 |
| The new Office user interface is available to everyone |
Microsoft started rolling out the new Office user interface to all users this week. The visual update was originally announced in late June of this year and has been tested over the summer. It's now rolling out to all Office 365 and Office 2021 users.
This visual update is designed for Windows 11, but it will also improve your Windows 10 experience.
This visual update provides a smoother and more consistent experience for the Office applications you depend on so you can more easily focus on your work.
The visual update is based on customer feedback, which requires a more natural and consistent experience within and between apps, especially on Windows.
With this update, Microsoft will use Fluent design principles across all of its Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Project, Publisher, and Visio applications to provide an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.
Microsoft has adapted this visual update to the design of Windows 11 to provide a seamless experience on your PC.
The Office theme is now the same as the Windows theme, so you can experience visual updates in any theme, including black, white, color, or dark gray.
In addition, the Quick Access Toolbar is now hidden by default to simplify the user interface. To show it again, right-click the ribbon or click the ribbon display options icon, and then click Show Quick Access Toolbar.
We've also made some minor tweaks to the buttons in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. You can use the new speaker icon to toggle the new theme on or off. This icon is in the upper-right corner of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote.
Office receives new visual updates
It should now be available to all Windows 11 users. Microsoft said it automatically rolled out updates that are visible to 50% of subscribers with the Current Channel version earlier this month.
Although most design changes are minor. But Microsoft has made more significant changes to its Office user interface. This includes switching to more command bars instead of the traditional ribbon user interface.
These web and mobile versions of Office should always come first. Microsoft said last year that major changes to the Office user interface could take a year or two to roll out.