Microsoft Refreshes Office.com with Easier App Navigation and Document Access

Updates to the Office.com home page initially began rolling out this month and will overlap into next year. Improvements include a simpler app navigation throughout the suite and an easier, more direct access to your frequent and recently opened documents.

The new, more intuitive home page experience also brings a couple of other things. There is a new platform for faster delivery of innovative features, as well as a fresh new look and feel. The Office 365 team summarizes the changes on the Office blog:

• Navigate to apps quickly: The Office.com homepage now displays the most frequently used apps more prominently. Over time, Office 365 will learn and adjust this ordering based on your individual usage.
• Get back to your online documents: Users will now see additional controls within the “Recent documents” list to let users filter by document type across Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Have a document that you go back to frequently? Pin it to the list so it’s always just a click away.
• Know what’s coming up: Get an in-depth view of the day’s meetings and quickly respond to or join Skype for Business calls with one click. Enhanced people pictures help you build stronger connections with coworkers and help you keep track of your different teams and projects.
• Stay on top of tasks: Create, view and complete tasks directly on Office.com that stay in sync across Outlook on all your devices. Need to add more details to a task? Double tap to open in Outlook Tasks to add additional details.

An evolving experience

While Office.com is still the best place to learn more about various Office products, it has evolved beyond that. Since April this year, it primarily serves as the Office 365 home page for users.

The April update added a simple and responsive design, among other things. As a result, the home page is highly customizable so consumer, business, and educational users all have a tailored fit. In addition, the latest update adds to the overall cause, further simplifying and improving the user experience.