Microsoft 365 mobile apps have greatly improved the productivity and creativity in my life. I use it every day and have a strong attachment to it. Let’s take a look at some of its great features and how to make the most of them.
You need a Microsoft account to sign in to Microsoft 365 apps and use its features.
1 No need to download Microsoft 365 apps
I love that with Microsoft 365 apps, I don’t have to download separate apps for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, they are free to use, as are the standalone mobile versions of these apps.
Easily create documents with just a few taps. For example, to create a Word document, tap (Create) in the bottom menu, then tap the (Word) option.
From there, tap the plus icon to create a new Word document.
2 Find and describe things using Copilot
We also like that when you use the Microsoft 365 mobile app, you don’t need to download the Copilot app to search using Microsoft’s AI. To get started, tap Copilot in the bottom menu.
Then, enter your query in the text box and tap (Submit) (the blue paper airplane button).
You can also use Copilot’s integration to describe objects, plants, animals, and buildings around you. To do this, tap the camera reticle icon inside the text box.
Then tap Camera in the menu that appears (you can also upload an image from your capture or photo library).
Take a photo of what you want Copilot to describe. Once Copilot processes the image, it returns a response.
3 Creating AI-generated visuals
Microsoft 365 Apps also has an integrated designer. Designer is Microsoft’s AI-powered design tool for easily and quickly creating images, stickers, wallpapers, icons, emojis, and other visuals.
To use Designer with Microsoft 365 Apps, tap the (Designer) option on the (Create) tab.
Then tap New in the bottom right corner to create your visual from scratch.
Next, you need to describe what you need so the designer can create it for you. Then tap “Description” at the top.
Enter a description for your visual (make sure it’s descriptive, but not too complicated) and tap the (Generate) button.
After a designer creates an image, they can save it or share it with others.
4 Background removal and blurring
You can also use the designer to edit your photos by removing or blurring the background. For example, to remove the background from an image, open the designer and tap Remove Background in the AI-powered image editing section.
Select a photo from your gallery and tap the “Remove Background” button.
You can wait until the designer completes the process before saving or sharing your photo. The process of blurring a background in Designer is similar to the process of removing a background.
5 Mobile Document Scanner
Just like there’s a mobile scanner in the OneDrive app, there’s a mobile scanner in the Microsoft 365 app. To use it, tap “Capture” in the bottom menu, then tap the “Scan” option.
Tap the circle at the bottom center of the screen to take a photo of the document or photo you want to scan.
You can also tap Import to select an image for your document from your photo library.
Tap the Review & Edit button on the next screen to process your scan.
After scanning, tap “Done” to finish scanning. You can then choose to share as or save to OneDrive or your device.
6 Cloud integration with OneDrive
Access your OneDrive files and folders in Microsoft 365 apps. To do this, tap “OneDrive” in the bottom left corner of the screen.
You can open text, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF files directly in Microsoft 365 apps. This will open the appropriate Microsoft 365 app for editing.
You can also create folders, scan documents, and upload files directly to OneDrive. To do this, select the (My Files) tab and tap the plus icon.
Select one of the options in the menu and follow the instructions.
7 PDF editing functions
You can also use OneDrive’s PDF editing features in Microsoft 365 apps. In fact, this is one of the features that OneDrive has over Google Drive.
To edit a PDF, open it in your Microsoft 365 app and tap Edit in the bottom menu.
The bottom menu provides options to annotate the PDF using highlights and markers.
You can add text or insert a signature to your PDF using the options in the top menu.
Tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner for more editing options. Insert photos, notes, dates, shapes, and convert PDFs to Word documents.
If you want a better experience when using apps, consider getting a Microsoft 365 subscription. This provides additional features such as 1 TB of OneDrive storage space and access to premium desktop versions of 365 apps.
