Insiders won’t get visually refreshed Office apps until later this week
Insiders will have to wait a bit longer to test out Microsoft’s refreshed Office apps.
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What you need to know
Microsoft was set to start testing the visually refreshed versions of its Office apps last week. At the last minute, the company had to push back the initial release of the preview apps. An updatedInsider pageexplains that the refreshed apps should instead arrive for testers this week.
The support page used to read, " This visual refresh will be available to Beta Channel users running build Version 2107 Build 14228.20000 or later on Windows 11 or Windows 10."
Now it states, “(7/2) UPDATE:We apologize for the delay in making this much anticipated visual refresh available to you. We expect to release a new build, with this update, next week.”
The update was added late last week, so the apps should roll out to testers this week.
Microsoft never publicly committed to a firm date to start testing the refreshed Office apps, so this isn’t much of a delay.
The refreshed Office apps are built to “shine on the new Windows 11 OS,” according to Microsoft, but they will also roll out to Windows 10.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Project, Publisher, and Visio all have a visual refresh on the way. The apps will use Fluent Design principles and align with the look of Windows 11.
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To test out the refreshed Office apps, people need to be Beta Channel users of Office. We have a guide onhow to enroll in the Office Insider programif you aren’t a tester yet.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
