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Microsoft’s current Excel for Microsoft 365 feature page lists two non-Copilot additions: unhiding multiple worksheets at once and creating a custom data type in Power Query. A third useful capability, Show Changes, helps review collaborative edits—but Microsoft’s documentation does not identify it as a newly released feature. Here’s what each does, how to use it, and what to check if it is missing.
What’s new in Excel?
The two items Microsoft currently identifies as new are aimed at different work: making hidden worksheets visible in batches and keeping related information together in a Power Query data type. Microsoft describes the latter as a way to use any data source to load multiple related pieces of information into one column. Microsoft’s Discover new features in Excel page does not list a third non-Copilot addition, so the third item below is clearly separated as a documented workbook-review capability, not a confirmed new launch.
| Capability | What it helps with | Status in Microsoft’s documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Unhide multiple worksheets | Restore visibility to several hidden tabs without unhiding them one at a time. | Listed among new features for Excel for Microsoft 365. |
| Custom data type in Power Query | Bring multiple related pieces of information together in one column. | Listed among new features for Excel for Microsoft 365. |
| Show Changes | Review who changed workbook cell values or formulas, when, and what the previous value was. | Documented by Microsoft, but not listed as a new feature on its current feature page. |
How do I unhide multiple sheets in Excel?
When a workbook has several hidden tabs, Excel for Microsoft 365 lets you unhide multiple sheets together instead of repeating the operation sheet by sheet. This is useful when reviewing an inherited workbook or restoring tabs after a period when they were deliberately kept out of view.
- Open the workbook in Excel for Microsoft 365 and locate the worksheet tabs.
- Right-click a visible sheet tab and choose Unhide.
- In the Unhide dialog, select the sheets you want to show. Use the selection options available in the dialog to choose more than one sheet.
- Confirm the selection. The chosen worksheets should appear as tabs in the workbook.
The Microsoft feature page identifies this capability for Excel for Microsoft 365, but does not provide a dated rollout or confirm availability in other editions. If the dialog only lets you select one sheet, check that Excel is updated and verify which update channel your Microsoft 365 installation uses.
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What does a custom Power Query data type do?
A custom data type can keep multiple related fields associated as one structured item in a column, rather than treating every piece of information as an unrelated field. That can make a query’s output more coherent when a row represents an entity with several attributes. Microsoft says the feature can use any data source, but the support page does not establish connector-specific behavior or guarantee that every source will expose the same fields.
Microsoft’s description is: “Use any data source to create a custom data type that lets you load multiple related pieces of information into one column.” The practical takeaway is to use the type when the related values belong together and you want to bring them into Excel as a grouped data item. The feature is listed for Excel for Microsoft 365 on the Discover new features page.
How to use Show Changes to review a shared workbook
Show Changes is a collaboration-review pane, not a confirmed new release. It can show who changed a workbook, what changed, when it changed, and the previous cell value. You can narrow the view to a worksheet, a range, or a cell, and inspect changes from the past 365 days.
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- Open the workbook in an Excel app that supports co-authoring, such as Excel for the web, the latest Microsoft 365 desktop version, or a supported mobile app.
- Open the Review tab and select Show Changes.
- In the Changes pane, review the listed edits. Select an entry to see more detail, including the previous value when available.
- Use the pane’s filters to focus on a particular worksheet, range, or cell.
For tracking to work as intended, all collaborators should use Excel apps that support co-authoring. Microsoft warns that older or one-time-purchase versions can clear the Changes pane. If you need to examine an earlier workbook state, use Version History; Show Changes is limited to the past 365 days.
What Show Changes records—and what it does not
The pane tracks cell values and formulas, including changes involving moving, sorting, inserting, or deleting cells or ranges. It is not a complete activity log for every workbook action.
- It does not currently show edits to charts or other objects, PivotTable operations, formatting changes, or hiding and filtering actions.
- Some edits may not include a previous value, including changes made through VBA or an Office Add-in.
- For older workbook states, use Version History rather than treating the Changes pane as a permanent audit trail.
See Microsoft’s Show Changes documentation for the pane and its scope, and its Show Changes troubleshooting guidance for limitations and compatibility details.
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Why an Excel feature may be missing
Microsoft says eligible users may currently receive new features every six months. Feature delivery depends on update channel. In Excel, the Get new features option offers a way to move to Current Channel, where features are available as soon as they are ready for that channel. Availability can therefore differ between Microsoft 365 installations even when the feature is documented.
- Check whether you are using Excel for Microsoft 365; the new-feature page does not establish support across other editions.
- Check for Office updates and confirm your installation’s update channel if an item is absent.
- For Show Changes, check that collaborators are using co-authoring-capable apps; an older or one-time-purchase version may clear the pane.
The three capabilities solve different problems: worksheet visibility, data shaping, and collaborative review. Show Changes is useful alongside the two listed additions, but it should not be described as one of Microsoft’s currently listed new features.
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