46 Microsoft 365 Secret Features
Tips / / January 02, 2021
Word
A program for creating, viewing and editing text documents.
1. Protecting a document with a password
If you have a computer on Windows, then to install the code, click on the "File" tab, then "Information" → "Protect document" → "Encrypt with a password". If on MacOS - Review, then Protect Document.
The main thing is to remember the invented combination, because you cannot recover the password in Word.
2. Create your own templates, themes and styles
It will make it easier if you regularly prepare similar documents, such as monthly reports or coursework, and constantly use the same text formatting.
To keep the style, select the text that is formatted the way you want and right-click on it. On the toolbar that appears, click Styles and then New Style. Give it a name and click "Ok".
To save the template, checkout the document, then click the Office button → Save As → Word Template.
To create your own theme, go to the Design tab → Colors → Customize Colors.
3. Expanding the Quick Access Toolbar
By default, the panel contains buttons "Save" and "Cancel action", but in the settings you can add others to them. To do this, find the command you need on the ribbon, for example "Table", right-click on it and select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar".
4. Convert a Document to a Sway Web Page
When saving the document, under File Type, select Filtered Web Page. This way you can share your work with all your colleagues. The page will display the same on all devices, regardless of whether the recipient has Word or not.
5. Comments
It will come in handy if you are working on one document with a whole team. You can leave a message or ask a question by clicking the "Review" tab → "Comment" → "New comment". To address someone specifically, enter the person's name or nickname via @.
6. Different page orientations in one document
Select the page for which you want to change the orientation. Click on Page Layout tab → Page Setup → Orientation. In the "Apply" column, select "To current section". Useful if you want to insert a large horizontal illustration, such as a diagram, into a text document.
7. Focusing
The "Focus" button is located in the "View" tab. If you click it, only a white sheet will remain on the screen: the Word menu and the taskbar will disappear. A real salvation when you find it difficult to concentrate on work.
8. Clipboard
It stores all the fragments of the text that you copied or cut during the work with the document. To view them, on the "Home" tab in the "Clipboard" group, click the start button (located in the lower right corner).
9. Freehand edits
On touchscreen devices, you can use your finger or stylus to edit text using the Draw tool. In it you need to select the pen "Handwriting editor".
- Circle the text to make it stand out.
- Strikethrough text to delete. You can immediately remove a large section of text by crossing it diagonally.
- Draw a wavy line between the words. This will connect them.
- Draw a vertical line inside the word to separate it.
- Draw a check mark to add a word.
10. Document recovery
If you forgot to save changes to an existing document, go to it again, open the "File" tab and click "Details". In the Book Management section, select the On Close Without Saving file. And click the "Restore" command.
If you accidentally closed a new file, proceed as follows: "File" → "Information" → "Document Management" → "Recover Unsaved Books".
To work in applications you need subscribe. If you constantly use several gadgets or live more than one, your best bet is to get the Microsoft 365 Home package. With such a subscription, you can work simultaneously from 6 devices.
You need to buy a subscription from official Microsoft partners. For example, in online store Allsoft software. They have been selling licensed subscriptions for the company's products since 2004. Now the subscription is valid discount 18%: You can issue it for a year for a family of 6 users for 2 788 rubles. All Microsoft 365 products will become available immediately after receiving the key: it will be sent to the mail 10 minutes after payment.
Excel
A program for working with spreadsheets.
11. Delimiters
You can add them to visually separate metrics in a single table. The Borders tool is located in the Font menu tab.
12. Table based chart
To create a pivot chart, you need to select the necessary cells and press F11: Excel itself converts the data into a graph on a new sheet.
Small diagrams, also known as sparklines, can be inserted into the table itself. To do this, open the "Insert" tab, click "Sparklines" and select "Graph" or "Histogram".
13. Colored page markers
To make it easier to find a sheet with important information, its label can be colored over. To do this, right-click on it and select the appropriate command.
14. Select all cells
You can do it in two ways: by holding down the Ctrl + A combination or by clicking on the button in the left corner of the Excel sheet.
15. Combining text with &
Click on the cell to combine and put an equal sign (=). Now click on the first data cell, then enter the combination & ”“ (&, quotes, space, quotes). Click on the second cell you want to merge.
16. Speeding up typing
You can assign simple replacements to complex words or icons that are not on the keyboard. For example, Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov - III. To do this, on the Review tab, click Spelling, then Options, again Spelling and AutoCorrect Options.
PowerPoint
Program for creating presentations.
17. Ideas for decoration
Enter the text and add pictures to the standard sheet, go to the "Design" tab and click the "Design Ideas" button. PowerPoint will suggest design options for you.
18. Image transformation
To create a sense of animation, use a Transform transition between two slides. So you can show, for example, the growth of a tree or the jump of a hare.
19. Using 3D models
They can be added as illustrations via the "Insert" tab. You can create several similar slides and slightly change the position of the 3D model. Add a Transform transition for smooth animation.
20. Add gif ‑ animation
Insert it into your presentation like a regular drawing. Open the Slide Show tab and click Start Slide Show: the GIF will move.
21. Handwriting input
If you are creating your presentation on a smartphone or tablet, you can add drawings or handwriting using the Paint tool.
