Back in March, Microsoft introduced a handy new feature to its Excel app for Office users. The company added an ability for the app to read data within a photo and turn it into an editable spreadsheet. At the time, the feature was an Android exclusive.
That changed this month as Microsoft introduced the ability to Excel on Apple's iOS. Excel users can use the feature to capture a photo of a data table, whether it is printed or hand-drawn. Using AI technology, Excel works with the device camera to turn the image into a spreadsheet.
Once loaded into Microsoft Excel, the spreadsheet can be edited, shared, and analyzed as normal. One of the obvious positives of Insert Data from Picture is users don't need to manually enter data into a spreadsheet file.
“Using the Excel app, you can take a picture of a printed data table on your Android device and automatically convert the picture into a fully editable table in the appl. This new image recognition functionality eliminates the need for you to manually enter hardcopy data.”
Microsoft says the new feature is available now for Excel users with an iPhone. Availability is limited to 21 countries through the App Store here.
May Updates for Microsoft 365
Excel's new tool on iOS was a part of general May updates for Microsoft 365. Included in May's updates were Microsoft Graph and Microsoft Search changes.
Microsoft Graph data connect is a new feature that allows customers to provide in-house developers with Microsoft Graph data. Elsewhere, Microsoft 365 has also updated MyAnalytics to add more insights based on digital wellbeing, focus, network, and collaboration.
Also added to Microsoft 365 in May was an improved Microsoft Search experience. Now available in general availability, organizations can leverage Search to find people and related information internally or externally.
