Microsoft Excel, Word And PowerPoint Update For iPhone: What’s New?

Microsoft has updated three of its most useful apps for the iPhone – Excel, Word and PowerPoint. What can users expect to see from the productivity apps?

Redmond tech giant Microsoft has updated its office apps Excel, Word and PowerPoint to make them look simpler and easier to use. iPhoneHacks noted that all three are now available via the App Store and can be downloaded and installed on the iPhone, iPad, Mac and other devices.

As per Microsoft, all three apps have been “redesigned from scratch.” The three Office apps now feature a more streamlined design that makes it easier for people to use.

“We have redesigned the app to be simpler, faster and more beautiful than before,” the Redmond tech company said.

The updated apps each feature a new layout that basically has three tabs at the bottom of the screen.

• First, there's the Home tab. Tapping on this allows users to sign in to their Microsoft account then view all the documents they have opened or worked on recently.
• Second, there's the New tab that allows users to create new spreadsheets (for Excel), documents (for Word) or slideshows and presentations (for PowerPoint) with just a single tap. Users who create a New file will be allowed to choose from a selection of templates deemed appropriate for the task. Users, of course, can still decide to start from a blank document.
• Third, there's the Open tab which allows users to open an existing spreadsheet, document or presentation stored either inside the device or in the cloud. Those who are used to working on the Mac or PC and are new to using the apps on an iPhone will find this feature very helpful especially when working on the go.

Microsoft also added some features specific to Excel.

• First, Excel users now have the option to “read and reply on the fly.” Users can now respond to comments and mentions without the need to launch the app and specific spreadsheet. Users can simply respond via email
• Second, Microsoft has added a new feature that allows users to search for anything inside tables or cells easily. The feature, called “XLOOKUP,” allows users to search for items row by row, per table or by range.

Microsoft's Excel, Word and PowerPoint apps can now be downloaded from the App Store.