Microsoft once again prioritizes a competitor with a new feature you won't find on Windows 11

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A new widget on macOS opens recent Office documents but Microsoft does not have an equivalent widget for Windows 11.

13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip
People using macOS will soon have an Office widget from Microsoft that is not available on Windows 11. (Image credit: Future)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft released new widgets on macOS that allow you to open recent files from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • The widget first appeared on iOS earlier this year and has since been brought to macOS.
  • The widget lets you open a recent file from Word, Excel, or PowerPoint or open the home page of any of those apps.

Here's a story I didn't expect to write in 2024; Microsoft just gave Windows 11 users a reason to be jealous of macOS. This week, Microsoft began testing a new widget for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on macOS. The widget lets you open recent documents or any of those apps with a single click. While it's a relatively small addition, it's another thing you can do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC (Microsoft does not have any Office widgets on Windows 11).

To try the new widget, you need to be in the Current Channel (Preview) and on Version 16.91 or later of Office for Mac.

Once you pinned the widget on macOS, you can use it to open a recent file or Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

Microsoft outlined the steps to set up a widget on macOS in a Tech Community post:

  1. On your Mac, right-click your desktop and select the Edit Widgets command. 
  2. Select the app widget you want in the list. 
  3. Select the size of widget you want, and then hover over it and select the green + button in the top left corner.
  4. To access one of your recent files from your desktop, simply click the file card.

Microsoft Office widget that allows you to open recent files or Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on macOS.

The "Recent" Microsoft Office widget allows you to open recent files or Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on macOS. (Image credit: Microsoft)

The new Recent widget from Microsoft is available in four sizes ranging from small to extra-large. If you click on the widget but outside the file card, you will open the respective app instead of a specific file.

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Death of Windows Phone still haunts PCs

Windows Phone Start screen showing Live Tile icons in a grid.

Since Microsoft killed Windows Phone, the company lacks a smartphone platform, which hurts Windows PCs. (Image credit: Jez Corden/Windows Central)

I could go on for ages about how the widgets experience on Windows 11 is terrible, and maybe I'll do that when I have a few hours and am in the mood to vent. But today's news highlights a specific reason why Windows 11 lacks quality widgets. The death of Windows Phone still haunts Windows PCs, and the latest Office widgets are the perfect example.

Since Apple has a robust ecosystem that includes smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops, users often get content designed for one platform ported to another. Widgets are a popular feature on iOS, so Microsoft made recent file widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint earlier this year. Now, those same widgets are on macOS.

Microsoft specified that the new macOS widgets stem from the iOS widgets shipped in August. "The Recent widgets you love on iOS have made their way to Mac," said Microsoft. "You can now add Recent widgets for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint directly to your Mac desktop. The widgets allow you to both view and open your most recently accessed files from the desktop."

Because Microsoft already had widgets for its Office apps on iOS, the company could make macOS widgets for those same apps easily. I assume it would take more work to create similar widgets on Windows 11 or we'd have those widgets already. At the moment, Microsoft 365 and Office do not have any widgets on Windows 11.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.