Hi, Microsoft 365 Insiders! My name is Hannah Kieffer and I’m a Product Manager on the Office Suite Experiences team. I’m excited to share that we have heard your feedback and moved commonly used commands back to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).
Quick Access Toolbar on by default
In the
Microsoft 365 Visual Refresh, we delivered a simpler and more coherent experience across the Microsoft 365 apps using the Fluent Design principles. As part of the refresh, the QAT was hidden by default, and the
Undo and
Redo commands were moved to the
Home tab.
Through surveys and in-app feedback, you let us know that this change was disruptive and slowed your workflow. Specifically, you mentioned that the placement of the
Undo and
Redo commands on the
Home tab required extra clicks and tab navigation. Additionally, some of you also missed being able to hide the
AutoSave command from the title bar.
We heard you! With this update, the QAT is now shown by default and includes the
Undo,
Redo, and
Save commands, and the
AutoSave has found its rightful place back on the title bar. You can quickly customize the QAT to keep only the commands you need.
Thank you for taking the time to let us know this change wasn’t quite right. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are listening.
How it works
There are two different scenarios based on your current experience.
- If your QAT is currently hidden, the QAT will be made visible above the ribbon with the AutoSave, Save, Undo and Redo commands. You can customize this by right-clicking the QAT and selecting Customize.
QAT Visible above the Ribbon in Word on Windows 11
- If your QAT is currently visible, the AutoSave, Save, Undo, and Redo commands will be added to its left side. Custom commands and QAT location will be preserved. You can customize it by right-clicking the QAT and selecting Customize.
QAT with customization visible below the Ribbon in Word on Windows 11
To add or remove commands, click the
More commands down arrow on the right side of the QAT, and then select
Customize.
Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar in Word on Windows 11
Tips and Tricks
If you haven’t tried the new Visual Refresh preview yet, in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote for Windows, simply click the megaphone icon to open the
Coming Soon pane and use the toggle to move between the experiences. The setting will apply to all Microsoft 365 Windows Desktop apps.
Turning on the Visual Refresh in Word on Windows 11
Availability
This feature is available to Insiders running Version 2305 (Build 16403.20000) or later.
Don’t have it yet? It’s probably us, not you.
Features are released over some time to ensure things are working smoothly. We highlight features that you may not have because they’re slowly releasing to larger numbers of Insiders. Sometimes we remove elements to further improve them based on your feedback. Though this is rare, we also reserve the option to pull a feature entirely out of the product, even if you, as an Insider, have had the opportunity to try it.
Feedback
We would love to continue to hear from you! You help make our products better. Inside the app, click Help > Feedback, share your thoughts, and add #QAT. You can also respond to this post by clicking the Was this information useful? button at the bottom of the post.