Microsoft’s new One Outlook app is now rolling out to users and the company is ready to borrow elements from it to spread to other Office applications. Specifically, the new Dictation toolbar is making its way to a bunch of apps in the Office suite.
With this new Dictation toolbar, users will be able to put more focus on content. Microsoft says the toolbar has a new look, works better, and has a more usable interface. Dictation is a toolbar for managing your voice inputs into Office apps.
Importantly, the toolbar is also smaller than before and has a new location on the ribbon. Users can now find it on the side of the display instead of the middle. Office users can choose to put the toolbar back into the center of the display if they want.
Microsoft says users will see a noticeable performance improvement thanks to better animations. According to the company, this will means more control over understanding if your voice is heard during dictation.
Details
Users can now get the new Dictation toolbar on Office apps on the following platforms:
- Microsoft Word on Windows, Mac, and the web.
- OneNote for Windows and the web.
- Outlook on Windows and Mac.
At the moment, the redesigned toolbar is only available in preview on the Office Insider Program. Specifically, it is available to users running one of the following builds.
- Windows Beta Channel Version 2206 (Build 15321.20000) or later
- Mac Beta Channel Version 16.62 (Build 22052300) or later
Tip of the day: Whether it’s for a presentation, song, or YouTube video, at some point in your life you’ll need to record audio from your computer. Windows 11 has multiple options to record sound due to its litany of apps. In our tutorial, we show you how to record audio using the built-in Windows 10 Voice Recorder and the freeware audio editor Audacity.