Microsoft Project for iPad: how to work with .mpp files on an iPad
Microsoft makes no Project app for iPad. You can still open, edit and track a Microsoft Project schedule on an iPad, on site and offline.
Updated 17 October 2026
Quick answer
There is no Microsoft Project app for iPad, and Microsoft’s Planner app can’t open .mpp files. To open, edit and save a Microsoft Project file on an iPad, use an app that reads the .mpp format, such as MPP Studio. It works offline and saves a file that opens in Project on Windows.
Is there a Microsoft Project app for iPad?
No. Microsoft Project is a Windows desktop app. Microsoft’s iPad app for planning is Planner, which manages tasks and boards but can’t open an .mpp file. The browser versions don’t replace the desktop app either: Project for the web has been folded into Planner, and Project Online was retired on 30 September 2026.
So when someone emails you a programme as an .mpp file, the iPad on its own can’t show it. Tap the attachment in Mail and you get a blank icon. You need an app that reads the file.
Your options on iPad
| OPTION | OPENS .MPP | WHAT TO EXPECT |
|---|---|---|
| Remote desktop to a Windows PC running Project | Yes, on the PC | Needs a PC that’s switched on, a Project licence and a good connection. Hard to use with touch, impossible offline. |
| Microsoft Planner | No | Good for task lists and boards. The plan has to be rebuilt or imported into Planner’s own format. |
| Online .mpp viewers | View only | Upload the file to a website. Read-only, and your schedule leaves the company. |
| iPad apps that import (Merlin Project, OmniPlan) | Import / export | Full project managers with their own file format; the .mpp is converted on the way in and out. |
| MPP Studio | Opens, edits and saves .mpp | Native iPad app built around the .mpp file. Works offline. Same app and purchase as on Mac. |
How to open an .mpp file on iPad
- Install MPP Studio from the App Store (coming soon: get notified at launch).
- Get the file into the Files app: in Mail, press and hold the attachment and choose Save to Files. Files in OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox and iCloud Drive appear in Files once their app is installed.
- Tap the .mpp file, or open MPP Studio and pick it in the file browser. The task outline opens beside the Gantt chart, with the critical path in red.
Edits are saved back to the same place, so a file in a shared OneDrive or SharePoint folder stays the one copy everyone works on.
A day on site with an iPad
The iPad is where a programme meets reality: on a building site, in a plant room, at a client meeting. This is the workflow MPP Studio is built around.
- Morning: open the programme from OneDrive. The plan is locked, so nobody moves a planned date by accident.
- Walk the site: tap a task and set % complete, actual start or actual finish in the inspector. It works with no signal.
- Check the forecast: the remaining work reschedules from what you recorded, and the sidebar compares the forecast finish with the baseline.
- Meeting: Print on One Page… turns the whole programme into one sheet or a PDF to hand round.
- Evening: save. The planner in the office opens the same .mpp in Microsoft Project and sees today’s progress.
What is kept in the file
MPP Studio edits the .mpp itself rather than converting it, so what the sender put in the file is still there when you send it back.
| IN THE FILE | KEPT ON SAVE |
|---|---|
| Tasks, outline (WBS), summaries and milestones | Yes |
| Links: finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-finish, with lags | Yes |
| Durations, constraints and task calendars | Yes |
| Project and resource calendars, holidays | Yes |
| Resources and assignments | Yes |
| Baselines, actual start and finish, % complete | Yes |
| Notes, custom fields and their names | Yes |
| Gantt view columns | Yes |
What you need
An iPad with iPadOS 27. The same purchase includes the Mac app. There is no iPhone version: a Gantt chart needs the room an iPad gives it.
Questions people ask
Can I use Microsoft Project on an iPad?
Not the Microsoft app: Microsoft Project runs only on Windows. You can open, edit and save Microsoft Project .mpp files on an iPad with a third-party app such as MPP Studio.
Is there a free Microsoft Project viewer for iPad?
Microsoft doesn’t make one. Online viewers can show a file read-only, but they upload it to their servers. MPP Studio opens the file on the iPad itself.
Does it work on iPad Pro and iPad Air?
Yes. MPP Studio runs on any iPad that runs iPadOS 27, and uses the extra room on larger screens for more of the Gantt chart.
Can I open files from OneDrive or SharePoint?
Yes. Anything the Files app can reach, including OneDrive, SharePoint and iCloud Drive, can be opened and saved in place.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. Everything happens on the iPad, so you can record progress on site with no signal.
Open your programme on iPad
Native on iPad and Mac. Works offline. Your file never leaves your device.
Related
Microsoft and Microsoft Project are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. MPP Studio is not affiliated with Microsoft. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Competitor details are taken from their own websites and App Store listings in October 2026; check with the vendor for current prices.