How-To Geek

Tony Phillips-Senior Author

Tony Phillips

Senior Author

January, 2024
BA (Hons) Linguistics & Hispanic Studies
Microsoft 365, Astronomy
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About Tony Phillips

Tony Phillips is an experienced Microsoft Office user with a dual-honors degree in Linguistics and Hispanic Studies. Prior to starting with How-to Geek in January 2024, he worked as a document producer, data manager, and content creator for over ten years, and loves making spreadsheets and documents in his spare time.

Tony is also an academic proofreader, experienced in reading, editing, and formatting over 2.8 million words of personal statements, resumes, reference letters, research proposals, and dissertations. Before joining How-To Geek, Tony formatted and wrote documents for legal firms, including contracts, Wills, and Powers of Attorney.

Tony is obsessed with Microsoft Office! He will find any reason to create a spreadsheet, exploring ways to add complex formulas and discover new ways to make data tick. He also takes pride in producing Word documents that look the part. He has worked as a data manager in a secondary school in the UK and has years of experience in the classroom with Microsoft PowerPoint. He loves to encounter problems in Microsoft Office and use his expertise and legal-level training to find solutions.

Outside of the Microsoft world, Tony is a keen dog owner and lover, football fan, astrophotographer, gardener, and golfer.

Latest

Top view of a notebook with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, a calculator, dollar bills, and glasses beside it, with the Excel logo in the center.
6 Excel Hacks to Elevate Your Spreadsheet Game

Excel is a never-ending learning curve.

A man working on a laptop is next to a stylized Microsoft Excel interface with a 'Homepage' worksheet, and the Excel logo at the center.
Your Microsoft Excel File Needs a Homepage Worksheet

Transform your Excel workbook with an introductory spreadsheet.

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Illustration of multiple contributors working on a shared Excel spreadsheet, represented as people interacting with labeled sections on a grid, with an Excel icon above.
8 Ways to Make a Shared Excel Spreadsheet Easier to Navigate

Impress your coworkers with these game-changing tips.

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Illustration of the Google Sheets IMPORTRANGE function with three green spreadsheet icons labeled 'Sheet 1,' 'Sheet 2,' and 'Sheet 3.'
How to Use the IMPORTRANGE Function to Import Data From One Google Sheets File Into Another

This powerful function makes duplicating data simple.

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Illustration of a Google Sheets interface highlighting the CHOOSECOLS and CHOOSEROWS functions.
How to Use the CHOOSECOLS and CHOOSEROWS Functions in Google Sheets to Extract Data

Elevate your data manipulation skills in Google Sheets.

A couple lying on the grass watching a meteor shower, with the Perseus constellation outlined in the night sky.
Everything You Need to Know About Watching the Perseid Meteor Shower in 2025

You won't want to miss this celestial spectacle.

Illustration of multiple Excel file icons connected by green lines, symbolizing the merging of workbooks.
Combining Excel Workbooks Is Easier Than You Think With This Powerful Tool

Unlock the secret to merging Excel files with Power Query Editor.

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Illustration showing an image icon with documents and an arrow pointing to the Google Sheets logo, with the Google Drive logo in the background.
How to Turn an Image Into Google Sheets Data With OCR in Google Drive

Transform static pictures into dynamic data.

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A hand holding a compact mechanical keyboard in the center, surrounded by floating Google Sheets icons and green 'fx' formula symbols on a blue gradient background.
This One Keyboard Shortcut in Google Sheets Will Change How You Edit Formulas

Change a reference type in an instant.

Floating Microsoft Office app icons (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) surrounded by red warning symbols, alongside an 'AutoSave Off' switch and a warning message.
AutoSave Not Working in Microsoft 365? Try This

AutoSave is a great feature—when it works.

Excel spreadsheet highlighting the XLOOKUP function, with a vertical arrow pointing down a column and a horizontal arrow pointing right across a row, representing a two-way lookup.
How to Perform a Two-Way Lookup in Excel With XLOOKUP

Execute dynamic data retrievals with nested XLOOKUP formulas.

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Two hands using a laptop with the Excel logo on the screen and some icons and charts around it.
5 New Microsoft Excel Features to Try in July 2025

Get up to date with the latest Excel developments.

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Keyboard and mouse in the foreground with an Excel interface behind, suggesting shortcut combos.
Reorganize Your Excel Spreadsheet With These Keyboard-Mouse Shortcut Combos

Use your keyboard and mouse at the same time in Excel.

Spreadsheet filled with multiple #SPILL! errors and red exclamation icons, representing issues with Excel dynamic array formulas.-1
I Love Using Excel Tables, but I Wish Microsoft Fixed One Major Problem

There are solutions, but they're not entirely ideal.

Illustration of Excel-themed function keys with the F1 key prominently raised at the center.
Don’t Ignore the Power of F1 in Microsoft Excel

This function key can do more in Excel than you think.

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Illustration of a Microsoft Excel interface showing a pop-up suggestion that offers to auto-fill cells using a generated formula.
Flash Fill in Excel Is Good, but This Tool Is So Much Better

Stop writing complex formulas—let Excel do the work!

Illustration of a spreadsheet with a magnifying glass next to it, a chart in the background, and the Excel logo.
6 Game-Changing Microsoft Excel Tools

Get one step closer to being an Excel power-user.

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A mouse with the right-click button highlighted, set in front of the Excel logo.
6 Cool Right-Click Tricks in Microsoft Excel

Don't let your right mouse button go to waste!

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Netflix logo with three crime documentary photos above it and yellow 'do not cross' crime scene tape layered in the background.
5 Gripping Crime Docs to Binge on Netflix This Week

Feast your eyes on these serial chillers.

Excel logo with a spreadsheet in the background, some charts around it, and 'Power Query' written.
4 Excel Power Query Commands You Need to Know

Become an expert data manipulator.

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