Windows 11 Microsoft Office gets a swanky redesign — here are the new features

Windows 11 Microsoft Office (Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows 11 is ushering in a new era of enhanced office productivity. Say hello to the new-and-improved Microsoft Office (also known as Microsoft 365). Microsoft announced that your favorite Office apps, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel, are getting a much-needed redesign based on user feedback.

Microsoft promises that the newly updated Microsoft 365 apps will feel more interconnected and harmonious, providing a more natural, intuitive and consistent experience.

Windows 11 welcomes the new Microsoft Office

Microsoft published a new blog post on Monday announcing its plans to roll out new-and-improved Microsoft Office apps, but it aimed its spotlight on Word. A screenshot of the popular word-processing software shows off a new, subtle interface redesign.

The Home tab menu still has a familiar look with a few tweaks. For example, accessing frequently used Word commands will be a lot easier. By navigating to Designer > Show Quick Access Toolbar, users can add a customizable shortcut ribbon to Word that houses conveniently placed options (e.g. Quick Print, New and Save).

The Redmond-based tech giant boasted that collaboration features will be more seamless and fluid, allowing users to "stay in the flow" of productivity while still sharing their work with other team members quickly and efficiently.

Windows 11 Microsoft Word (Image credit: Microsoft)

Office will now match your Windows theme. For example, if you have dark mode on, Word will follow suit.

Windows 11 dark mode Word — Microsoft Word: dark mode (Image credit: Microsoft)

Taking an "I can show you better than I can tell you" approach, Microsoft is encouraging Windows users to download the Windows 11 preview build to explore the new interfaces of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Project, Publisher and Visio.

Microsoft wants users to pay special attention to the new neutral color palettes, softer corners and customizable ribbons across PowerPoint, Word and Excel. The company is also hoping that users are impressed by the new cohesive interface for sharing and collaborating on Outlook and other apps.

How to explore the new Windows 11 Microsoft Office

Check out our "How to download Windows 11 preview build" guide to get a sneak peek of the new Microsoft Office.

Once you've installed Windows 11 beta, the visual refresh will be automatically available to all Office Insiders running the preview build. Microsoft added that the new Office visual refresh will also be available to Windows 10 users in the future.

Windows 11 news and updates

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!