Microsoft today updated its suite of Office apps designed for the iPhone, adding finger-drawing support to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

In January, the company added inking support to its productivity suite for the iPad Pro to take advantage of the Apple Pencil, but now iPhone users can also make use of the feature using their digits.

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A new Draw tab can be found in each of the three apps. The drawing tools in this tab allow iPhone owners to use a stylus or finger to write, draw, highlight, and annotate various Microsoft Office documents.

The thickness and color of the pen can be changed, while hand-drawn shapes can also be transformed into customized shapes. Excel users can annotate over cells, while those who use PowerPoint can draw freeform over slides.

Microsoft Word [Direct Link], Microsoft Excel [Direct Link], and Microsoft PowerPoint [Direct Link] are all available for iPhone on the App Store. While the apps are free to download, users need a qualifying Office 365 subscription to create and edit documents.

Tag: Office 365

Top Rated Comments

Scottsoapbox Avatar
Scottsoapbox
89 months ago
This is for those annoying people who like to review documents and point out changes that need to be made instead of just making them and telling you.
If we don't point out your mistakes, you are just going to keep making them.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
Abazigal
89 months ago
At this rate, office is going to run better on my iPad than on my Mac...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
monty77 Avatar
monty77
89 months ago
Nice to see someone doing frequent updates to an already excellent office suite. O365 is excellent IMO, as is OneDrive. Apple could learn a thing or three.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
69Mustang
89 months ago
This is for those annoying people who like to review documents and point out changes that need to be made instead of just making them and telling you.
They are the same people who would respond to your quote by saying, "If I have to do your job, why am I paying you?":D

On topic: MS, post Balmer, has been improving their offerings on a fairly consistent basis. Good on them.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fitshaced Avatar
fitshaced
89 months ago
This is for those annoying people who like to review documents and point out changes that need to be made instead of just making them and telling you.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Three141 Avatar
Three141
89 months ago
This is a good step, one of things I like about MS Onenote is the ability to annotate.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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