iPhone locked? You can still listen to Microsoft Word documents, here's how

New Delhi: iPhone users will soon have access to a useful new function that will assist them in reading Microsoft Word documents. iOS users will now be able to listen to Word documents even when their phone screen is locked, as revealed by the Insider version of the Microsoft Office application. The paper will then function similarly to a podcast or audio file that can be listened to on the go.

The feature can be found in the current Microsoft Office Insider for iOS version. Even when the iPhone screen is locked, the version 2.61 upgrade adds the option to continue listening to Word documents. It's an addition to the existing Read Aloud tool, which can convert text to speech and read an entire Word document aloud to a user in a pre-programmed voice.

"Using this functionality on your iOS device is a terrific way to take a break from the screen and give your eyes a rest while listening to documents," Microsoft says in its announcement. It even explains how to turn on the feature and listen to your word documents as an audio file. Users will reportedly not need to modify any settings for this, since Read Aloud will now be enabled by default even for the lock screen.

This means Office Insiders on iPhones may simply select Read Aloud from the Review menu of a Word document. The Read Aloud icon in Word for iPad, which is located in the overflow menu, will provide the same functionality. The programme will then continue reading the text from the cursor's current location, continuing the narration even after the lock screen appears.

The new Word for iOS capability is scheduled to go out to non-Insider accounts soon. The capability is being brought out alongside another new feature on the Insider Office Mobile app. The software can now keep track of PDF email attachments forwarded to Outlook, according to Microsoft's update notes.

iOS users will be able to see all of the PDF documents they've ever received in Office Mobile as a result of this. The goal is to remove the time-consuming task of searching for a certain PDF within one's Outlook inbox. Users will now be able to find all of their PDFs on Office Mobile's Shared with Me tab.