Microsoft rolls out visual update for Microsoft Office

Microsoft has started rolling out a visual update for Office 2021 and 365. This will give the ribbon design a more neutral color palette, the quick access toolbar will be hidden automatically, and the theme settings will be aligned with the operating system.

Thanks to the update, Microsoft Office apps will now be loaded in the same visual theme as the operating system by default, although this can still be changed in the theme settings. Therefore, if a dark theme has been set in Windows, the Office programs will also open in a dark theme. According to Microsoft, those themes have also received a visual refresh.

The update is rolling out to all Windows 11 users and Windows 10 version 2110 build or build 14527.20226 users. If you do not yet see the changes automatically, you can search for ‘coming soon’ or ‘coming soon’ in the search window. Then a panel slides into the window where you can click an option to test the new user experience. Office users running Windows 11 can apply the update right away. If the option is not yet active for these users, the Office programs must be restarted.