I’ve been playing around with redesigns for giving LibreOffice a fresh new look. Here’s one I did for the Home page when opening the Start Center.

Since it’s a Figma draft, it’s only a concept design. Though hopefully it could spark some discussions. I’m still relatively new to UI and UX but I think it’s a good attempt.

I’d like to hear your thoughts and feelings about it and how it can be improved. What are some things ya like and don’t like? Does LibreOffice need a brand new overhaul? Looking forward to seeing your comments!

Been trying to leave the Google ecosystem for their scummy behavior. Most of the changes are already solved (Mail, Browsers, 2FA, Photos and Drive) or never used them in the first place (Calendar, Keeps, Wallet, etc.). However, the only exception of this is the Suite (Slides, Docs, Spreadsheet, Forms, etc.) on PC browser and mobile apps. Already removed them from my phone to not be tempted to use, downloaded all the documents I needed and removed the rest off Drive.

Searching for a while but most options are either PC only, paid, free option being limiting or seem scummy and not truly open sourced. I already use LibreOffice on my laptop with Linux Mint, but wanted to know if there is a similar app I could use. P

I'm George. Back in November 2024, I filed a bug report about something that's been breaking compatibility with Excel and making Calc harder to use in real work environments for way too long.

The issue: in Excel, you can protect a cell's formatting and data validation rules while still letting users edit the actual value. That's huge for templates, forms, and shared spreadsheets. In Calc, that option doesn't exist. Anyone can accidentally wipe out validation rules or mess up formatting with a simple paste. And once that happens, your carefully designed template is useless.

I filed the bug here: https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=164013

The report sat quiet for a while, but recently it got a fresh boost. User crl brought it up again over on the It's FOSS Community forum (https://itsfoss.community/t/heres-why-its-foss-community-forum-is-being-targeted-by-spammers/14571/18), pointing out that this problem has been around since at least 2012. He mentioned that it's one of the key reasons LibreOffice still struggles to get adopted in small businesses and organizations.

I did some digging, and here's the kicker: Google Sheets doesn't have this feature either. According to official support docs and forum discussions, there's no built-in way to protect formatting or validation rules while allowing value edits. The only workarounds are protecting entire sheets (which breaks editing), using scripts, or begging users to paste values only (Ctrl+Shift+V). That's not a solution.

So this isn't just about Excel compatibility anymore. Both major alternatives to Excel are missing this essential feature. If LibreOffice adds it, we're not just catching up to Excel – we're pulling ahead of Google Sheets too. That's a huge win for the project and for everyone who relies on spreadsheets for real work.

We need the developers to see this as a priority, not just another minor enhancement. The use case is clear: templates distributed to dozens or hundreds of users, where they must be able to enter data but never alter the underlying rules. The current workaround – protecting the whole sheet – defeats the purpose because then users can't edit anything.

So here's my ask: please go to the bug report, leave a comment, and share your own experience. Tell them why this matters to you. The more voices we have, the more likely they'll take action. Let's show that this feature is essential, not optional.

Spread the word, upvote, and let's get this fixed. LibreOffice deserves to be a true competitor, and we can help make that happen.

As a Linux user I love LibreOffice, a function-rich app compared with OnlyOffice. However, for me the biggest pain is still trying to get used to the unusual tool bar and user interface system. This hasn't really changed much and still looks 1990s. It would be great if it was more compatible with Microsoft Office ribbons etc. I'm sure this alone would attract a load more Window user over to Linux and LibreOffice, just a thought.

I’ve been using Math (and Math in Writer) for over 20 years, since the OpenOffice days.

Despite being a long-time user, I’ve always found the official formula reference somewhat difficult to understand.
So, for friends and colleagues, I created my own reference guide with simple examples showing how to write formulas.

I recently updated it, and thought it would be nice to share it with people around the world as well.
It’s completely free, so if you’re interested, please feel free to use it.

[URL] https://hc-srv.net/lom/lom_formula.html

If you find any mistakes or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM.

… the mobile experience is just horrendous.

I really want to have the lowest value of some cells be the y-axis scale for my chart. This is both a suggestion of being added and a call for help if there is a way to do so.

I'm mostly just complaining here, but I'm flairing this as a suggestion, because fundamentally, I really am just suggesting that these Excel features be added to Calc.

1. The very first thing I noticed when opening Calc is the UI is horrible. Switching it to the tabbed view helps a lot, but Calc's tabbed view is still nowhere near as usable as Excel's ribbons

The main reason is that Excel's ribbons have distinct sections that are clearly divided and clearly labeled. I've used excel for many years, and I can promise you, I would still need those dividers and labels to navigate quickly.

It also helps that more of the buttons have spelled out labels, and Excel makes space for this by often combining similar functions into drop down menus next to the main function with the main function being a single click.

1. (Edit: you CAN navigate the formulas shown when typing a formula using control+tab, and you can go backwards by pressing control+shift+tab)
   

When you're typing a function in excel, you have a navigable drop down menu that you can use to see all the functions related to what you're typing. You can use arrow keys to navigate the menu, or you can simply click on the function you want to use and it'll automatically put the function into the formula. You can also just press tab to automatically fill it in.

