Quarterly Excel Updates: January – March 2024
The first quarter of the year has passed, bringing us numerous new updates in Excel. Here’s a complete overview of updates from January to March 2024. Get up to date in just 3 minutes!
| Termology | Definition |
| Data panel | A panel in Excel where users can manage data sources, connect with external data, and transform data for analysis. |
| Pivot table | A feature in Excel that enables users to quickly summarize, analyse, and present large data sets in various formats, such as tables or charts. |
| E1 license | A feature in Excel that enables users to quickly summarize, analyse, and present large data sets in various formats, such as tables or charts. |
| Excel for iPad | Excel optimized for iPads. |
| Excel for macOS | Excel on Apple computer systems. |
| Excel for web | Excel in the online environment of an internet browser. |
| Excel for Windows | Excel on a Windows computer system. |
| F3 license | A license type providing access to specific versions or features of Excel, generally intended for specific purposes like education or businesses. |
| Insiders / #Fia / Insiders beta | A program granting users access to early Excel releases and updates, allowing them to test new features before official release. |
| Interface | The visual and interactive elements in Excel that users interact with, such as menus, buttons, worksheets, and windows. |
| Power BI | Interactive data visualization software developed by Microsoft. |
| Ribbon | The toolbar at the top of the Excel window with tabs providing access to various commands, functions, and options, organized into logical groups. |
| Task pane | A window in Excel that appears on the side of the workspace, providing additional tools, options, or information depending on the selected function or task. |
January
Synchronize Form Data to Excel
Excel for Web:
You can now link forms to online spreadsheets in Excel Web with real-time automatic updates, making it easy to analyse and visualize data deeply.
Date Picker #FIA
Excel for Web:
The ‘Date Picker’ feature lets users easily insert a date from a calendar directly into a cell. Once a cell is formatted as a date or a date value is entered, the date picker is automatically activated. This feature is currently rolling out to web users and is only available for Insiders.
Insert Images into Cells #FIA
Excel for Windows & Mac:
This update enables users to insert images as cell values. Users can use images in tables, sort, filter, include them in formulas, and more. Currently, this update is available only for Insiders.
Performance Check (Insiders Beta)
Excel for Windows & Mac:
The ‘Performance Check’ feature allows users to detect formatted cells that slow down the workbook. Through ‘Performance Checks,’ the entire workbook is analysed for potential factors affecting speed.
Pivot Tables on iPad
Excel for iPad:
Pivot tables are now viewable and editable for Excel on iPad users.
February
Data panel for graphs
Excel for Web:
The data panel now allows users to adjust chart data directly on the web. This panel provides the following functions:
• Change the data range of a chart through an intuitive interface, easily selecting a new range with the mouse.
• Use a new, web-specific interface to determine how data series are displayed on the chart, including axis selection.
• Set how hidden or empty cells are displayed and determine if source data is split by rows or columns.
*These functions are already available for users on Mac and Windows.
Images and Data Types in Pivot Tables
Excel for Windows & macOS:
Pivot tables can now retain different modern data types. This allows users to create richer, visually appealing pivot tables, incorporating images and other data types such as stocks and geography. This feature is now available to all Excel web users.
New Default Theme for Office
Excel for Windows & macOS:
February introduced a completely new Office theme, including new fonts and colors to enhance application usability. This update was previously available for Insiders but is now rolled out to all users.
March
Export to CSV
Excel for Web:
Great news for Excel web users: starting in March, files can be exported as CSVs. This export feature was already available for desktop users but is now also available on the web.
Create Power BI-Connected Tables in Excel
Excel voor Web:
Announced back in August 2023, Excel was working on an update to connect Power BI to tables in spreadsheets, and now it’s also available for the web version of Excel. Learn here how to connect Power BI to integrated models.
Show Details in Pivot Tables #FIA
Excel for Windows & macOS:
Excel has introduced an interesting new button to better interpret data in pivot tables. Users can now click the ‘Show Details’ option under ‘Pivot Table Analysis’ on the ribbon. While this function was already available for both the desktop and web versions of Excel, this button adds extra ease of use.
Office Scripts for Office 365 E1 and F3 Licenses
Excel for Windows & MacOS
As of March, the ‘Office Scripts’ feature is integrated into the ribbon under the Automation tab. For Excel users unfamiliar with Office Scripts:
Office Scripts enables you to automate daily tasks through programming, without requiring experience. Scripts can be edited using the Code Editor, allowing you to run and share scripts with colleagues with just one click.
Conclusion
The first quarter of 2024 brought a series of major updates to Excel, focused on enhancing user experience and expanding functionality. From improved form and Power BI integration to new options for data visualization and analysis, these updates strengthen Excel’s position as a versatile tool for data processing. Now that you’ve read this article in full, you’re ready to work as an Excel expert in your field.
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