Microsoft today introduced new Recent widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Mac. With these widgets, macOS users can quickly access their recently used files directly from their desktop.
Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced similar Recent Files widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iOS and iPadOS. These widgets allowed users to view and open their recently accessed files from their iPhone or iPad home screen.
Here"s how users can add Word, Excel, and PowerPoint widgets to their Mac:
- When running a macOS version that supports widgets, users can right-click on their desktop and select the "Edit Widgets" command.
- In the list of available apps that support widgets, users should select Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
- Once the app is selected, widgets will be displayed in four sizes, ranging from small to extra-large.
- Users can select the desired widget size, hover over it, and select the green + button in the top left corner.
- When the Recent widget is displayed on the desktop, users can click a file card to open a recent file. If users want to open the app"s home page instead, they can click anywhere on the widget outside of the file cards.
Microsoft is rolling out the new Recent widgets feature to Microsoft 365 Current Channel (Preview) users running Version 16.91 (Build 24110320) or later on macOS. On iPhone and iPad, the Recent Files widget is available to Microsoft 365 Insiders running iOS Version 2.85 (Build 24042818) or later. By joining the Microsoft 365 Insider program, users can get access to early builds of new features and updates before it reaches wider availability.
These new widgets provide a convenient way for Mac users to access their recent files, streamlining their workflow. With this update, Microsoft continues to enhance cross-platform compatibility and user experience across its suite of office applications.