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Connected experiences in Office

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Note

For a list of Office products covered by this privacy information, see Privacy controls available for Office products.

Office consists of client software applications and connected experiences designed to enable you to create, communicate, and collaborate more effectively. Working with others on a document stored on OneDrive or translating the contents of a Word document into a different language are examples of connected experiences.

Connected experiences that analyze your content

Connected experiences that analyze your content are experiences that use your Office content to provide you with design recommendations, editing suggestions, data insights, and similar features. For example, PowerPoint Designer or Translator.

The following table provides a list of connected experiences that analyze your content and also provides links to more information about them.

Name More information
3D Maps [1] Get started with 3D Maps
Analyze Data Analyze Data in Excel
Automatic alt text [2] Everything you need to know to write effective alt text
Automatically apply or recommend sensitivity labels [2] [3] [4] Sensitivity labels are automatically applied or recommended for your files and emails in Office
Copilot When using Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps (Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word)
Data types Excel data types: Stocks and geography
Dictation Dictate in Microsoft 365
Editor [4] [5] Microsoft Editor checks grammar and more in documents, mail, and the web
Friendly links Friendlier link names in email
Ink to Text, Ink to Shape, Ink to Math [6] Change handwritten ink to shapes, text, or math in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365
Insert data from picture Insert data from picture
Learning Tools Learning Tools
Live captions & subtitles Present with real-time, automatic captions or subtitles in PowerPoint
Map chart [1] Create a Map chart in Excel
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention policy tips [2] [3] [4] Send email notifications and show policy tips for DLP policies
PivotTable recommendations Create a PivotTable to analyze worksheet data
PowerPoint Designer [2] Create professional slide layouts with Designer
Print [1] When you print a file in the Microsoft 365 mobile app, or in the individual Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for iOS and Android.
Publish to Microsoft Stream Turn your presentation into a video
Publish to Power BI Publish to Power BI from Microsoft Excel
Python in Excel Get started with Python in Excel
Read Aloud [7] Listen to your Word documents
Research [1] Add or change research services
Reuse Files Find and use the content you need, when you need, without leaving Word
Scan a business card Scan or tap to add contacts on Outlook for Android
Send to Kindle [1] Send to Kindle
Sharing notification Get notified when members of your team update your shared file
Similarity checker [1] [2] Check your document for similarity to online sources
Smart Lookup [1] Get insights into what you're working on with Smart Lookup
Speaker Coach Rehearse your slide show with Speaker Coach
Suggested replies Use suggested replies in Outlook
Text predictions [8] Editor text predictions in Word
Transcribe Transcribe your recordings
Transform to Web Page Transform your Word document into a Sway web page
Translate text on images Translate text on images
Translator [2] Translate text into a different language

Note

[1] When users are signed in with a work or school account, these connected experiences are optional connected experiences and are provided under the terms of the Microsoft Services Agreement and privacy statement, and other terms may also apply. For more information, see Overview of optional connected experiences in Office. If you're an admin, these optional connected experiences can be managed by privacy controls for connected experiences or by the Allow the use of additional optional connected experiences in Office policy setting.

[2] These connected experiences in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook (classic) of Microsoft 365 Apps won’t be available to your users in the following scenarios on Windows devices:

  • If your organization is using the PowerShell advanced setting BlockContentAnalysisServices with sensitivity labels from Microsoft Purview Information Protection. For more information, see Prevent some connected experiences that analyze content.
  • If your organization is using Double Key Encryption (DKE) to protect files and emails.

This applies to Version 2406 or later in Current Channel and Monthly Enterprise Channel, and Version 2402 (Build 17328.20550) or later in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel.

[3] Starting with Version 2406 of Microsoft 365 Apps, these connected experiences are no longer managed by privacy controls for connected experiences. Instead, these connected experiences can be managed by using existing security controls available in Microsoft Purview portals. For more information, see Apply a sensitivity label to content automatically and Send email notifications and show policy tips for DLP policies.

[4] These connected experiences won’t be available to your users in Outlook (classic) on Windows devices if all of the following conditions are true:

  • You’ve configured the “Block processing of S/MIME encrypted messages by certain connected experiences” policy setting to Enabled.
  • The email messages are using S/MIME encryption.
  • Your users have Version 2405 or later in Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel, or have Version 2402 (Build 17328.20550) or later in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel.

