Microsoft has released a major update to its iOS apps, revamping the interface and adding new features.
According to the release notes, Word was “redesigned from scratch,” to make the app “simpler, faster and more beautiful than before.” The word processor also includes an updated Alt Text Pane to make “content more accessible by adding helpful captions or even mark elements as decorative.”
Similarly, Excel receives the same facelift and Alt Text Pane, but also ads Read and Reply on the Fly, giving users the ability to “respond to comments and mentions right from email without opening the workbook.” Finally, VLOOKUP replacement XLOOKUP makes its way to the iOS version.
Powerpoint also gets the same visual redesign, as well as the Alt Text Pane.
Microsoft’s Office apps are already some of the most powerful, full-featured applications available for iOS and go a long way toward delivering on the iPad’s productivity promise. This latest release is a welcome upgrade and has some nice quality-of-life improvements.