How to run Microsoft Office Apps on Ubuntu

If you’ve recently switched to Ubuntu but still need access to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, good news — you can run them easily using Microsoft Edge’s web app functionality. While not fully native, this setup gives you a near-native experience complete with official icons, clean windows, and Dock shortcuts.

Step 1. Install Microsoft Edge on Ubuntu

Microsoft Edge for Linux supports Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which is what makes this setup possible. Follow these steps to install it safely and correctly:

Open the Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T).

Remove any previous Edge repository (optional but recommended):

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge.list
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

Add Microsoft’s signing key and repository:

curl -fsSL https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc \
| gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg > /dev/null

echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/edge stable main" \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge.list > /dev/null

Update and install Edge:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y microsoft-edge-stable

Once installed, open Edge from your applications menu and sign in with your Microsoft account (optional but recommended).

Tip: Right-click the Edge icon in your Dock and choose “Add to Dash” so it stays there for easy access.

Step 2. Add Microsoft 365 Web Apps as Desktop Apps

Next, we’ll install Microsoft Word as an example, and you can repeat the same steps for Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneDrive.

Open Microsoft Edge.
On the default Edge home page, click the nine-dot App Launcher icon in the top-left corner. This opens a pop-over with the list of Microsoft 365 web apps.
Click Word. This will open Word inside the Microsoft 365 site (still within office.com).
On the left-hand side menu, click Word again. A new tab will open titled “Word for the Web” with the official blue “W” icon.
Click the three dots (⋯) in the top-right corner of Edge → hover over More Tools → hover over Apps → and click Install this site as an app.
A dialog box appears. The app name defaults to Microsoft Word, and the icon automatically uses the official Microsoft logo. Click Install.
Microsoft Word will now open in a standalone window without the address bar, giving it a native app feel.
Close the window, then open your Applications menu. Find Microsoft Word, right-click, and select “Pin to Dash” to keep it visible in the Ubuntu Dock.

Repeat the same steps for the other apps:

Each one installs with the correct official icon and appears in your Applications menu, making Ubuntu feel almost like Windows when it comes to Office apps.

Step 3. Pin Your Favorite Apps to the Dock

To keep your most used Microsoft apps handy:

Launch each one once from the Applications menu.
Right-click its icon on the Dock → choose “Add to Dash”.

They’ll now stay on your Dock for quick access anytime.

Important Note About File Associations

While these Microsoft 365 web apps look and behave like native programs, they’re still browser-based — meaning they can’t directly open local files from your Ubuntu system.

Double-clicking a local .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx file won’t launch the web version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
These web apps are designed to open files stored in the cloud, such as OneDrive or SharePoint.
For local files, use LibreOffice (Writer, Calc, Impress) as your default editor.

If you upload your documents to Office.com or OneDrive, you can then open and edit them seamlessly in the web apps.

Final Thoughts

This method gives you the best of both worlds — the full Microsoft Office experience within Ubuntu, complete with official icons and integration, all without needing Wine or a Windows virtual machine.

Combine this with LibreOffice for offline work and OneDrive for online collaboration, and you’ll have a smooth productivity workflow on Ubuntu.

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