How to reduce the size of quick access toolbar icons? (Office 2016)

I share this problem. It has ruined the functionality of the quick access toolbar. This is not an improvement and should be returned to the prior buffering size or at lease we should be given the option.

After hours of frustration, I found the solution to the nasty QAT spacing. Right-click on the QAT down arrow. Add Touch/Mouse Mode to the QAT. Click on the icon's down arrow and select Mouse. Ta-Da! in Mouse mode we've got the old spacing back. In Tablet mode the spacing wides for touch. NOW, how to get the icons back in COLOR?!

Thanks Sheila. Thant worked perfectly!

In order to get the icons back to color you will need to go to File-Options and change the office theme to white.

Hope it also works for you.

It seems to me the reason for the enormously wide QAT icons is to facilitate people using touch screens.

I read somewhere that many of the changes to 2016 were geared to touch screens.

So the 85% of us NOT using touch screens are out-of-luck.

I have 23 icons in my Excel QAT that is above the ribbon.

Putting the QAT below the ribbon takes up even more space.

This new spacing drives the available space one would use to click and drag to reposition the window all the way to the right.

"Try changing the way the entire rest of the display looks"

and

"Try customizing the bloated ribbon feature you're already avoiding"

are not solutions

A "Not Helpful" link would also be appropriate

-Dan

QAT Kerning issue.

I am in the same situation, having created a custom QAT file so those less technically-oriented can keep working productively with Excel, without having to deal with the fact that Excel continuously get more complicated.

Now, in 2016, half the shortcuts are not visible in our standard QAT. I am going to have to issue a workaround memo to teach offices across the country they now have to "Look for a little arrow thingy on the right, and then when a new toolbar pops up below the old toolbar you are used too, click on the action you want Excel to take ...... "

In the short-term, my solution will be the same as Ralph's - prevent the deployment of 2016 until the QAT kerning issue fixed.  I don't have a problem with the size of the icons, just the spacing/kerning between them. Give me an option to shrink the Kerning between Icons on the QAT, and I will be fine.

In the meantime, I will find the time to try Patrick Conlan's suggestion and create a new tab/group/item combo in the Ribbon, as a workaround for me, because like Ralph points out, the extra click is completely counterproductive.