Microsoft debuts Visio Viewer for iPad, updates look & feel of Cortana iOS app

Microsoft on Thursday brought another productivity app to iOS, its diagramming tool Visio, while promising an enhanced iPhone version of its voice assistant, Cortana.

Visio's first presence on iOS is actually in the guise of Visio Viewer, a browsing-only app for the iPad. For now editing is still reserved for Visio Pro on desktops.

Viewer can load files from email, OneDrive, or SharePoint, and share them as links or attachments. Using "Layer," people can see alternate visualizations of the same diagram, while text search enables finding items in shapes.

Visio Viewer is a free download, and runs on any iPad with iOS 9 or later. iPhone support is due in the next few months.

A Cortana update will rollout to iPhone owners over the next several weeks, and should feature a simplified design with "quick action" buttons that accomplish tasks like setting reminders or checking the weather. Likewise, answers to questions will appear in a cleaner fullscreen layout.

Microsoft is also promising to improve speed. The current iPhone version of Cortana is a free download, and requires iOS 8.

15 Comments

anantksundaram 20390 comments · 18 Years

About 7 years ago

I wish someone would create a good simulation app for the iPad... heck, even for MacOS...

randominternetperson 3095 comments · 8 Years

Who needs Visio Viewer? If I can't edit the darn thing, just send me a PDF.

volcan 1799 comments · 10 Years

randominternetperson said:

Who needs Visio Viewer? If I can't edit the darn thing, just send me a PDF.

The viewer allows you to view information and embedded data of objects and shapes, which are hidden by default and could contain detailed information and instructions associated with the drawing, that would not be accessible in a PDF. In the viewer you would click on the object to expose the details.

This could be very useful for engineers to design an implementation and have technicians in the field execute that plan using their mobile device.

dick applebaum 12525 comments · 17 Years

anantksundaram said:

I wish someone would create a good simulation app for the iPad... heck, even for MacOS...

What kind of simulation do you want to do?

perkedel 10 comments · 8 Years

randominternetperson said:

Who needs Visio Viewer? If I can't edit the darn thing, just send me a PDF.

In Windows, I have full Visio. It would be useful to see my engineering/networking diagram on my iPad Pro, you know, for some professionals who do these things?

No, I do not want a damn PDF for complex diagrams.