If you like using a digital pen to enter text in the Excel Windows app, Microsoft just announced a new feature it’s testing that could make that job easier.

B Microsoft 365 Insider blog post, the company announced that members of this program can test the new Ink to Text Pen feature for Excel on Windows. Microsoft says:

Ink to Text lets you use your digital pen (or stylus) to automatically convert your handwriting to text on the fly, helping you quickly enter content into cells. Additionally, you can use pen gestures to select and delete cell contents.

Microsoft adds that this new feature will replace the previous Action Pen feature in the Excel Windows app. Insider program members who own a digital pen or stylus and have installed Windows 11 23H2 will be able to use the new Ink to Text Pen feature.

To access it, Microsoft 365 Insiders just need to go to to draw Tap the Excel Windows app, and then select the Pen text ink tool. If you are using a touch screen, the to draw The tab should be available immediately, if it isn’t, you can activate it by going to fileThen optionsand then Movie customization. Then you can check the drawing box.

When the Ink to Text Pen tool is enabled, users can select a single cell to write on and replace any content that may be there. To select multiple cells, you can use the digital pen or stylus with the straight line selection gesture. Erasing contents in cells is done with the pen or stylus by drawing up and down scrolls on the display.

Microsoft does say that frozen Excel spreadsheet panes may cause the Ink to Text Pen feature to not work properly. No word on when this feature will be generally available for all Excel Windows users.