This New Microsoft Excel Feature Lets You Add Images Directly To A Cell

Microsoft 365 is a widely used suite of productivity apps today because it has everything one would ever need to write reports, compile numbers, and create presentations for work. Those who are familiar with the use of spreadsheets in their day-to-day probably use Microsoft Excel as their go-to application. If you are a frequent user of the program, there's an upgrade in the works that will make it easier for you to include images in your tables.

Microsoft Excel is mainly used to organize numerical data and automate a myriad of mathematical calculations. The use of charts is also a common feature that's utilized to illustrate the progression of recorded results over a certain timeframe. In some cases, inserting pictures into a worksheet is essential to provide additional context or visual interest in a particular collection of figures. For the longest time, Microsoft users have been left on their own to figure out how to resize images to make them look presentable within the spreadsheet's grid. This problem should be resolved in the near future.

A Microsoft Excel feature-in-development that streamlines the process of adding photos into spreadsheet cells has been marked for mass rollout in late 2022 (via TechRadar). According to Microsoft, rather than have the image float on top of the table when inserted, users can now resize them easily within the confines of a cell or insert them directly into one. Additional functionality will also be provided, including the ability to sort and filter as well as move and resize cells according to the dimensions of inserted images.

It is unclear why this particular feature has not been available on Excel right from the get-go. Other spreadsheet applications like Google Sheets already let you insert images straight into a cell, but they will first appear really small and can be resized when the cell dimensions are modified. Regardless of this, those who are required to use applications exclusive to Microsoft will now be able to use the in-cell image function to make it easier to present photos within an Excel spreadsheet, including graphs, charts, and other visual content.

Although a beta version of this feature was first made available months ago to those enrolled in the Office Insider program, the function has now been officially added to the Microsoft 365 pipeline and is slated for a December 2022 general release; the date is subject to change. Once available, it should work for those who use Excel on its Mac, Android, web, and desktop platforms. While the roadmap page does not mention the upcoming function's compatibility with Excel for iOS, testing for it was included during the initial development stages, which could be a sign of additional updates in the future.