Microsoft 365 Android PDF Viewer shows ads, even with subscription

Throughout 2024, Microsoft has been rolling out ads across all sorts of products, including Windows 11. But the company isn't stopping there. Some people are reporting that the PDF reader that comes with Microsoft 365 for Android is now showing ads at the top of the page, despite paying for the service monthly.

Microsoft 365 PDF Reader for Android is showing ads to subscribers too

As spotted by How-To Geek, users are reporting ads at the top of the Microsoft 365 PDF reader for Android. They appear to simply appear along the top of the page as banner ads, but still infuriate users who pay extra to use Microsoft 365 features.

How-To Geek tried the app himself and also saw ads at the top of the page. However, when we tried the same thing using the iOS version of Microsoft 365, we didn't see any ads. It's unclear whether that means iOS users aren't getting ads or whether Microsoft simply hasn't updated the version of Microsoft 365 on the Apple App Store yet. Only time will tell.

This isn't the first time people have spotted Microsoft sneaking ads into its services. Windows 11, for example, is getting ads in the Start menu, and while you can turn off these "recommendations" via the Settings panel, it's unclear how long Microsoft will let you do so.

Kareem Winters

Update 15 December 2024