Unable to find/download latest version of Visio Viewer...

David Jones 101

Go to Microsoft's official Web page for Microsoft Visio Viewer, here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/visio/free-visio-viewer

It says - "See any Visio diagram for free. View, explore, and comment on Visio diagrams, even if you don’t have a Visio license." but there is only a link to compare Visio plans on Microsoft 365. Nothing for how we are supposed to get hold of Visio Viewer itself!?

I understand that Microsoft would want to encourage and guide people towards their paid offerings but to simply not provide a link, to download the product that this page is supposed to be about, beggars belief. Is this arrogance, negligence or incompetence?

The community can discuss...

IT Department 0 Reputation points

2024-01-29T19:22:02.7033333+00:00

There is no real publicly accessible vision viewer for Windows 11. I recommend to stop using Visio if you can. Microsoft doesn't look like they are spending much time and money into the product anymore so it's only going to get worse. Visio viewer uses IE which with Win 11 doesn't really exist anymore.

2 answers

Emi Zhang-MSFT 21,626 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2022-01-18T07:41:02.673+00:00

Hi @David Jones ,
You can download the Visio 2016 Viewer from this link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=51188
Hope the information is helpful.

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Emi Zhang-MSFT 21,626 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2022-01-18T07:43:58.307+00:00

This is the Microsoft Download center:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download

David Jones 101 Reputation points

2022-01-19T04:31:14.707+00:00

Thanks for the reply @Emi Zhang-MSFT , I did eventually find that link myself but only after being misdirected to other Microsoft download sites for previous versions of Visio Viewer. Also, the Microsoft Download center link you provided was about as useful as a teapot made of ice.

All we need is for Microsoft to take some feedback, then learn, grow, develop, and improve from it, rather than what seems to be the norm and deciding the miscalculated RoI is not worthwhile in fixing the problem and then ignoring it.

Microsoft needs to update their Visio Viewer product page to give us the two following links as critical information regarding this product:

A link to download all currently supported versions of the product, which appears to be from 2013 to 2016.

A warning about installing multiple different versions/types of Office apps on the same computer that can be found here*: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/install-and-use-different-versions-of-office-on-the-same-pc-6ebb44ce-18a3-43f9-a187-b78c513788bf

*Imagine the deep joy to be found in spending way more time than we should have to, just finding the right version of the Viewer to download and install, only to have it mess up your other Office applications and you have to then waste more hours troubleshooting and fixing the latest Microsoft cluster-fsck!!

Emi Zhang-MSFT 21,626 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2022-01-19T07:28:11.667+00:00

Hi,
This is the Visio feedback forum:
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/42d29dfb-3e1c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472
This may help you give the feedback to Microsoft.

David Jones 101 Reputation points

2022-01-27T02:44:13.903+00:00

Are Microsoft censoring posts?

I posted the feedback, as you suggested, using the link you provided.

If I search the feedback site for Visio feedback, using "Visio" as the search term and sort the results by date, the feedback I gave, six days ago does not appear.

If I look at "Feedback" in my profile, I can see the post. However, anybody searching the site will not see it.

I can confirm the post states "Posted in Visio".
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David Jones 101 Reputation points

2022-01-27T02:51:23.467+00:00

Seems to be a failure in the Feedback sites search function.

If I go to the feedback site and use "Visio" as the search term I am shown a bunch of posts that are clearly about Visio and all state "Posted in Visio". However, after sorting by "Newest" the most recent post in this listing is from a month ago. However, if I then click on the blue, underlined "Visio" in "Posted in Visio" and also sort by Newest, the most recent post is from one day ago and I can see my post from six days ago.

Just another example of how Microsoft have become a leading light in worse than mediocre software and product development. Missing basic stuff and building stuff badly.
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Emi Zhang-MSFT 21,626 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2022-01-27T08:54:40.953+00:00

emmmmm.....

Jose Huertas-Silva 0 Reputation points

2023-03-15T13:57:39.1733333+00:00

I tried downloading the Visio Viewer 2016, and it says it's successfully installed but nothing happens, the program does not even show up as installed on my system.

Does Microsoft offer a more up-to-date version of this? It's insane the only option I have is to purchase Visio just to view or revise a Visio document my colleagues have sent me...
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