Technologies

Free Microsoft Office? You can actually get Word, Excel and PowerPoint for $0

There are some caveats, but we’ll show you how to use every tool in Microsoft 365 without spending a penny.

You’ll likely need access to a Microsoft Word document, a PowerPoint presentation or the product of another basic tool from Microsoft 365 at least once in 2022 — for either work, school or personal use. Although the software may seem like a necessity, its high price makes some people run the other way. If you don’t want to spend your money on Microsoft 365, don’t stress. There are a few ways to get the service for free.

Microsoft’s suite of productivity software consists of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. The collection typically costs between $70 and $100 every year for subscription access across devices and family members (as Microsoft 365). Microsoft also released a new stand-alone version of Microsoft Office for Windows and Mac, called Office Home and Student 2021 — for a flat price, no subscription required — on Oct. 5, the same day Windows 11 began its rollout.

Here are the versions of Office 365, Microsoft 365 and their apps that you can find online for free right now.

Get Microsoft Office 365 free if you’re a student or a teacher

If you’re a student, teacher or faculty member with an active school email address, you’re likely eligible to get access to Office 365 for free through Microsoft, with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Microsoft Teams and additional classroom tools.

All you have to do is enter your school email address on this page on Microsoft’s website: Get started with Office 365 for free. In many cases, you’ll be instantly granted access thanks to an automated verification process. If you attend an institution that needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to confirm your eligibility.

Recent graduates who want to stick with Office 365 can also get Microsoft 365 Personal for $12 for 12 months, with a valid school email address.

How to get Microsoft Office suite free if you’re anyone else

Anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365 to try it out. However, it does require you to enter a credit card number, and if you don’t cancel before the month is up, you’ll be charged $100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family (formerly called Office 365 Home).

The good news is if you don’t need the full suite of Microsoft 365 tools, you can access a number of its apps online for free — including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar and Skype. Here’s how to get them:

1. Go to Office.com.

2. Log in to your Microsoft account or create one for free. If you already have a Windows, Skype or Xbox Live login, you have an active Microsoft account.

3. Select the app you want to use, and save your work in the cloud with OneDrive.

So what’s the catch for the free version?

You may be saying, wait a minute — if I can get all of those apps for free, why pay for Microsoft 365 in the first place? The reason is that the functionality of these apps is limited: They only run in your web browser, and you can only use them when you’re online. They also have fewer features than the full Microsoft 365 versions.

There are still a number of benefits, however, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real time, similar to what G Suite tools allow. If you’re looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work well for you.

For more, check out all of the best new features in Windows 11, what you need to know about upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and how to download Windows 11 for free. You can also take a look at CNET’s list of the best Windows laptops.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for June 3, #253

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 253, for June 3.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition might be tough today. The yellow and green aren’t too difficult, but then you’re faced with eight names, and you’ve got to determine their connections. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Smart, skilled.

Green group hint: Let’s make a …

Blue group hint: Name similar to Mark.

Purple group hint: First-year-hoopsters.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Shrewd.

Green group: Transaction.

Blue group: Famous athletes named Marcus.

Purple group: WNBA rookies.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is shrewd. The four answers are canny, clever, crafty and savvy.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is transaction. The four answers are deal, swap, trade and transfer.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is famous athletes named Marcus. The four answers are Allen, Rashford, Smart and Stroman.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is WNBA rookies. The four answers are Bueckers, Citron, Iriafen and Rivers.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, June 3

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 3.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

How well do you know your standard cake recipe ingredients? Today’s NYT Mini Crossword could be tricky if you don’t, but the three ingredients called for are pretty standard for baking, so you should be able to wing it. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: One of three primary ingredients in sponge cake
Answer: EGGS

5A clue: Sponge cake ingredient #2
Answer: FLOUR

7A clue: Lower body exercise with one foot stretched forward and one back
Answer: LUNGE

8A clue: First-stringers
Answer: ATEAM

9A clue: Towel cloth material
Answer: TERRY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Key just above D
Answer: EFLAT

2D clue: Butt muscle, informally
Answer: GLUTE

3D clue: One who’s completely toast
Answer: GONER

4D clue: Sponge cake ingredient #3
Answer: SUGAR

6D clue: ___ Martin (brand of cognac)
Answer: REMY

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

My Favorite Smartwatch Is Half Off at Walmart Right Now

The Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatch may not be the newest, but at $99, it’s basically a steal.

My phone pings constantly from where it’s plugged in across the room. But I’ve got my Galaxy Watch 4 on my wrist, so I can check to see who’s pinging me, which app the notifications are from and whether it’s important enough to merit my standing up and walking the dozen or so steps to unplug my phone and look, or just respond on my smartwatch (or swipe the notification away).

Smartwatches are becoming an essential tech item, but most people don’t need the latest and greatest version to get what they need. One of the best ways to buy a thoughtful tech gift without spending too much money? Choose a previous version of a current device, especially if the earlier model would work for you. So if you’re searching for a cool gift for someone (or yourself), might I suggest my favorite smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4? Thanks to a screaming deal at Walmart, the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is only $99 right now.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Black, S/M 130-180mm, Sports Band):

$299 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Bluetooth, 40mm, Cream):

$220 (save $80)
Amazfit Active 42mm Smartwatch With 14 Day Battery Life (Black):

$85 (save $25)
Garmin Forerunner 165 Running Smartwatch (Black):

$200 (save $50)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (Wi-Fi, LTE, 47mm, Titanium Silver):

$450 (save $200)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why I love the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

Sure, it’s not the latest model of the Samsung Watch. That would be the Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch Ultra. But it still has all the main features, including ECG, blood pressure monitoring, sleep monitoring, Google integration for most things and Samsung Health.

I’m not a fitness fanatic, so I don’t need all the latest tracking features or even the improved battery life and bigger screen size of the Watch 7, which has a list price of $300, but is going for just $209 right now if you want the upgrade. The Galaxy Watch 4 has the fitness tracking I need without being overly complex. (Though it has advanced workout tracking for six modes including running, rowing and swimming, if you like those auto-detected tracking features.) For everyday use, I can check my notifications and respond, take hands-free calls, track sleep and skip between songs when listening in Spotify. Oh, and check the time.

If you’re looking for a wearable, it’s the one I’d recommend checking out before looking into the latest version of the Galaxy Watch series. One caveat: Some people have complained lately that their battery is depleting quickly. Samsung has advice on how to run a diagnostic on your watch and fix the issue.

Impulse Buys Under $25 That Make Surprisingly Great Gifts

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Why the Galaxy Watch 4 makes a fun gift

The Galaxy Watch 4 isn’t going to be a gift you give to the tech enthusiast in your family or an Apple fan, but it’s perfect for anyone who wants a smartwatch but doesn’t want all the bells and whistles, or someone who doesn’t know what they want in a smartwatch. For more, here are our other favorite smartwatches. If you’re looking to gift someone a new phone, CNET has rounded up the best deals on the Samsung Galaxy S25.

If this isn’t right for the person you’re shopping for right now, check out our editors’ picks for the best gifts for grads and the best gifts for Father’s Day for more ideas.