Microsoft hopes to make it even easier to find recently accessed files with its Microsoft 365 app for Android, and you don't even have to open them from a Microsoft app for them to show up.
The announcement - opens in a new tab - comes from Sudheender Srinivasan, product manager for the Microsoft 365 mobile apps team, who introduced the revised feature that was designed to display files more efficiently.
While desktop software and dedicated apps for tools like Word and Excel will continue to be crucial for editing on the go, the company's recently rebranded Microsoft 365 app should serve as the main place to go to find your work.
Microsoft 365 recent files
Srinivasan explained that the "Recent" tab not only shows files recently accessed by Microsoft apps, but also files from third-party apps like Whatsapp and Gmail.
The update will first be available to Microsoft Insiders, and specifically on version 16.0.16227.20076 or later of the Android app. It's also rolling out gradually, so some experts may not have access to it yet.
To that end, there is at least one known issue, which is that sometimes it just doesn't work. Shrinivasan explains:
"You may need to close and reopen the app a few times before the feature works as expected."
There is currently no news on the availability of iOS, but if the tests prove successful, it is likely that it will be extended to other platforms, including smartphones and tablets.
A "Recent" tab is nothing new, but the code changes and even the AI implementation serve to make a worker's life even easier, and if we can find that file we've been looking for without a problem, then we're all for it.