With the year coming to a close, Microsoft has released updates for its most popular spreadsheet program – Microsoft Excel. The new updates released for Microsoft Excel are available for the Windows, Mac, and Web versions of Microsoft Excel. The updates that have been released bring in new features as well as the ability to finally add images into a cell.
Here’s a list of the updates made available for different platforms of Microsoft Excel.
- Web Version: Formula Suggestions, Formula by Example, Suggested Links, Search Bar in Queries Pane, and Image Function.
- Windows Version: Keyboard Shortcuts for Power Query editor, created nested Power Query data types, Added get Data from Dynamic Arrays and Image Function.
- Mac Version: Image Function.
Out of all these updates, the most eye-catching feature added to Microsoft Excel has to be the image function. Sure you could easily add images into Microsoft Excel, but adding images to a single cell is interesting. With the new image function, users will now be able to add alternate text which will now be part of your worksheet inside an Excel table.
The cells in which the image has been added can be resized, moved, filtered, and sorted. Now let’s take a look at the way by which you can insert images in Microsoft Excel. The image function to insert images into a cell goes as follows:
=IMAGE(source, [alternate_text], [sizing], [height], [width])If you look at the function carefully there are 5 important parts to it. The source function is basically the URL of the image that you wish to insert into a cell. The alternate text is where you enter the text that describes the image for accessibility. Your images can be sized within the cell. There are 4 different values for this.
- Value 0 to fit the image within its aspect ratio.
- Value 1 to fit the image within the cell and ignore any aspect ratios.
- Value 2 is used to main the original image size which may or may not slip outside the cell boundary.
- Value 3 is used to describe the height and width of the particular image. This can be your own height and width values.
While this is a really good feature that has been finally released, there are a few known issues as stated by Microsoft itself.
- If the URL to the image file you are using is pointing to a site that requires authentication, the image will not render.
- Moving between platforms (for example, Windows and Mac) may result in irregular image rendering.
- Zooming in and out with images in cells may distort the images.
This new Image function on Excel is currently live and available for those who have installed Beta Channel builds across various platforms.
- Android: Version 16.0.15608.10000 or later
- iOS: Version 2.65 (Build 22080701) or later
- Mac: Version 16.65 (Build 22080701) or later
- Windows: Version 2209 (Build 15608.10000) or later
If you are in a hurry and want the new Excel features on your device, then you can join the Office Insider Program, by visiting this official beta program webpage and enroll the insider preview program.
The Image function feature will slowly roll out to all users within a few days. This is a great feature update, especially for those who work with images within Microsoft Excel.
Explore More:
