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Excel quickly adds data from iPhone photos into spreadsheets

Excel's image recognition feature is now available on the iOS app.

Microsoft Excel is making its "Insert Data from Picture" feature available on the iOS app. The AI-powered tool lets Excel users take pictures on their phone of data and convert it into a spreadsheet in seconds. The new function debuted at Microsoft's Ignite event last September and has already been released for Android. Combining a mix of image recognition and AI, it's a useful perk for both chronic and occasional Excel users that will eliminate hours wasted on manual input.

The "Insert Data from Picture" will be available for Office 365 subscribers, through both the Android and iOS Excel apps. To launch it, simply open Excel on your phone or tablet and tap "Insert Data from Picture", which will launch your phone's camera. Point your phone at the data you want to be captured and zoom in until you see a red border. Tap capture, and then wait as Excel converts it into a table.

The feature will be supported in 21 different languages. For an idea of how "Insert Data from Picture" works, check out the GIF below:

Microsoft