Microsoft announced new features for the iPad and iPad Pro versions of Microsoft Office, including new tools that take full advantage of the Apple Pencil.
Chief among the features are tools for drawing directly onto documents. Other additions include PowerPoint's Designer and Morph feature and the ability for Mac users to participate in Microsoft Office's early access program.
Inking tools for Microsoft Office on iPad offer an eco-friendly alternative to printing out a copy to edit by hand. While you can use a finger to doodle directly on the screen, the update recognizes the Apple Pencil for more accurate scribbling.
Not only does the inking update improve note-taking, but drawing shapes on the screen can also translate into certain shortcuts, such as turning a sketch of two circles into a functional Venn diagram.
In addition to drawing tools, the updated Office suite includes PowerPoint Designer and Morph, which creates professional-quality, Comic Sans-less, PowerPoint presentations with virtually no experience needed.
While most of the new features are exclusive to the iPad and iPad Pro, PowerPoint's Designer and Morph are also available on the iPhone version of the update.
Mac users can also now participate in Microsoft's Office Insider program, which rolls outs new features such as the ones listed above before everyone else. Interested users can opt-in from the Microsoft Auto Update tool on their Mac.
While the iPad and iPad Pro's updates are already live, Microsoft says that Office Insider participants will see the new features on other mobile devices such as Windows and Android tablets in the coming weeks.
- Check out our review of Microsoft Office 365
