For many years, Microsoft Office has been an essential part of millions of people’s personal, professional, and academic lives. It isn’t easy to envision a future without Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.
Even though Office 365 and Microsoft 365 have gained popularity recently, many customers still use Office 2016, especially those who bought Office Home and Student 2016 as a one-time license.
Many people are wondering whether Office 2016 will continue to receive upgrades in the future, given the rapid pace of technological change and the increasing expectations of users. If that’s the case, what more capabilities are possible?
Here, we’ll take a look at what one of Microsoft’s most dependable Office suites has in store for us in terms of upgrades, new features, and overall usefulness.
Why Office 2016 Still Matters
Understanding why Office 2016 remains useful is a prerequisite for exploring possible improvements.
The new Office 2016 was designed to be more productive, easier to work with others, and compatible with a broader range of platforms. At the time, it introduced several important innovations, such as:
- Real-time co-authoring in Word
- Smart Lookup for web-based research
- New chart types in Excel
- Improved version history
- Deeper OneDrive integration
Office Home and Student 2016 still provide dependable tools without a subscription, even though more recent versions, such as Office 2019 and Office 2021, have added features. Many home users and educational institutions prefer this version because of its reliability and ease of use.
In light of this, let’s examine what Office 2016 could bring in the future and how Microsoft can make it even more helpful.
New Features Of MS Office 2016
Given the limitations of extended support, any new updates would likely focus on stability, security, and compatibility. However, based on user feedback, industry trends, and Microsoft’s recent moves, here are some possible feature areas that might see attention:
If you haven’t already, you really should update Microsoft Office 2016 for all the additional features it offers. Below is a list of some of the most helpful features of Office 2016 that may increase your company’s productivity:
Better Connection Options With Excel
Excel has long been the preferred tool used by managers worldwide. This strong tool is made much more amazing by adding an improved connection. Data from SAP HANA databases, SharePoint files, and other web-based services may now be imported. To use this function in Excel, choose “Select Data > New Query” and then choose the relevant option from the drop-down menu.
Combination Of Microsoft Excel With Power BI
When you integrate Power BI with Microsoft Excel, you may get even more out of it. Power BI can transform raw data into visually appealing reports that companies can utilize effectively.
The business dashboard that came with Microsoft Office 2016 makes it easy to visualize, analyze, and build models. To complete this task, follow these procedures: choose File > Publish. This function allows you to import and export workbooks to Power BI.
Powerpoint Zoom
Many new options for customizing presentations are available in the most recent version of Microsoft Office, thanks to three new zoom effects:
- Use the “Summary Zoom” to quickly move between the chosen items by placing them on a single slide.
- “Slide Zoom” allows you to navigate slides in any sequence
- Use “Section Zoom” to quickly return to earlier parts of the document.
You may access this function by going to Insert > Zoom and then selecting the desired zoom type from the drop-down box.
Better Collaboration
Co-authoring in real-time is essential in today’s corporate environment. Rapid data flow requires a solution that enables you to exchange, update, and distribute information in a timely and systematic manner. You can efficiently complete everyday chores by staying up to date with the latest information from all parties involved in a group project using Microsoft Office 2016’s “Collaborate and Co-Author in Real Time“ feature.
To use this feature, look for the Share tab on the far right side of the Ribbon. The option to save to the cloud will be presented to you. For this purpose, it may be saved to a SharePoint site or a shared folder on OneDrive. You can invite other users to read or modify the files after saving the information. Even if you don’t have Office installed on your desktop, other members may still view your files for free using Office Online.
Feature Suggestion
Your organization may have specific needs that are not entirely satisfied by the capabilities that are offered in Office 2016. If this is the case, you can propose a feature by going to the File menu, selecting Feedback, and then choosing the “Outlook 2016 Feedback“ option.
More Options On The Outlook Ribbon
Using the Archive button in Outlook is a feature available in Office 2016, making it easy to archive objects. Using the new group buttons, the most recent version of Outlook also allows you to navigate through existing groups or create new ones. By selecting the “Customise Ribbon“ option, you can add additional buttons to the ribbon if they are not already visible.
Attention-Grabbing “Mentions”
There are instances when even the most few features are useful. One of these features is called “Mentions,“ and it has the potential to be the deciding factor between a timely reminder and an opportunity that is lost. To take advantage of this function, you will need to insert the @ symbol and the first few characters of the recipient’s name into the body of the email.
After you do this, a drop-down menu with all of your contacts will appear. When you select a contact, their name will be displayed in bold in the invitation or message. Additionally, the “To“ line will be immediately populated with it. Using this function, you may sort your email by “Mentions,“ which adds the advantage of sorting.
Dark Mode Compatibility
These days, it’s challenging to find an app that doesn’t offer a dark mode. Many people, particularly those who work long hours, like it since it enhances battery life, lowers eye strain and generally works better.
Although certain versions of Office 2016 offer a dark grey and black theme, they do not provide the full dark mode experience seen in subsequent versions. Themes may be fine-tuned or made more compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11’s system-wide dark mode settings in future releases.
Some examples of this are:
- Making the whole document canvas (not only the toolbars) use a dark backdrop
- Improving contrast to boost reading
- Maintaining OS-wide theme settings synchronization
Without requiring an update, these few tweaks would bring Office Home and Student 2016 up to date.
Stay Up To Date With Updates
You should update Microsoft Office regularly to ensure you have access to all its features. To check whether you have all the latest updates, open the pop-up window by going to File > Account > What’s New. You may “Learn More“ about those features by clicking the link in this window. If you are an Office 365 member and don’t see this option, make sure you have the most recent version of Office installed. Locate the Update Options menu item under File > Account > Update Software.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016 may not be flashy or new, but it still holds tremendous value. For users who prioritize stability, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, it’s an ideal suite that can continue to deliver results through 2025 and beyond.
While we shouldn’t expect groundbreaking features during its final stretch of life, small but meaningful updates could still enhance security, compatibility, and performance. Microsoft recognizes that a significant user base remains on Office 2016, and it’s in their best interest to keep these users supported — if not with dazzling new tools, then at least with a seamless and secure experience.
So, if you’re still running Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016, rest assured: your software might be mature, but it’s far from obsolete.
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