This article was published on August 5, 2015

Microsoft’s Sway app takes on PowerPoint with new features and a Windows 10 app


Microsoft’s Sway app takes on PowerPoint with new features and a Windows 10 app

Microsoft’s newest addition to Office, Sway, is finally ready to join the rest of the productivity suite: the company today announced the app is losing the ‘Preview’ tag, along with receiving a new Windows 10 app and features to match.

Sway was first introduced in October of 2014 as a modern take on the presentation app with automated design elements and responsive design to fit on multiple screen sizes. The app allows you to display photos from your gallery, add text blocks, import content from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, among others.

The native Windows 10 app brings a few advantages over the Web version. Mainly, it can be used offline. While loading Web-based content like YouTube videos or interactive maps will obviously require a connection, other elements will now be accessible without the internet.

Though Microsoft doesn’t call Sway a replacement for PowerPoint, it seems to move more in that direction with every new feature. Today it’s added a new layout in the app’s navigation pane that “displays groupings of content (images, text, videos, tweets, etc.) one screen at a time.” For example:

Basically, they’re automated slides created from  your content, which Microsoft says are ideal for both in person presentations and viewing across different form factors.

Showing off your Sways will also be easier; you can now share them to Docs.com, Microsoft’s portal for displaying Office documents on the Web, which recently went through a user-friendly redesign.

You can try out the new Sway for Windows 10 by downloading it from the Windows Store. Alternatively, it works on the Web as well as iOS devices. Sorry Android and Windows Phone users, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for a native app.

Announcing Sway General Availability, Windows 10 app and more! [Office Blogs]

Read next: Microsoft launches an iPad Sway app

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