delete Login Credentials.
     • Close and reopen the app, then sign in again with the subscription account.

If after these steps the apps remain read-only, the most common cause is that the current plan does not include the full Office apps; in that case, switch to a Microsoft 365 plan that includes them.

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References:

• When do I need a Microsoft 365 subscription?
• What you can do in the Microsoft 365 apps on mobile devices with a Microsoft 365 subscription
• What Microsoft 365 business product or license do I have?
• How do install my Microsoft 365 on my iPad? - Microsoft Q&A
• My Microsoft365 Office Package no longer works with my iPad Pro - Microsoft Q&A
• No license associated with my email account - Microsoft Q&A
• I am unable to open and create documents - Microsoft Q&A

Answer 2

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

So, as you mentioned that the apps are in read-only mode, you are not able to create or edit documents in any of the Office apps like Word or Excel on your iPad?

Have you signed in to the Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) with the same account that is associated with your Office 365 subscription?

First, please check whether your subscription is active under your Microsoft account here: https://account.microsoft.com/services

If the subscription is active, go to the App Store and download the individual Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook apps (not the Microsoft 365 Copilot app).

Once done, sign in with the same account that is linked to your Office 365 subscription.

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Answer 3

See https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/set-up-the-office-app-and-outlook-on-ios-devices-0402b37e-49c4-4419-a030-f34c2013041f .

As noted by the AI-generated reply from Q&A Assist, you can't run the full versions of the Office apps on a mobile device. You'll need a Mac (or a PC) to get the complete set of functions. For more information, go to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-you-can-do-in-the-microsoft-365-apps-on-mobile-devices-with-a-microsoft-365-subscription-9ef8b63a-05fd-4f9c-bac5-29da046833ea .

Answer 4

I pay £104.99 per year so I assume that’s for the full version