22. Reusing finished slides
Select the slide you want to keep and copy it. Now go to the "File" tab → "New" → "Blank Presentation". Delete the blank slide and paste your own. Save this presentation as a template.
23. Grouping slides into sections
Right-click between slides and in the pop-up menu, click Add Section. Helps organize a large presentation.
24. Identical design of figures with captions
Select all the necessary pictures and inscriptions, holding Shift, and then click "Tools for Pictures". Then click Picture Layout and select the desired layout.
25. Working with layers
In the Picture Tools section, click Format and then Selection Area. A menu with all the objects on the slide will open on the right, so it will be more convenient to manage them: move, resize, add animation.
26. Installing the guides
Open the "View" tab and in the "Show" window, check the box next to "Guides". Red dividers appear on the slide to make it easier to align items on the slides.
Microsoft Edge
Internet browser.
27. Collections
The Collections button is to the right of the address bar. It can be used to create collections of bookmarks on various topics, for example, collect recipes, educational sites or online cinemas.
28. Password monitoring
In upcoming Microsoft 365 updates, Edge will add a Password Monitor tool to help track password leaks. It will notify you if a login and password from autocomplete has been found on the darknet. The notification will come inside the browser, and you can immediately replace the old password with a new one.
29. Reading mode
If you love reading online publications, scientific articles, or e-books, you can make the process more comfortable with the Immersive Reader extension. If you click on its icon in the browser, the page will take on a simplified look. From the pop-up menu, you can choose the background color, font size and convenient line spacing.
30. Error correction
Install the Editor extension in your browser. It will search for and suggest corrections not only for grammatical, but also punctuation and stylistic errors.
OneNote
Electronic notebook with several additional convenient functions.
31. Taking a screenshot of a part of the screen
Press the Windows + S combination. Use the cursor to highlight the area you want to copy. The screen will be saved in PNG format.
32. Copy text from a drawing
OneNote can convert a picture or handwritten note to text. Paste the image into your notebook and right-click on it. Choose the Copy Text From Picture command.
33. Search for a word in an audio recording or video
If you need to find a specific passage in a long audio lecture or movie, go to the "File" tab, click "Options" → "Sound and Video". In the "Search for audio recordings" section, check the box next to "Allow word searches in audio and video recordings".
34. Structure notes using combinations
The structure helps you quickly organize long and complex documents, plans and presentations.
- To make a page a subpage, press Ctrl + Alt +].
- To raise the page higher in the hierarchy - Ctrl + Alt + [.
- Add a subpage below the current one - Ctrl + Shift + Alt + N.
35. Handwriting and multimedia
You can make your notes more colorful using pictures, audio and video - they are located in the "Insert" tab. You can also add pictures and colorful notes to your notes using handwriting input. Tools for this are in the "Drawing" tab.
Outlook
Email management software.
36. Rules and alerts
In Outlook, you can set mail to take automatic actions. For example, sort all emails that match certain criteria, or notify important messages with a different sound signal. To create a rule, click the File tab, click Manage Rules & Alerts, and in the pop-up window, on the Email Rules tab, click New Rule.
37. Preview letters
If you want to know the content of the letters in advance, in the "View" tab, click the "View message" button and select the number of lines: from 1 to 3.
38. Delayed delivery
A tool that will save you in case you have already prepared a letter, but you want to send it tomorrow or next week. The date and time of sending can be set in the "Parameters" tab in the message window.
39. Direct appeal
If you are sending an email to a large number of people at once, but want to hear a response from someone in particular, mention the person's name in the email and precede it with the @ symbol. The name will be highlighted in the text of the message, and upon receiving the message, the person will see the @ symbol next to the letter icon.
40. Clean up a conversation
Helps to clean the folder from all unnecessary messages at once. To do this, click on the tab "Home", there click on "Delete" and select first the command "Clear", and then "Clear Conversation".
Adjust the deletion settings so that the program does not touch what you still need, for example, unread letters or letters with flags.
Publisher
A program for creating business cards, brochures, calendars, web pages and other graphic materials.
41. Replacing a pattern
Just drag and drop them from the sub area into the layout. When a pink outline appears around the picture, release the mouse button.
42. Grouping objects
To simultaneously edit several pictures or inscriptions at once, group the objects using the button of the same name on the "Home" tab or by holding down the Shift key.
43. Creating a custom border
In the "Patterned frame" tab, click the "New" button, then "Select a picture". Find the picture or photo you want on your computer.
Access
Program for working with databases. In Access, you can create classic databases and various personal applications to work with them.
44. Importing data from Excel
Click on the "External Data" button. In the File Name section, click Browse and find the Excel spreadsheet you want. Double click on it - the data import wizard will open. There you can choose what information to copy.
45. Change color and font
Forms and reports can be personalized so that they are not so boring and gray. You can add a background color or change the font on the Home tab in the Text Formatting group.
46. Updating data using a query
On the Create tab, in the Queries group, find Query Designer. Then select the table you want. On the Design tab, click Update. Click on the fields to update in the table. Query results can be used to automatically enter or update information.
IN home package Microsoft 365 comes with 1 TB of OneDrive. You can subscribe to programs at official partner of the company - Allsoft software online store. The cost for a family of 6 users is 2 788 rubles per year: this is only 232.3 rubles per month for seven programs and a place in the cloud storage.
Subscribe to Microsoft 365