New Features for Excel – June 2022

Similar to the Power BI Updates, the Excel gang has commenced summarising recent updates in everyone’s favourite spreadsheeting software.  We’ve no idea whether this will continue, but we thought we’d make hay whilst the sun shines and provide an overview of the features divulged across Excel for the web, Windows, Mac and mobile.

In this first update (of this kind anyway!), Microsoft has shared the General Availability of Power Query refresh for selected data sources and the ability to change the source file for workbook links in Excel for the web and performance improvements across Excel for Windows and Excel for Mac making AutoFilter noticeably faster, for example.  For Insiders, updates see an improved Recommended PivotTable experience (already noted earlier in this newsletter) in Excel for Windows and the ability to get and shape data with the Power Query Editor in Excel for Mac.

In summary:

Excel for the web

• Power Query refresh for selected data sources
• Changing source file for workbook links

Excel for Windows

• Improved recommended PivotTable experience (Insider Beta)
• Faster recalculation on resource constrained devices (Current Channel)
• Faster AutoFilter (Monthly Enterprise Channel)
• Dataflow and Dataverse connectors (Monthly Enterprise Channel and Current Channel)
• Running Office Scripts from a workbook button (Current Channel)

Excel for Mac

• Shaping data with Power Query Editor (Insider Beta)
• Faster AutoFilter
• Improved Find dialog and Find All.

As always, we'll be detailing these updates in our July newsletter.  Please remember we have virtual / online training in Excel which you can find out more about here.  If you are not already a subscriber, why not sign up at the bottom of any SumProduct web page?