How to allow Office to download online content for enhanced features
What are connected experiences in office that download online content?
Connected experiences in office are features that are backed by cloud-based services, which provide essential functionality for Microsoft 365 applications. These include experiences that analyze your content, such as design recommendations, editing suggestions, data insights, and similar features. They also include experiences that download online content, such as templates, images, 3D models, videos, and reference materials to enhance your documents. For example, Office templates or PowerPoint QuickStarter.
allow the use of connected experiences in office that download online content
Why should you allow the use of these experiences?
Allowing the use of these experiences can help you create, communicate, and collaborate more effectively with Microsoft 365 applications. You can access a variety of online content that can enrich your documents, save time and effort with smart features that can improve your productivity, and collaborate and communicate more easily with others using online services. These experiences are designed to provide you with the best possible user experience and to help you achieve your goals.
How to enable or disable these experiences?
You can choose whether to enable or disable these experiences in any Microsoft 365 application, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. To do so, go to File > Account > Manage Settings (In Outlook it's under Office Account). There you can disable or enable either category (or both) of connected experiences. For more information see: Account Privacy Settings.
How to manage your privacy settings for these experiences?
In addition to enabling or disabling these experiences, you can also manage your privacy settings for them. You can choose whether to send optional diagnostic data to Microsoft to help improve the quality and performance of these experiences. You can also view and delete the data that Microsoft collects from these experiences. To do so, go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings. For more information see: Privacy controls available for Office products.
What are the benefits of using these experiences?
Enhance your documents with online content
One of the benefits of using these experiences is that you can enhance your documents with online content that can make them more attractive, informative, and engaging. You can search and download online content including templates, images, 3D models, videos, and reference materials to add to your documents. For example, you can use Excel's rich data types to insert geographic or stock data into your worksheets, or you can use PowerPoint's 3D models to create dynamic presentations.
How to enable or disable connected experiences that download online content in Microsoft 365
Benefits of using connected experiences that download online content in Office applications
Privacy and security of connected experiences that download online content in Office 365
Troubleshooting issues with connected experiences that download online content in Office apps
Examples of connected experiences that download online content in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
How to manage settings for connected experiences that download online content in Office 365
What are the essential services for Microsoft 365 that cannot be disabled by turning off connected experiences
How to use Smart Lookup, Translator, and other connected experiences that download online content in Office
How to access templates, images, videos, and other online content with connected experiences in Office
How to collaborate and communicate more effectively with connected experiences that download online content in Office 365
How to get insights and recommendations with connected experiences that analyze your content in Office 365
How to use PowerPoint Designer, Editor, and other connected experiences that analyze your content in Office
How to control the data collection and usage of connected experiences that analyze your content in Office 365
How to improve your productivity and creativity with connected experiences that analyze your content in Office apps
How to use Learning Tools, Dictate, and other connected experiences that analyze your content in Office
How to customize your preferences for connected experiences that analyze your content in Office 365
What are the differences between connected experiences that analyze your content and those that download online content in Office
How to switch between different types of connected experiences in Office applications
How to use OneDrive, SharePoint, and other cloud-based services with connected experiences in Office 365
How to share and co-author documents with connected experiences in Office apps
How to use Microsoft Loop and other new connected experiences in Office 365
How to get started with connected experiences in Office for beginners
How to learn more about connected experiences in Office with tutorials and videos
How to get help and support for connected experiences in Office 365
How to provide feedback and suggestions for connected experiences in Office apps
What are the system requirements and compatibility for connected experiences in Office 365
How to update and upgrade your Office software to use the latest connected experiences
How to troubleshoot errors and issues with updating and upgrading your Office software for connected experiences
How to activate and deactivate your Office license for using connected experiences
How to check the status and availability of connected experiences in Office 365
Examples of online content that you can download
ApplicationOnline Content
WordTemplates, icons, stock images, Wikipedia articles
ExcelTemplates, icons, stock images, data types (stocks and geography), data from picture
PowerPointTemplates, icons, stock images, 3D models, videos, QuickStarter
OutlookWeather info, suggested replies
OneNoteTemplates
Save time and effort with smart features
Another benefit of using these experiences is that you can save time and effort with smart features that can analyze your content and provide you with suggestions, insights, and feedback. You can use these features to improve your writing, design, data analysis, and presentation skills. For example, you can use Word's Editor to check your spelling, grammar, and style, or you can use Excel's Ideas to discover patterns and trends in your data.
Examples of smart features that analyze your content
ApplicationSmart Feature
WordEditor, Researcher, Resume Assistant
ExcelIdeas, Analyze Data, Data Types (stocks and geography)
PowerPointDesigner, Presenter Coach, Morph Transition
OutlookFocused Inbox, MyAnalytics, Cortana Briefing Email
OneNoteInk to Text, Ink to Math, Math Assistant
Collaborate and communicate more effectively
A third benefit of using these experiences is that you can collaborate and communicate more effectively with others using online services. You can share your documents with others and work on them together in real time. You can also use online communication tools such as chat, video call, email, and calendar to stay in touch and coordinate with your team. For example, you can use Teams to chat, call, meet, and share files with your colleagues, or you can use Outlook to manage your email and schedule.
Examples of collaboration and communication features
ApplicationCollaboration and Communication Feature
WordShare, Co-authoring, Comments
ExcelShare, Co-authoring, Comments
PowerPointShare, Co-authoring, Comments, Live Presentations
OutlookEmail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks
TeamsChat, Call, Meet, Share Files
What are the limitations and risks of using these experiences?
Potential issues with connectivity and performance
While using these experiences can offer many benefits, they also have some limitations and risks that you should be aware of. One of the limitations is that these experiences require an internet connection to work properly. If you have a slow or unstable connection, you may experience delays or errors when using these experiences. You may also need to update your Microsoft 365 applications regularly to access the latest features and improvements.
Tips to troubleshoot and optimize these experiences
Check your internet connection speed and stability. If possible, use a wired connection instead of a wireless one.
Close any unnecessary applications or browser tabs that may be consuming bandwidth or resources.
Update your Microsoft 365 applications to the latest version. You can do this by going to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
If you encounter any errors or issues when using these experiences, try restarting your application or device.
If the problem persists, contact Microsoft support for assistance.
Potential concerns with data privacy and security
Another risk of using these experiences is that they involve sending your data to Microsoft's cloud-based services for processing and storage. This may raise some concerns about the privacy and security of your data. You may