Bottom line: Learn about new features that Microsoft released for the Windows, Mac, web, and mobile versions of Excel in 2021.
Skill level: Beginner
Video
I Love Excel Updates!
Over the past few years, Microsoft has released a ton of updates to Excel. And 2021 was no exception!
The Windows, Mac, web, and mobile versions of Excel all received cool new updates that will help us get our jobs done faster. This includes everything from new keyboard shortcuts to advanced (Lambda) functions for complex array formulas.
I absolutely love all the new additions to Excel. There were so many updates last year, that I had a difficult time narrowing down the list to just 21 features.
These are the features that stood out the most to me, but feel free to leave a comment below if there are any of your favorites that I missed.
21 New Excel Features from 2021
- Unhide Multiple Sheets: Microsoft Announcement
- Navigation Pane: Microsoft Announcement
- Resize Conditional Formatting Box: Microsoft Announcement
- Show Changes: Excel Campus YouTube video & post on Show Changes | Microsoft Announcement
- LAMBDA Helper Functions: Microsoft Announcement
- Wolfram Data Types: Microsoft Announcement
- Visual Update & QAT Button Names: Microsoft Announcement
- Accessibility Ribbon: Microsoft Announcement
- Excel Data Type APIs: Bill Jelen's YouTube video on Data Type APIs | Microsoft Announcement
- Horizontal Scroll Shortcut: Excel Campus YouTube video on 7 Excel Tips
- Smooth Scrolling: Excel Campus YouTube video on Smooth Scrolling| Microsoft Announcement
- Excel Full Screen Mode
- Searchable Dropdown Lists: Excel Campus List Search Add-in | Microsoft Announcement
- Power Query Pane: Microsoft Announcement
- Text to Columns: Microsoft Announcement
- Keyboard Shortcuts for Web: Microsoft Announcement
- Office Scripts: Microsoft Announcement
- Office Scripts Buttons: Microsoft Announcement
- Name Manager & Find All for Mac: Microsoft Announcement Name Manager | Find All
- Format Painter for Tablets: Microsoft Announcement
- Feedback Portal: Microsoft Announcement
Availability
In the video I tried to mention the various endpoints (Windows, Mac, web, mobile) that the features are available on. I did not mention the specific Excel versions or Microsoft 365 channels because that will change as the features roll out to production. You can see the current availability of each feature in the articles linked above.
Show Your Appreciation
As a Microsoft MVP, I have the honor of being able to connect with Excel team at Microsoft, and I get to see a glimpse of all the hard work that goes into making these updates happen.
Some of these “seemingly simple” updates can be challenging to implement when modifying a code base that has existed for 35+ years. So I'm very grateful to see so many new features in such a short amount of time.
As I mention at the end of the video, most of the authors of the announcement articles linked above are the product managers (Microsoft employees) that help bring these features to life. Many of them are active on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social platforms.
If you love one of the new features, take a minute to connect with them and share your feedback.
And feel free to leave a comment below with any updates I missed or feedback on the features you like the most. Thank you! 🙂
The new text-to-columns is certainly useful, but Excel needs the equivalent of Google Sheets’ SPLIT function, which enables text-to-columns outcomes formulaically.
Hey There,
Well with all good things, there is an end. For me it’s now. I have retired and have started doing many things that have had to be on the back burner for sooo long. One thing that I will not be using as much is my Excel tables. I have been able to find millions in saving for my company in a large part because of the tips you gave. I thank you very much for all your help and guidance. You keep it up there are many like me that need you help.
Awesome and a brilliant summary for the year! Thanks Jon
Sir, 7/1/2022.
I have observed that you have taken lot of efforts.
I must salute for the same.
Hoping to receive more and more solutions in Excel in near future too.
I remain.
Kanhaiyalal Newaskar.