6 useful Microsoft Office features that few people know about

Microsoft Office has a lot of features, but most people only scratch the surface. Even after a decade of use, people are still finding hidden gems that dramatically improve their productivity and workflow.

Table of Contents

• 1. Dictation and transcription
• 2. Microsoft Search
• 3. Focused Inbox of Outlook
• 4. Quick Steps in Outlook
• 5. Compare documents in Word
• 6. Math Solver in OneNote

1. Dictation and transcription

Want a faster way to get your thoughts down on paper? Microsoft Word 's Dictate feature lets you convert your speech to text. To get started, go to the Home tab , click Dictate , and give your microphone the necessary permissions.

Now you can start speaking and let Microsoft Office type. Accuracy depends largely on your accent and speaking speed. You can configure additional Dictate settings to enable automatic punctuation and filter out sensitive phrases.

If you need more than just real-time dictation, you can use the Transcribe feature in Word and OneNote to focus on listening instead of taking notes. It converts speech into a text transcript with speaker information, time stamps, and the ability to edit or insert sections into your document. You can record or upload pre-recorded audio files for transcription.

2. Microsoft Search

The Search function in Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel is not only a help search tool, but also acts as a text-to-command feature, allowing you to quickly apply specific actions without having to scroll through the Ribbon. For example, to insert a table, click the search bar, type insert a table , and finally, click Add Table .

Likewise, you can add or remove columns, charts, watermarks, and more to your document without manually navigating through the Ribbon. In Excel, you can use the search function to find formulas, sort data, or apply formatting options.

3. Focused Inbox of Outlook

Focused Inbox in Outlook is a productivity feature that helps you stay organized by automatically sorting your email. When enabled, it sends important messages to the Focused tab while redirecting less important messages—like newsletters and promotions—to the Other tab, reducing distractions.

You can turn on Focused Inbox in Outlook settings. Open Outlook, select Inbox , and open the View tab . Then, click View settings in the upper left corner.

In the Layout tab , select Sort messages into Focused and Other to enable Focused Inbox.

Focused Inbox uses filtering to prioritize emails based on your past interactions with important contacts and senders. However, you can also manually move emails to the Focused tab. Select and right-click the email you want to move, select Move , then select Focused or Other , depending on where you want to send the email.

4. Quick Steps in Outlook

Quick Steps in Outlook help you manage your email faster by performing multiple actions with just one click. For example, you can create a Quick Step to forward emails from a specific sender to your team leader and move them to a folder at once. You can also set up keyboard shortcuts for even faster access.

You can set up Quick Steps in Outlook settings using predefined actions or customize them to suit your needs. You can also create custom Quick Steps for tasks like saving emails as templates for easy reuse.

5. Compare documents in Word

Microsoft makes it easy to compare two documents in Word, although this feature is only available in the desktop version. This feature allows you to review changes, identify differences, and catch any issues before finalizing your document.

To compare documents in Word, go to the Review tab , click Compare , and select Compare Documents . In the Compare Documents dialog box, upload both the original and revised documents from your local drive, and then click OK to continue.

Word will then merge the two documents and display the differences as comments in the side panel. If you're happy with the edits, you can merge them into the original document.

To merge the document, in the Review tab , click the drop-down menu for Accept , then select Accept All Changes .

6. Math Solver in OneNote

OneNote is a great note-taking app for many reasons. If you're a student, it can also help you quickly solve math problems or perform calculations.

To see OneNote's math skills in action, write your math expression or equation without spaces, followed by an equal sign to get the answer. For example, type (25+75)/2= and press Enter to see the result.

OneNote can handle basic arithmetic, algebra, and even some more complex equations. If you have a Microsoft Work or School account, you can also access the Math Assistant feature for more advanced calculations.