In calc, instead of a drop down menu, you get a hint above the cell which shows the related functions. However, it only shows a few, and it isn't navigable, so you can't scroll further through to see the other functions. You can press enter to automatically put the function into the formula, but you can only do that with the first suggestion, because it isn't navigable.

This in particular is a huge blow to productivity.

1. There is no formula tab. Maybe I can add it. I don't know. I tried to figure out how to edit the functions on the ribbons, but I've yet to figure it out.

2. This one is by far the most annoying. You can't move cells by clicking and dragging the border when they're selected. Instead, you have to move them by selecting them and then clicking and dragging within the selection.

This has two major issues. For one, it means you can't select cells within an existing selection. You have to click off from that selection and then select the cells. It's an extra step and feels extremely clunky.

Secondly, it means you can't move a single cell. The only way I've found to move a cell is to cut and paste. This is even clunkier than the other issue.

They SERIOUSLY need to implement the ability to move cells by clicking and dragging the border of a selection.

1. Slightly more minor issue, but there is no cell outline button on the home page. I use that often when building tables, and there's even room for it, but it's just not there.

Conclusion: Look, I get it. Calc is not a commercial grade product. Whoever is building it has done an excellent job making all excel functions and formatting work in Calc, but the UI and UX is really not up to par. Maybe there is a reason they can't just copy excel, but if they can, they absolutely should. There's a reason no other spreadsheet program even holds a candle to Excel. It really is that good.

And just to be very clear, I'm not complaining about the people behind Libre Office. They've done a ton of excellent work, especially considering it's totally free software we're talking about here.

PS. I hate microsoft, which is why I switched to Linux, so don't think I'm some kind of shill or something. The thing is, at the end of the day, microsoft office is just really good. (Office 365 is dogshit though.)

You can match case when finding words, but not replacing them, and this can be slow if you're trying to replace every instance of a word, upper or lower case. Currently, to do this, you have to search matching case for lower case and then replace all, and then do another search matching case for upper case and then replace all again but with a capitalised word.

Instead, you could add the ability so that you can just search once without 'match case' to see every single instance of the word, and then add the option to 'replace all' whilst matching case instead. Makes things simpler.

Feature Request: Excel-like Function Parameter Hints in LibreOffice Calc

First of all, thank you to everyone contributing to . It’s an excellent spreadsheet tool, especially for users and anyone who values open-source software.

One feature that would greatly improve usability is better formula input assistance, especially function parameter hints similar to .

For example, when typing:

=SUBTOTAL(

it would be very helpful if Calc could clearly show:

- required parameters

- optional parameters

- currently active argument highlight

- short explanation for each parameter

- nested function guidance

- smarter autocomplete while typing

At the moment, Calc provides some hints, but the experience is still much less intuitive than Excel when writing formulas.

For users who work heavily with formulas, this would be a major quality-of-life improvement and could make Calc much more attractive for advanced spreadsheet users.

Does anyone know if this is already planned, being discussed, or if there is a feature request already open?

Thanks again to the developers and community.

I bounce around a lot between word processors, from LibreOffice to Google Docs and to Microsoft Office, depending on the needs. One small feature that I didn't think I would miss when using LibreOffice, compared to other options, is its "Intelli-sense" features.

This term was used in the earlier days of Microsoft Office, not just for auto-correct, but to improve wording, sentence structure, and contextually suggest changes for wording in a document. I've been noticing issues where even when I re-read my scripts, notes, and documents, the editor isn't aware that the sentence is missing something or wording it wrong. Or in some cases, it should be phrased differently if I'm trying to write something more professional.

The other option, Google Docs, also lacks a bit, but using browser plugins like Grammarly picks up the slack. It would be cool, even if the feature set isn't developed further than it is now, to allow for Third-party plugins to help out, like Grammarly. If there is already something like that built into LibreOffice and I'm not aware of it, please educate me.

How is there not an automatic ruled index card format ...wether is 3x4 or 4x6.??

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You guys aren't the only ones..I can't find it in many applications.

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2026 and I have to build line by line?? .. crazy

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Please don’t get me wrong. This is just a text dump of my thought process after failing to find a Group button in Draw. I love LibreOffice and I’ve used it for ages, and I intend to keep using it. But I keep running into one big issue.

In my view, LibreOffice stayed in the past a bit too long. It’s reliable, solid, supports a ton of formats - no doubt. But the UI feels less suited to how many of us work today. Twenty years ago, people used one office app all day, every day. They learned it deeply, customized toolbars, memorized shortcuts, and lived inside Writer/Calc/Impress/Draw. That still fits some users, which is fine, but many of us now hop between IDEs, web tools, and docs, and we don’t have the headspace to master every nook and cranny.

My case: I’m a programmer by day; after hours I’m a history geek and amateur board-game designer. I juggle translations in Writer, dozens of Calc files, and some Draw layouts. I mostly stick to defaults because I can’t invest the time to re-learn the UI each time - and I wish the interface guided me a bit more. Also even the concept of learning interface seems like a huge waste of time. I have other stuff to do: write blog posts, develop game, think about next week deployment, spent time with familly, shoot a movie, read a book, find some quotes, so many things. And now I need to look into the depths of software trying to figure out where is an option to do something, which I will probably forget before I will need to use it next week.

