What's New in Xero? A Guide to the Latest Game-Changing Features

The team at Xero recently held their Xerocon Brisbane conference, unveiling a host of exciting new features designed to enhance your accounting experience. At Zyla Accountants, we're always looking for ways to help you work smarter, and we believe these updates will be a real game-changer for your business.

From powerful AI tools to a completely redesigned user experience, every update is aimed at making you more confident and productive. Best of all, Xero is helping you unlock powerful new tools at no extra charge, as eligible Xero business plans in the UK now include Syft Analytics.

Here’s a breakdown of the key announcements and what they mean for you.

Meet JAX: Your New AI Financial Superagent

Many business owners have told Xero they need smarter tools to free up their time. In response, Xero is introducing the next evolution of Just Ask Xero (JAX). With expanded Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, JAX is transforming into your dedicated business companion, making Xero a more insightful and trusted platform than ever before.

Starting this September and rolling out over the coming months, you’ll be able to use JAX to:

• Access financial data in an instant: JAX will provide immediate access to your cashflow, Profit & Loss, and balance sheet data. For example, you could ask for a gross profit trend over the past year and see it instantly visualised in charts and tables.

• Receive strategic decision support: JAX will assist with key business decisions, offering ideas on how to improve cash flow or comparing loan interest rates across different banks. It will bring in timely external data to help you make smarter, tailored decisions.

• Get a clearer view of your finances, faster: Soon, JAX will work alongside you to automatically reconcile bank transactions where there’s a high degree of confidence. This gives you a reliable, up-to-date view of your finances sooner. You will always remain in control, with full visibility on the new ‘Reconciled’ page and the ability to easily review or adjust any transaction JAX has reconciled.

• Get more done, more naturally: Thanks to advanced conversational capabilities, JAX understands you better. This makes tasks like generating insights or creating quotes and invoices feel smoother and faster. Soon, JAX will not only help create an invoice but also intelligently draft professional invoice emails, helping you get paid faster.

Xero Partner Hub: A Simpler, Smarter Way For Us to Work With You

This update is for us, but the benefits will be passed directly on to you. Xero has listened to accountants and bookkeepers who found that switching between different practice tools was inefficient. The new Xero Partner Hub is designed to solve this.

By bringing all our tools and client data into one place, we can work more efficiently, gain greater confidence in our compliance workflows, and leverage JAX to instantly access your information. This means we can spend less time on administration and more time providing you with proactive, valuable advice. The new Xero Partner Hub will begin rolling out in early 2026.

A Reimagined Navigation and Homepage Experience

Xero has been working to build a more intuitive and insightful platform. Based on feedback from thousands of users, a new navigation and homepage experience is on its way. You can expect to:

• Get a clearer view of business performance quickly: New 'widgets' on the homepage will highlight what needs your immediate attention. For example, a new task list will help you prioritise outstanding invoices and bills, while an enhanced banking widget will show you where a bank reconciliation is needed.

• Find what you’re looking for more easily: The new navigation menu features simpler labels and more logical groupings, making it easier to find the tools you need.

The new navigation begins rolling out to all users this month, with the new homepage to follow later this year.

Unlock Actionable Insights with Syft Analytics

Advisory is all about telling a compelling story with data, and Xero is now giving you the tools to craft that narrative. In a major announcement, Xero partners and clients with eligible business plans now have access to Syft Analytics at no extra charge. This powerful tool allows you to easily analyse your business data and communicate your findings with greater clarity and impact.

Upcoming enhancements to Syft Analytics include:

• A business health score and AI-powered insights that combine your financial information with external data, like website visits.

• The ability to import external data, such as website traffic, and visualise it alongside your financial information for a complete picture of performance.

• Advanced performance tracking and custom Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to help you monitor and advise on key business metrics.

This is a fantastic addition, and we're excited to help our clients leverage these insights.

Supercharge the Way You Pay and Get Paid

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Xero’s new and enhanced features are designed to help you get paid faster and keep your finances healthy.

• [In Beta] Keep cash flow steady with progress payments: Xero is developing flexible invoicing solutions to suit how your business operates, whether you take deposits upfront or use milestone payments as work progresses.

• [Rolling Out] Pay multiple invoices with one payment on statements: This feature allows your customers to pay several invoices at once from a statement, reducing payment delays and simplifying your reconciliation process.

• [Coming Soon] Give your brand a boost with professional, customisable invoices: This highly anticipated feature will allow you to customise invoices with your logo, brand colours, and edit details like column names, giving your brand a more professional look.

These updates demonstrate Xero's commitment to building a smarter, more intuitive platform for business owners. We are incredibly excited to see how these new tools will help you achieve your goals.

If you would like to discuss how to make the most of these new Xero features for your business, please get in touch with the Zyla Accountants team today. We're here to help!