The new Microsoft Office app is “pretty great”
One app is better than three.
- Combining Word, Excel and PowerPoint into one app requires less storage space than the previous individual apps.
- A new-and-improved “Lens” feature, which allows you to unlock your camera and convert images into editable Word and Excel documents, scan PDFs, and capture whiteboards with automatic digital enhancements to make content easier to read.
- New common task functionality, including the ability to create quick notes, sign PDFs, scan QR codes, scan a table from a picture to Excel, extract text from a photo, and transfer files between devices.
- Support for third-party storage services, including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud.
- The ability to connect to SharePoint using the SharePoint folder’s URL to save files quickly.
- New templates to help you create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- Word dictation, which allows you to turn your voice into written text and use voice commands and simple toolbars to easily apply the right formatting and punctuation.
I took the app for a test drive and the functionality and ease of use is pretty great. Although there will always be some projects that are just better to work on using a big computer screen, Microsoft’s new app allows you to make small, urgent updates quickly and easily.
In fact, my first experience with the app was using it to make an urgent change to a Word document for a client while I was out of the office. I opened up the app, dictated the text and emailed the file back to my team member. It was so easy and seamless, and I didn’t even have to run back to the office to make the change.
If you’re interested in having a quick, mobile way to update your Office files, I encourage you to explore the app and see what you can create while you’re on the move. Anyone can download the app, but if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you’ll also be able to unlock premium features. Download the app here: