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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Answer accepted by question author
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
    2015-09-26T01:01:19+00:00

    Thanks Rohn - sorry to hear that MS won't allow an add-on to manage icon spacing. Also I know that 2003 can read XML files with the compatibility pack. Problem is that it won't save docx files (as far as I know) so that alone would stop me going back to 2003.  I now have 3500 docx files out of 7000 Word files, so apart from the file size issue, sadly I can't go back to doc (SGML?) files

    In passing, a discussion on icon spacing has opened at http://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/9906966-office-2016-quick-access-toolbar-too-wide which is relevant, and where you can comment or vote.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-25T22:44:49+00:00

     Almost the the only thing I will miss about 365 is XML file formatting. 

    Ask and you shall receive ...

    From the

    FAQ- Office 365 Consumer Editions

    https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-office-for-home-and-school-faq

    <snip>

    Can people with an earlier version of Office open documents I created using Office 365 or Office 2013?

    Office 2007, Office for Mac 2008, Office 2010, Office for Mac 2011, Office 365, Office 2013, and Office 2016 for Mac applications can open your documents without any additional action.

    Customers using earlier versions of Office (2000, 2003) for Windows may need to download andinstall a compatibility pack.

    </snip>

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-25T21:53:49+00:00

    I fully agree!

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-09-25T19:40:48+00:00

     trouble, unless MS wake up and fix the problem before forcing it on users! 

    Maybe some smart programmer can write an add-on for Office, like Custom Tab Width in Firefox, which lets the user choose a minimum tab width and allows up to around 75 bookmarks across my screen.

    The trouble has already been foisted on unsuspecting victims, pardon me, "customers".

    Unfortunately there is no provision for "smart programmers" to come up with a fix.  That part Office is not exposed to external programmers.  I wish it was. I made a similar suggestion about the UI color schemes.

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