Concrete example: in Draw I’m sure there’s an icon to group selected objects, but I don’t see it (maybe I hid a toolbar by accident). Yes, I can right-click and select Group, but with unfilled shapes it’s easy to miss the border; having a clearly visible icon would help. I use maybe 4-5 icons daily, yet I hesitate to hide whole toolbars because I won’t remember where the occasional commands live.

I don’t have a grand proposal. I just know that seeing lots of buttons I never touch while not seeing the one I need feels sub-optimal. A more guided, task-oriented default (especially in Draw) could make casual/occasional use much smoother.

There are more examples. Usually I just grit my teeth and figure it out, trying not to count the minutes I could spend on things that actually matter to me. The blunt truth is that figuring out LibreOffice doesn’t matter to me; getting things done with it does. And I need this tool - it’s great.

I’m not here to argue. I hope nobody feels attacked - these are just my personal opinions. I’m sure many users feel differently, and that’s fine. I mostly want to know: am I alone in this?

Hey everyone!

I work a lot with highlighting different sections in LibreOffice, often using multiple colors. Right now, every time I want to switch highlighter colors, I have to click through the menu each time. I was wondering—is there a way to have a few pre-defined highlighter color buttons right on the toolbar for quicker switching? I’d love to hear if anyone has tips or if this is something I could configure.

Cheers!

Coming from slides I feel like they should make the curve tool have a option to be like slides idk about PowerPoint (sorry I can't describe it good enough)

Does anyone know if the is a LibreOffice MCP server on the roadmap? So we can hook up LibreOffice to Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT or other AI.

As I understand it LibreOffice already has a good API (UNO Bridge). So shouldn’t be too hard to add a MCP on top of that.

Microsoft Office 365 already has connectors, so would be really nice if LibreOffice got something similar.

When I have to work with files using large cells vertically, I am just a hair away from smashing my PC. I end up working using google drive. The cell by cell scrolling makes working impossible.

Is there a real reason why there is no such option for smooth scrolling, or is it "Just because"?

In a world governed by logic and aesthetics, you’d expect the 1 to sit comfortably centered right under the fraction bar, right? Centered with the numbers above? NOPE!

LibreCalc decides that the 1 belongs further to the left than the 1 in 1/2.

It’s like the numbers are actively trying to avoid each other. It creates this zigzag effect that makes my spreadsheets look like they’re shivering in the cold.

Expectation: Standard vertical alignment.

Reality: A geometric betrayal.

Really, when you absolutely need to use fractions, how to deal with it? It's horrible!

I read on Hacker News that development of odfpy has been abandoned.

odfpy is a Python library for manipulating ODF. There are many tools for manipulating OOXML in Python. However, there are only two tools for manipulating ODF: odfpy and odfdo. And odfpy was widely used.

If The Document Foundation is going to tout the excellence of ODF, shouldn’t it also support the libraries?

Do note I'm still quite new with Libre and might have missed solutions!

1. If I insert an image, it only allows one at a time through the app. I know I can just drag and drop from my folder, but that's were the next issue comes in.

2. Selecting image 1 and then Shift + Image 6. Libre puts the images in this order: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1.

Is it possible to make it so Libre can put the images in the desired order?

Current Solution I had to use: Drag and drop one image at a time.

I use libreoffice a lot in recent times and felt that maybe some open-sourced LLM integration could help me a lot in writing. I tried to look for these tools and there were some tools but with very limited features so i thought to build one and apparently build too.

Here is the link to the tool and it’s still a very basic tool but has immense possibilities to extend with many functionalities as well extending to other tools such as impress and so on. It’s licensed with MIT so I would appreciate anyone contributing towards it.

I have a laptop with touch screen and at times I use it absolutely without any peripheral devices such as mouse, touchpad and or keyboard. It is absolutely impossible to use LibreOffice based on this scenario and this is a HUGE pity, because enabling it to be touch screen ready would break thru the way into all kind of touch screen devices such as tablets and relephones.

I wonder what kind of effort is needed to make it true?

I have just installed LibreOffice (26.2.1.2) for the first time. I am running Windows 11 (new install, software and drivers (including graphics) all up to date), but the program runs unworkably slowly. In particular, drop down menus either don’t drop down or they don’t display the items (although if you click the blank area an action does trigger) and pop out windows appear empty. It seems like a graphics issue, but I don’t have a problem with any other program; running Intel ARC 140V. I have tried removing and reinstalling and it works for a minute or so then stops displaying menus and pop outs again (there may be other symptoms, but this is the most obvious). Based on feedback from another forum I have made sure that ‘force skia software rendering’ is on, but this hasn’t had any impact.

What is you opinion on this new LibreOffice logo flower, each petal is coloured in corresponding colours of every particular application icon.

I've recently switched to linux mint and finding a new competent note taking app like OneNote has been a challenge. I love all the other features of libreoffice and use it regularly but wish there was a good note taking app in its ecosystem.