Whenever I have a choice, I use the Excel Desktop app.

But over the past few years, Microsoft's been really investing in Excel for the Web. They're constantly pushing new features.

Some updates aim to match the desktop experience.

Others are unique to Excel Online. For example, the Date Picker and Formula Suggestions. We're still waiting for them to come to Desktop.

Charts have long been neglected in Excel for the Web.

Some of the students in our Business Charts in Excel course were curious about it.

It's another area that has been slowly improving.

But there are still limitations to what can be done in Excel Web.

And even if you create the charts in Desktop, there might be considerations if you want to present them later on the web.

That's what we cover this week, along with:

• Concerns about Microsoft Recall's security
• Performance boost in Chrome & Edge
• New features in Firefox

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Creating and Editing Charts in Excel for the Web

Inserting a chart is very similar to Excel Desktop. Click anywhere on your source data, go to Insert (tab) and select a suitable chart type.

Some of the more specialized chart types are unavailable online. But you'll find all the core ones are there. Minus the 3D versions, but I trust you know better than to use 3D charts 😉

If you go with Recommended Charts, they will open in a pane on the right. Select the one you want based on the preview and click on Insert chart.

Chart tab

You can add and remove chart elements from the Chart tab on the Excel ribbon (available when you select the chart).

You can also change the chart type from there, as well as open the Format/Data pane (Chart Task pane).

Format

It's in the Format pane where you'll find most differences.

Some options that you're familiar with from Desktop are not available.

One such omission is Series Overlap. I rely on this feature a lot to achieve dynamic conditional formatting for bar and column charts.

Some options may be in different places than you’re used to from Desktop. For example, Gap Width is under Axis instead of Series options.

Expand an element to explore available formatting options.

Some elements will be nested in other elements (e.g., Data Labels under Series).

Select Data

Recently, Microsoft added the ability to edit source data. Go to the Chart tab > Select Data, or if you already have the Format pane open, simply switch to the Data tab on the pane.

The data must be consecutive. You can't include non-adjacent columns. You can only select the entire chart range.

You can expand it by dragging the selection directly in the grid. Or edit the Source range on the Data pane.

The Data pane also includes the Hidden and Empty Cells settings.

This is especially important if you plan to hide your source data. In that case you need to tick the box to "Show data in hidden rows and columns". Otherwise, your chart will disappear.

You can switch categories and values, as well as reorder or remove the series.

Combo Chart

Combo charts were unavailable in Excel for the Web for a long time. Recently, they've been added 🙌

You can insert a Combo chart directly from the Insert tab.

Or you can create it by changing the series chart type on the Chart Data pane. When you expand each series, you have a "Plot As" dropdown.

You can enable a secondary axis from there as well.

Main limitations of charts in Excel Online

1. Source data must be in adjacent columns.
2. You can’t link the title to a cell with formula to make it dynamic.
3. You can’t embed a textbox or a shape inside a chart.
4. You can’t group charts together.
5. You can't overlap column or bar series.
6. You can’t add a data or series label to a single data point.
7. You can’t select and format a single data label.
8. You can’t embed images as a background or a marker.

These are all useful techniques I cover in the Business Charts in Excel course.

Displaying charts Online

What about displaying in Excel Online charts created in Excel Desktop?

Say, you design dynamic charts in the Desktop app. And then you share the file with a colleague who prefers to work in Excel for the Web.

You'll be happy to know that in most cases everything still works and looks like you intended.

Dynamic titles stay dynamic when the values change. Your conditional charts work. Grouped charts are seen as a single shape but they're still dynamic and update with the data.

But there's one snag.

Adding shapes and custom text boxes to charts is a great way to enhance the design. And to provide more valuable information than the standard title allows.

Unfortunately, those additions will not be visible in Excel Online.

In the past year, Microsoft has added a lot of the missing chart features to Excel for the Web, improving the experience. Hopefully, the rest of the current limitations will also be resolved.

Until then, I'll keep using Excel Desktop.

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🤓 Geeky News

🤖 Security concerns around Microsoft's AI Recall

Cybersecurity experts got their hands on the latest AI solution unveiled by Microsoft. The conclusions from their initial tests are not reassuring.

Recall, the feature in question, screenshots your entire PC activity. Then, AI translates it into text.

It's supposed to help you find any file, email, or photo based on natural language prompts.

All the collected data is stored locally on your device and encrypted. But it's also stored as plain text, making it vulnerable to malware and hacking.

Recall will be enabled by default on Copilot Plus PCs (AI-enabled laptops) that are rolling out this month.

This only heightens the concern around the feature and its vulnerability.

​Microsoft defended Recall by emphasizing that all the data is stored locally.

After the public outcry, they introduced additional security measures, including the ability to opt out of Recall during system installation.

👨‍💻 Browser news

Popular web browsers are getting upgrades.

Chrome & Edge are improving performance. Meanwhile, Firefox is getting new features.

🌈 Google Chrome is speeding up thanks to better cookie handling. A new method called "Shared Memory Versioning" addresses redundant cookie requests. This should make some web pages up to 5% faster.

Other Chromium-based browsers, like Edge, also benefit from this change.

🪟 Microsoft Edge also looks to speed up its user interface, especially on older devices. They're implementing WebUI 2.0 architecture. The idea behind it is to make the code more modular.

First introduced in the Browser Essentials menu, it improved the speed by 42%. Now the Favorites menu sees a 40% boost. Future updates will enhance the History, Downloads, and Wallet menus.

🦊 Mozilla Firefox is a holdout in the browser world. It's not relying on the Chromium engine. But it's now adding productivity features already familiar from Edge or Chrome. It's finally getting Tab Grouping, Vertical Tabs, and a Sidebar.

A new Profile Management feature will keep work, school, and personal profiles separate. Also in the works are faster page loads, quicker startup times, and reduced battery use.

Stay tuned to see these changes as they roll out and keep your browsers updated for the best experience.

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👏 Power Stories

Thank you, Yuliya, for the kind feedback left in our Business Charts in Excel course. Congratulations on completing the Excel chart journey.

I know Excel can be stressful, but it shouldn't. At XelPlus, we aim to remove the stress from your Excel experience.

Got a success story about using your XelPlus skills? I’d love to hear it! Hit reply to share the details, and inspire other students 😇

See you next week,

Leila

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