Why does my Microsoft 365 on my tablet ask for Microsoft 365 subscription but not on phone and laptop?

Hi Jusri,

Thanks for contacting us and sorry for the inconveniences,

• One reason why your tablet might ask for a Microsoft 365 subscription is that it has a screen size larger than 10.1 inches. According to Microsoft, devices with screens larger than 10.1 inches require a Microsoft 365 subscription to create and edit documents, while devices with smaller screens can do so for free. This might explain why your phone and laptop do not ask for a subscription, but your tablet does.
• Another reason why your tablet might not recognize your Microsoft 365 subscription is that it is not signed in with the same Microsoft account as your phone and laptop. To check this, you can go to Settings > Accounts on your tablet and see if it matches the account you use on your other devices. If not, you can sign out and sign in with the correct account, or add another account to your tablet.
• A third reason why your tablet might have trouble with the Microsoft 365 subscription is that it is not connected to the internet or has a weak connection. To activate and use the Microsoft 365 subscription, you need to have a stable internet connection on your device. You can try to connect to a different network or restart your device to see if that helps.

I hope this helps!

Regards, Sola

Hi again,

I understand your confusion. The reason why your laptop does not require a Microsoft 365 subscription to use Office apps, but your tablet does, is that Microsoft has different criteria for different types of devices. According to Microsoft , devices with screens larger than 10.1 inches require a Microsoft 365 subscription to create and edit documents, while devices with smaller screens can do so for free. This applies to tablets and smartphones, but not to laptops and desktops. Microsoft considers laptops and desktops as personal computers, which have a different licensing model than mobile devices. You can install Office apps on up to five personal computers with a single Microsoft 365 subscription, regardless of their screen size. However, you can only sign in to Office apps on one personal computer at a time. You can find more information about the Microsoft 365 subscription requirements for different devices in https://office-watch.com/2022/microsoft-office-365-limit-tablet-smartphone/

***Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.***

I hope this answers your question.

See:

• What you can do in the Microsoft 365 apps on mobile devices with a Microsoft 365 subscription