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Microsoft has allowed people who use its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for Windows a way to set up their permissions so that other people can, or in some cases cannot, access certain files from those apps. Today, the company announced it is testing out a new user experience for what it calls user-defined permissions (UDP) for those apps on Windows.
In a post on the Microsoft 365 Insiders blog, the company stated it has heard from many users of those apps that the process of setting up UDPs can be confusing, slow, and hard to customize. Members of this Insider program will be able to check out a new UI for these features. The blog goes over the big changes for UDPs in these apps.
- An updated set of predefined permission levels that cover the most common use cases: Viewer, Restricted Editor, Editor, and Owner. You can quickly assign these levels to people or groups, or you can use the More Options section to customize your permissions for specific needs.
- A modern “people picker” that lets you search for and assign permission to select people or groups from your organization or external domains. This feature offers faster and more reliable performance in validating the names and permissions in real time.
- A clear and accessible design that adheres to the Microsoft Fluent Design System and better supports high-contrast modes and screen readers.
Depending on how your organization sets up the use of these apps, activating UDPs could be slightly different:
- In organizations using sensitivity labels: Apply a sensitivity label that is configured for user-defined permissions to your file.
- In organizations using standalone Information Rights Management (IRM): Go to File > Info > Protect Document > Restrict Access and select Restricted Access.
Once the UDPs are set up, users can then go into the Permissions dialog box for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for Windows. Then, they will be able to give permissions to either domains or specific people in those apps by clicking on the Apply button. There"s also a More Options selection you can click on if you want to set up more advanced features, like if you want the permission to expire after a certain period of time, require a connection to verify a person"s permission to access the file, and more.
Microsoft has noted that the new permission box does not work in dark mode at the moment. The feature is now available for Microsoft 365 Insiders that have Version 2406 (Build 17630.20000) or later.