Microsoft Added These New Features to Excel in April 2026

Microsoft has rolled out several Excel updates this month, among which deeper Copilot integration is integral part of it. At a time when AI tools are becoming more embedded in productivity software, Microsoft appears to be taking Excel towards automation. Speaking of which,

Copilot becomes more interactive inside Excel

The biggest change comes with “Edit with Copilot,” which now includes a chat and edit switcher. This lets users decide how Copilot behaves inside a workbook, either answering questions only or actively making changes like formatting, formulas, and content creation.

Plan mode adds another layer, allowing Copilot to map out step-by-step actions before making any edits. Users can review and adjust the plan, which is designed to make complex spreadsheet changes more predictable and controlled.

Copilot also now highlights all changes directly in the spreadsheet, marking modified areas with clear visual cues so users can track edits in real time. This helps reduce confusion when multiple changes are made in a single session.

Excel now supports Python directly inside Copilot workflows. This allows users to perform advanced data analysis, generate visualizations, and run multi-step tasks without leaving the spreadsheet. Copilot can also invoke Python automatically when needed, making it part of the editing process itself.

iOS and collab updates round out the release

On iPhone, Excel is getting a redesigned comments experience. The updated interface makes comment threads easier to navigate, read, and respond to, especially in collaborative documents.

Speaking of which, Copilot’s “agentic” capabilities are now generally available across Office apps, including Excel. Meanwhile, Copilot Cowork is available through the Frontier program. It can turn user goals into multi-step plans and execute them across apps like email, meetings, documents, and workflows, with oversight.

All that said, Excel is moving beyond a spreadsheet tool and becoming a more active AI-powered workspace, where planning, editing, and analysis all happen inside the same environment.