For Editor, only spelling and grammar check are affected.

[5] Basic functionality of Editor remains available even if you're not connected to the internet. That same basic functionality also remains available if you decide to disable the use of connected experiences that analyze your content. In both cases, no content or data related to your use of Editor is sent to Microsoft.

[6] For devices running Android, these ink capabilities remain available even if you're not connected to the internet. These ink capabilities also remain available on devices running Android even if you decide to disable the use of connected experiences that analyze your content. In both cases, no data about the use of these ink capabilities is sent to Microsoft.

[7] If you're not connected to the internet, Read Aloud only uses the text-to-speech functionality your device provides.

[8] In some scenarios, basic functionality of text predictions remains available even if you're not connected to the internet or if you've decided to disable the use of connected experiences that analyze your content. For example, if you're using text predictions in Outlook on a Windows device or in Word on a Mac device. In those scenarios, no content or data related to your use of text predictions is sent to Microsoft.

Connected experiences that download online content

Connected experiences that download online content are experiences that allow you to search and download online content including templates, images, 3D models, videos, and reference materials to enhance your documents. For example, Office templates or PowerPoint QuickStarter.

The following table provides a list of connected experiences that download online content and also provides links to more information about them.

Name More information
Cloud fonts Cloud fonts in Office
FAQs When you choose Settings > Help & Feedback > FAQs on Outlook for iOS and Android, you're taken to either Outlook for iOS Help or Outlook for Android Help.
Ink effects Draw and write with ink in Office
Insert icons Insert icons in Microsoft 365
Insert Microsoft Forms Insert a form or quiz into PowerPoint
Insert online 3D models [9] Get creative with 3D models
Insert online pictures [9] Insert pictures (Word)
Insert a picture in PowerPoint
Insert online video [9] Insert a video from YouTube or another site
Interesting calendars [9] Subscribe to a calendar about your favorite sports teams or TV shows on Outlook for iOS and Android.
Location suggestions [9] When you add a public place with a street address to a calendar item, Outlook for iOS and Android also includes the full street address in the Location field.
Map in event details The event details page shows a map based on the address of the location of the event on Outlook for iOS and Android.
Office Help When you choose Help > Help on the ribbon or use F1 in an Office app
Online shape search Find more shapes and stencils
PowerPoint QuickStarter [9] Research a topic with PowerPoint QuickStarter
Researcher [9] Research your paper easily within Word
Tell Me [10] Do things quickly with Tell Me
Templates Download free, pre-built templates
Travel time estimates in Up Next [9] When you choose to allow Outlook for iOS and Android to access your location, an estimate of your travel time to your next event will be included in the Up Next card at the top of your inbox.

What happens to your data when you turn Time to Leave on and connect to Cortana?
Weather Bar [9] Change the calendar Weather Bar forecast city
Weather on calendar [9] How do I turn on weather on calendar on Outlook mobile?

Note

[9] When users are signed in with a work or school account, these connected experiences are optional connected experiences and are provided under the terms of the Microsoft Services Agreement and privacy statement, and other terms may also apply. For more information, see Overview of optional connected experiences in Office. If you're an admin, these optional connected experiences can be managed by privacy controls for connected experiences or by the Allow the use of additional optional connected experiences in Office policy setting.

[10] Basic functionality of Tell Me remains available even if you're not connected to the internet. That same basic functionality also remains available if you decide to disable the use of connected experiences that download online content. In both cases, no data about the use of Tell Me is sent to Microsoft.

Other connected experiences

In addition to connected experiences that analyze content and connected experiences that download online connected experiences, there are some other connected experiences available in Office.

The following table provides a list of those other connected experiences and provides links to more information about them.

