Microsoft Begins Beta Testing Trackpad Support in Word and Excel Apps for iPad

Microsoft this week began testing mouse and trackpad support in the latest beta versions of its Word and Excel apps for iPad. The functionality was introduced in version 2.42 of each app, available through Apple's beta testing service TestFlight.

ipadpromagickeyboardtrackpad
Mouse and trackpad support provides rich visual feedback when editing documents or spreadsheets. When using a trackpad, the cursor displays as a circle on the screen, popping up only when you have a finger on the trackpad. The circle then morphs into various other shapes when hovering over app icons, text fields, or other on-screen elements.

iPadOS 13.4 introduced trackpad and mouse support on all iPad Pro models, the iPad Air 2 and later, the fifth-generation iPad and later, and the iPad mini 4 and later. Keyboards with built-in trackpads include Apple's Magic Keyboard, Brydge's Pro+ for the iPad Pro, Logitech's Combo for the 10.2-inch iPad and the 10.5-inch iPad Air, and more.

Microsoft previously said that mouse and trackpad support in the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps will be made available to all users at some point this fall.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

Powermax Avatar
60 months ago
I am still waiting for Pause/Play with the Spacebar in the YouTube App.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
60 months ago

Better late than never?
What? Trackpad for iOS/iPad OS was released just recently.


I'm still waiting for the day when I can advance slides in Powerpoint on iOS with a keyboard like on a Mac or PC.
This is already possible with the current app and it has been possible for a long time.

I am actually waiting for full-fledged versions of the Apps, iPad Pro is particularly powerful enough to run the entire suite smoothly, Excel for iPad is pretty much a file viewer, no where near the desktop app I use daily and rely so much on. PowerPoint is better featured but it is still missing so much. Word can get the job done, but still not ideal.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aluminum213 Avatar
60 months ago
Please take your time Microsoft, I know you’re a small company with limited resources. Don’t stress yourself too much
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justiny Avatar
60 months ago
I am actually waiting for full-fledged versions of the Apps, iPad Pro is particularly powerful enough to run the entire suite smoothly, Excel for iPad is pretty much a file viewer, no where near the desktop app I use daily and rely so much on. PowerPoint is better featured but it is still missing so much. Word can get the job done, but still not ideal.
This x1000

I travel for work and carry both my iPad Pro and MBP with me. I would love to leave my MBP at home but the fact is, I need it because the iPadOS Office apps only get me 80% to completing my work. Even on Word, I can't get the job done without needing 3 other apps and switching back and forth, it's just not worth it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spock Avatar
60 months ago

Can we just make a touch screen MacBook already. All of this just seems to be beating around the bush.
Adding touchpad support to the iPad somehow equals beating around the bush for a touchscreen MacBook? If anything it shows that Apple shouldn’t use a touchscreen in the MacBook..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G5isAlive Avatar
60 months ago

Adding touchpad support to the iPad somehow equals beating around the bush for a touchscreen MacBook? If anything it shows that Apple shouldn’t use a touchscreen in the MacBook..
Why? I don't follow your logic here. Why does an iPad with touchpad support have anything to do with whether a MacBook would or would not benefit from a touch screen? Serious question. I get that iOS has been designed from ground up to be a touch screen, and a MacBook would not be as good of one, but that doesn't mean it would be bad with one.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)