Microsoft 365 users will see a new default theme applied to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook in the not too distant future.
The new theme is currently available to Microsoft 365 Insiders on the beta channel for Windows, Mac, and Android, and consists of changes to the default font, color palette, style, and line weights across the four main Office apps.
For the font, Microsoft decided to replace Calibri and offered Insiders five alternatives called Bierstadt, Grandview, Seaford, Skeena, and Tenorite. The winning font is Bierstadt, which got renamed to Aptos, and offers a range of weights and variants (narrow, serif, monospace).
Microsoft also selected a new default color palette, which is designed to help you "easily create accessible content." Line weights have been tweaked, with the default weights being increased as Microsoft felt it "improved the consistency between shapes and lines, and added better contrast."
Finally, the default style has been refreshed for Word documents and Outlook emails, which Microsoft says makes them easier to read and navigate while looking more professional.
The new theme will be applied to all new documents, presentations, worksheets, and emails once it has rolled out to 365 users. All existing documents will not change, however, and you can continue to use the previous theme which is being renamed Office Theme 2013 – 2022. It's also possible to revert to older style formatting by selecting "Word 2013 formatting" from Document Formatting.
Once the new theme is made available to all users, it shouldn't take long to roll out as Microsoft 365 apps can automatically update in four seconds. Earlier this year, Microsoft also added an extra layer of protection to 365 by automatically installing a new app. However, if you're not a fan of Microsoft's office suite, there are plenty of alternatives available.