Name More information
@mention Use @mention in comments to tag someone for feedback
Brainstorming diagram Create a brainstorming diagram
Coming Soon Coming Soon
Contact Support When you choose Help > Contact Support on the ribbon
Custom import Import data to shapes in your drawing
Data Visualizer Create a Data Visualizer diagram
Design an automated workflow Design an automated workflow in Visio
External list Connect an external list to Outlook
Feedback (web portal) [11] Learn about how to provide feedback to Microsoft
Focused Inbox Focused Inbox for Outlook
Information Rights Management [12] Open a file that has restricted permissions
Link unfurling [11] Link unfurling for Loop automatically expands a hyperlink into an interactive experience. For example, when you paste a link to a Word document into a Loop workspace, you're shown a preview card.
LinkedIn contact card LinkedIn in Microsoft apps and services
Office add-ins [11] View, manage, and install add-ins for Microsoft 365 programs (for users)
Deploy add-ins in the Microsoft 365 admin center (for admins)
Office feedback How do I give feedback on Microsoft Office?
Office Scripts Office Scripts in Excel
Office support (Contact us) When you choose Help > Contact Support on the ribbon
Organization chart Create an organization chart in Visio
PivotDiagram Create a PivotDiagram in Visio
Recent documents Open files from the File menu
Room Finder Use the Scheduling Assistant and Room Finder for meetings in Outlook (for users)
How to control the Room Finder in Outlook (for admins)
Safe Documents Safe Documents (for users)
Safe Documents in Microsoft 365 A5 or E5 Security (for admins)
Safe Links Advanced Outlook.com security for Microsoft 365 subscribers (for users)
Safe Links in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (for admins)
Sensitivity labels [12] Apply sensitivity labels to your files and email in Office
Share Share your Excel workbook with others
Share a presentation (PowerPoint)
Share a document (Word)
Shared with me See files others have shared with you
SharePoint site mailbox Show or hide a site mailbox in Outlook
Timeline import and export Import and export timeline data between Visio and Project
Version history View previous versions of Office files
While you were away Get notified when members of your team update your shared file

Note

[11] When users are signed in with a work or school account, these connected experiences are optional connected experiences and are provided under the terms of the Microsoft Services Agreement and privacy statement, and other terms may also apply. For more information, see Overview of optional connected experiences in Office. If you're an admin, these optional connected experiences can be managed by privacy controls for connected experiences or by the Allow the use of additional optional connected experiences in Office policy setting.

[12] Starting with Version 2405 of Microsoft 365 Apps, these connected experiences are no longer managed by privacy controls for connected experiences. Instead, these connected experiences can be managed by using existing security controls available in Microsoft Purview portals. For more information, see Set up Information Rights Management (IRM) in SharePoint admin center and Manage sensitivity labels in Office apps.

Choose whether these connected experiences are available to use

You can choose whether certain types of connected experiences, such as connected experiences that download online content, are available to use. How you make that choice depends on whether you're signed into Office with a Microsoft account, such as a personal outlook.com email address, or with a work or school account.

If you're signed in with a Microsoft account, open an Office app, such as Word, and go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings. Under the Connected experiences section, you can choose whether certain types of connected experiences, such as experiences that analyze your content, are available to use. If you don't go to Manage Settings, all connected experiences are available to you.

If you're signed in with a work or school account, the admin in your organization decides whether these connected experiences are available to you. You don't see any choices for these connected experiences when you go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings.

Note

  • If you're using Office for Mac, open any Office application and select the app menu (such as Word, or Excel) > Preferences > Privacy. This will open the Account Privacy settings dialog box where you can see your privacy options.
  • For more information, see Account Privacy Settings.

If you're the admin for your organization, you can use policy settings to determine whether these connected experiences are available to your users. If you don't use these policy settings, all connected experiences are available for your users. For more information about using these policy settings, see the following articles:

Note

For information about the effect of these policy settings on Microsoft 365 Copilot features, see Microsoft 365 Copilot and privacy controls for connected experiences.

If you choose to turn off some types of connected experiences, either the ribbon or menu command for those connected experiences is grayed out, or you get an error message when you try to use those connected experiences.

Even if you decide to turn off these connected experiences, certain Office functionality remains available, such as synching a mailbox in Outlook, and Teams and Skype for Business continues to work. Also, there's a set of services that are essential to how Office functions that can't be turned off, such as the licensing service that confirms that you're properly licensed to use Office.