Microsoft continues shipping regular preview updates not just for Windows 11 but for Office as well. If you are testing early versions of Microsoft Office on Windows in the Beta Channel, there is a bunch of neat new features for Excel and several fixes for other apps. The most notable changes include smooth scrolling and a navigation pane in Excel.
Category: Microsoft Office
New Microsoft Office design is now available for testing
Microsoft has begun testing a new design for its Office applications that has been developed in line with the Windows 11 Visual Update. The changes are now available to members of the Office Insider program on the Beta channel.
Microsoft Office gets a new design and native support for ARM64
Microsoft announced a new version of the Office suite with native support for the ARM64 architecture, which will significantly improve performance on devices running Windows on ARM. Office for ARM64 is currently in beta and is available to members of the Office Insider program.
Dictation in Office now supports seven more languages
Microsoft today announced seven new languages for the dictation feature in the Office apps. Now, users can use thirteen different languages to dictate text in Office Word, OneNote, Outlook, and PowerPoint. The new languages include the following: Hindi, Chinese (Taiwanese,) Korean, Russian, Thai, Polish, and Portuguese (Portugal.)
Here is how the upcoming redesigned Outlook for Windows app looks like
Microsoft has (accidetnally?) posted a screenshot of a redesigned Outlook for Windows app. It has been shared on the Beta channel update page for Office for Windows. The changelog describes the new Org Explorer feature, and sports the new user interface of Outlook.
Office app on Android receives voice memos with automatic transcription
Microsoft continues transforming the Office app on mobile platforms into a universal all-in-one productivity-oriented program. The app already supports tons of features, previously available in individual apps. For example, you can open any Office file, create and edit PDF, scan images, business cards, whiteboards, and QR codes, create forms, and even sharpen your presentation skills with an AI-based coach. The latest update on Android brings another welcomed addition to the Office app: Voice memos with automatic transcription.
Enhanced Dark Mode is now available in Word for macOS
At the beginning of this year, Microsoft announced an enhanced dark mode for Word. With the new feature, Office Word switches canvas' color from white to dark, easing the strain on the users' eyes. The dark theme for Office apps is not something new. In fact, it is available since the release of the Office 2016. Still, even with the dark theme applied, Word keeps pages white. Upcoming updates for Office will finally fix this inconvenience.
Microsoft announced five new fonts to replace Calibri in Office apps
Fifteen years ago, together with now unsupported Office 2007, Microsoft introduced Calibri –the default font for Office apps to replace Times New Roman. Now the company thinks it's time to move on and change the default font again. This is a significant change for the Office applications, which are used by hundreds of millions of users around the world, and the company does not want to rush to make a decision. On its official website, Microsoft announced five new font candidates to replace the default Calibri font. These fonts are already available in Office apps, so users can try them out and decide which one is the best.
Excel and Word Online received several new features in the latest update
Microsoft Office Online developers are back with another update for the suite of web-based productivity apps. This time, Excel and Word got several new features and improvements. Here is what new in this update.
PowerPoint Presenter Coach is now available on all platforms
If you have a hard time talking to an audience during presentations, there is a new tool from Microsoft to help you. Previously available in PowerPoint Online only, Presenter Coach is now accessible on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Web. Microsoft announced this feature for Office Online back in 2019. Now it is ready for general use on all supported systems.
