Microsoft today announced that the Excel app for iOS is gaining the Insert Data from Picture feature that was previously made available on Android devices.

Insert Data from Picture lets you take a photo of data in a table format and convert it to a digital format in Excel. You can capture financial spreadsheets, work schedules, task lists, time tables, and more, so long as it's in a table format to begin with.

microsoftexceldatapicture
According to Microsoft, Insert Data from Picture combines optical character recognition technology, layout understanding techniques, and machine learning to convert information written on paper into digital data.

As of today, the Insert Data from Picture feature also supports 21 languages on both iOS and Android.

The Excel iOS app from Microsoft can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

flyinmac Avatar
80 months ago
1. Who prints spreadsheet table data?
2. Who would ever have a printout of table data to scan?
Spreadsheets live on computers
Often information is shared with others in a printed form. Consider a presentation where attendees are given papers to view while the presenter talks.

Or, even publicly distributed information in packet or booklet form.

Or even historical books and charts with data.

Now you can just take a picture to import the data and start working with it.

Sounds like an interesting feature.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Megakazbek Avatar
80 months ago
1. Who prints spreadsheet table data?
2. Who would ever have a printout of table data to scan?
Spreadsheets live on computers
It doesn’t have to be actually printed.
Because there is simply no easy way to copy a file from Windows PC to iPhone or even so-called “professional” and “PC replacement” iPad, now you can just take a photo of the screen.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
80 months ago
Brilliant, is Word capable of this and PowerPoint.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hortod1 Avatar
80 months ago
Wow! Lets easily email sensitive data for sale!
That can be done anyway with a camera, the app wouldn't prevent it
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JAPrufrock Avatar
80 months ago
https://xkcd.com/2116/
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cryates Avatar
80 months ago
1. Who prints spreadsheet table data?
2. Who would ever have a printout of table data to scan?
Spreadsheets live on computers
Hmmm I see someone doesn’t work in a corporate environment.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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