Microsoft Office for iPad Pro will require a subscription

Microsoft surprised everyone almost a year ago by allowing iPad and iPhone owners to download its Office for iOS software free of charge. You don’t need an Office 365 subscription to edit documents or store them in the cloud on an iPad or iPhone, but if you’re planning to buy the larger iPad Pro you won’t get Office for free. Microsoft has confirmed to Ars Technica that Office on the iPad Pro will require an Office 365 subscription to edit documents.

That might come as a surprise to many, but it’s a policy for bigger tablets that Microsoft implemented in March. Microsoft has a cut off point for free Office Mobile, and any tablet larger than 10.1 inches will require an Office 365 subscription to edit documents. The same restriction applies to Microsoft’s Windows 10 Office Mobile apps and versions for Android. While it’s not clear exactly how Microsoft will restrict the use of Office for iPad Pro, if you want to edit documents you’ll need to buy an Office 365 Personal subscription for $6.99 per month (or $69.99 a year).