How to reduce spacing between icons on quick access toolbar?

Anonymous
2013-03-13T22:55:12+00:00

Office 365 seems ok, though can't yet identify any improvements over 2010. However a HUGE negative is the increased spacing between icons on the QAT, which means that about 14 fewer icons fit across the screen. I appreciate that MS did this to allow easier access to the macros through touch, but I don't need this (even though I have a touch computer). I want my old icon spacing back. If anyone knows how to do this I will buy them a (metaphorical) beer. Otherwise, it is probably back to 2010 for me, unless I can find any ways in which 365 is better.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Jay Freedman 208.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2013-03-14T01:07:15+00:00

Edit: The answer below was correct for the Office Technical Preview at the time it was written. In a later update of the Preview, the ability to reduce the spacing of the Quick Access Toolbar was removed, and it is still absent in the released version as of September 2015. Please visit http://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/9906966-office-2016-quick-access-toolbar-too-wide and vote to have the Mouse Mode spacing of the Quick Access Toolbar restored.

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The Office 2013 / Office 365 programs have a touch mode with wider spacing, and a mouse mode with the same spacing as previous versions. (This affects both the Quick Access Toolbar and the ribbon.)

Click the down-arrow at the right end of the Quick Access Toolbar and click the item "Touch/Mouse Mode". The button that appears shows a hand with the index finger extended and touching a blue spot. Click that button and choose the mouse mode.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-05-27T00:26:47+00:00

    It looks like this was included in version 16.0.6868.2067

    I have just updated to this on my wife's machine. Spacing seems a bit better but still not good enough for mouse mode. She gets around 16 icons per 10 cm in Word 365/2016, while I get 21 in Word 365/2013. This means that I will lose 10 icons from my visible QAT if I "upgrade" to 2016.

    Microsoft please note (if you get to read this) that I will go back to using 2003 if you force me to upgrade to 2016 before you fix the QAT "problem". Or I may move to Open Office or Libre Office. IMO your options are to (i) reduce QAT icon spacing to the 2010 or better to the 2003 level, and/or (ii) give us a visible wrapping QAT (like 2003). Thanks - in hope!

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  2. Jay Freedman 208.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2016-05-26T18:57:06+00:00

    It looks like this was included in version 16.0.6868.2067, which was released to the Insiders (First Release for Current Channel) about May 16 or 17 and to the Current Channel on May 23. It isn't mentioned in https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/mt465751 but I can confirm that it's in there.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-05-26T18:05:56+00:00

    It's fixed! This issue drove me crazy, because I live by my Quick Access Toolbar, and was in pain at the loss of half my real-estate on the bar. Today I realized I didn't have Office Insider builds installing, and did an update, and discovered that the problem was gone, and I now have a QAT without the wide spacing. I have no idea when this was fixed, and it's super embarrassing since I work at Microsoft, but I'm so psyched that I get my PowerPoint productivity back.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-02-10T02:58:32+00:00

    Touch is more convenient for many tasks, and it's here to stay.  

    I have a Surface Pro with excellent touch capability. It is DEFINITELY not easier to use touch on the QAT rather than a mouse. I have to lift my hand to poke the QAT rather than a simple mouse click. In the 18 months I have had the machine, I have never used its touch capability except for scrolling through a book or article and one or two other minor uses - and actually the mouse is as good for those uses also. I do use touch on my tablet and phone since I don't have a choice. But I don't use Office on them either.

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