14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released a new Office test version for Office insiders in the Fast ring, bringing the productivity suite to version 1908 build 11916.20000.
There is just one single change in this update, and it improves the way you work with PDFs when the Accessibility Checker is enabled in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The Accessibility Checker now supports reminders when creating PDF documents beginning with this version, and Microsoft explains the following about this new feature:
“PDFs can be difficult for people with disabilities to read if the source Office document is not accessible before saving to PDF. The Accessibility Checker can remind people who create PDFs to investigate recommendations what would make the PDF more usable for people with disabilities. Now, when you create a PDF by clicking File > Save As or File > Export, the accessibility checker will notify users to investigate issues.”
Small improvements
Other than that, there are no new features in this release, albeit insiders get several important bug fixes for the majority of built-in productivity apps.
In Microsoft Word, for example, Microsoft resolved an issue breaking down file type associations and icons for Office documents after installing updates, while in Excel, it addressed a bug causing a crash when users moved a chart.
The file type associations bug has also been corrected in the other Office apps, like Excel, Access, OneNote, and Visio.
Keep in mind that the improvements here are still being tested in the Insider program, but they should be part of the next Office update for all users shortly. Microsoft doesn’t typically provide ETAs on these updates, but it usually takes just a few weeks before a new feature is promoted from the Insider program to the production branch for all devices running stable Office.