Today, we're diving deeper into Excel's View tab to show you some lesser-known, yet incredibly handy features that will change the way you manage your workbooks.

Also in focus:

• sharing views in Excel for the web
• AI writing assist in any online text box
• OneDrive offline capabilities

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Master the Window options in Excel's View tab

A while ago we covered the magic of Freeze Panes.

But there are other buttons in the View tab that are super useful too.

Here's a quick rundown of what they do.

1. New Window lets you open a new instance of the currently active workbook. That's helpful if you need to cross-reference different sheets in the same workbook.

2. Arrange All stacks all open workbooks in your chosen arrangement. Choose between tiled, horizontal, vertical or overlapping cascade.

3. Split divides the current sheet into different panes. You can scroll through each pane independent from the other using scroll bars. This allows you to compare different sections of the same sheet. Select an entire row or column to split in half. Select a cell to split into 4. You can resize each section by dragging the dividers.

4. View Side by Side lets you compare two workbooks (or 2 instances of the same workbook). With Synchronous Scrolling enabled, you get a smooth experience. Both views move in sync. This would be most useful when you're looking for changes or differences in 2 versions of the same data.

5. Switch Windows lets you quickly switch between open workbooks. This could be quicker than going all the way down to the taskbar, especially if you don't use shortcuts.

These features are often forgotten but they can make your workflow so much easier.

The Secret Combo

The one feature that many people didn't know during my live training sessions was number 1 (New Window). And how useful this can be when combined with number 2 (Arrange all).

When I showed them this feature they were like...

Say you're writing a complicated formula on Sheet1 and referencing values on Sheet2.

If you open a new window and then arrange these side by side, you can go to Sheet1 in one view and be on Sheet2 in the second view.

This way you can write your formula without having to jump to the other sheet. Everything is visible side-by-side, in one view.

The next time you need to write a complicated formula that references cells on another sheet, remember View / New Window / Arrange All.

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🤓 Geeky News

🕸️ Share exactly what you want with Excel for the Web

You can now copy and share links to specific Sheets and Sheet Views in Excel for the Web.

If you right-click on a sheet tab, you'll see the option to "Copy Link to This Sheet". When you paste this link in the browser, it will open the file on the sheet that you chose.

If you haven't heard of Sheet View before, you've been missing out. Especially if you collaborate on files with others.

Collaboration in real time can be frustrating. You're busy in the file and someone switches the filters, hiding your work from view. Sheet View is the solution.

You might have seen the prompt from Excel, asking if you want to see sorting and filtering from others. If you select "See just mine", a temporary Sheet View is created.

In the View tab, you can create it yourself, or save the temporary one to reuse later.

Now, you can also share it with a link. With Sheet View selected, right-click on any cell and select "Copy Link to Sheet View".

Bookmark it for yourself to make returning to your work easier. Or send the link to the boss, pre-filtered to what you know the boss wants to see.

🧑‍💻 Improved text editing in Edge

​Edge has made some improvements to text editing online.

Now, you can use Copilot's AI Compose right in the text boxes on websites.

This means you can select text and get new ideas from AI to rewrite it. You can change how it sounds, looks, or how long it is. It's handy because you don't have to switch between windows.

Also, with Windows Ink, you can write in any text box with a digital pen. This is great for touch devices. You can write, delete, and even add spaces or new lines with the pen.

It makes staying in your workflow easier, without having to go back and forth between typing and writing.

📂 OneDrive gets an Offline Mode

​OneDrive for Work or School introduces an offline mode. You can now interact with files in the browser even without an internet connection.

This includes viewing and managing file details and metadata. Users can perform actions like renaming, sorting, and moving files. The changes will sync once online again.

You cannot open or edit the files themselves when the internet is down. Unless you mark specific files for offline access. You could already do that in File Explorer or Finder. Now, you can also do it in the browser (when online).

The update also promises faster loading times - in the browser, as well as in Teams and Outlook.

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🤖 The Minibar Automation - a cautionary tale

Last week, I had a great few days in London with my parents and my son. It's something we do every year and it's always special.

I was happy when the receptionist at the hotel assured me that the minibar in our room wasn't automated.

Back in February at the Global Excel Summit, I shared my last year's London minibar story. I got a surprisingly high bill from an automated minibar.

This showed the need for caution when it comes to automation. In my business, I rely on Zapier and Power Automate. They work flawlessly once set up. I've tested them and they've never failed me.

But if there's an automation that's caused problems in the past, it's best to double-check it every time because it's not a trustworthy automation. It might be helpful because it works 70% of the time, but it's not trustworthy.

For example, if the minibar automation triggers a purchase after an item is taken out, like when my parents emptied it for their snacks and then put everything back (multiple times), we need to be careful.

It's important to review all automations in our business regularly and cross-check if they are truly automations we can rely on.

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👏 Power Stories

Thank you, Paul, for this wonderful review of our Business Charts in Excel course.

And congratulations on completing the learning and collecting another well-earned badge! 🙌

If you too would like to level up your charts and highlight your skills on LinkedIn with a shiny new badge, check out Business Charts in Excel.

See you next week,

Leila

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