Microsoft Unveils Recent Widgets for Office Apps on macOS

Today, Microsoft launched innovative Recent widgets for its popular Office applications—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—specifically designed for Mac users. This new feature allows users to effortlessly access recently utilized files directly from their desktop, significantly enhancing productivity.

Expanding on Mobile Innovations

This addition follows a similar rollout earlier this year, where Microsoft released Recent Files widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iOS and iPadOS. These mobile widgets enable users to view and open their recently accessed documents straight from the home screens of their iPhones and iPads, thereby enhancing mobile productivity.

Steps to Add Recent Widgets on macOS

Integrating these widgets into your macOS workspace is simple. Follow these steps to add the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint widgets:

1. Ensure you’re using a macOS version that supports widgets. Right-click on your desktop and choose the “Edit Widgets”option.
2. From the list of available apps, locate and select Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
3. Once selected, the widgets will appear in a range of four sizes—from small to extra-large.
4. Select your preferred widget size, hover over it, and click the green plus (+) button in the upper left corner to add it.
5. Upon adding the Recent widget, click on any file card to open a recent document. Alternatively, clicking elsewhere on the widget will direct you to the app’s main homepage.

Availability and Features

Microsoft is currently rolling out this feature to users subscribed to the Microsoft 365 Current Channel (Preview), specifically those operating Version 16.91 (Build 24110320) or later on macOS. Meanwhile, for iPhone and iPad users, the Recent Files widget is accessible to Microsoft 365 Insiders with iOS Version 2.85 (Build 24042818) or later. Joining the Microsoft 365 Insider program provides early access to upcoming features and updates.

Streamlining User Experience

The introduction of these new widgets is designed to provide Mac users with an efficient method to access their recent documents, thereby optimizing their workflow. With this enhancement, Microsoft continues to improve its cross-platform functionality and user satisfaction across its range of Office applications.

For more details, you can read the full announcement on Microsoft’s tech community page.

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