Welcome to our twentieth roundup of Microsoft 365 and Teams updates to wrap up 2022; hand-picked highlights from the admin centre and Microsoft 365 Roadmap, all delivered in plain English…hopefully!
Here’s what we have:
- Forms
- OneDrive
- Planner
- SharePoint
- Stream
- Teams and Ones to watch in Teams
- Whiteboard
- Around Microsoft 365
Scroll to the bottom for the video and podcast versions, then scroll a little further and follow me on Twitter for daily updates.
Forms
One to watch: Some to watch: Invitation card, the new type of cover page
MS: “Forms users will be able to create an elegant invitation card for casual events and parties with background music and vivid images.” Due January 2023?
One to watch: New cover page templates for forms and surveys
MS: “Design your cover page for forms or surveys by selecting from new AI suggested templates within the Theme setting pane. In the Theme setting pane, users can easily design a cover page for their forms by picking from several AI suggested template for any scenarios.” Due December 2022?
One to watch: New distribution experience for in-org and external forms
MS: “Now by using Forms, users can send forms with the permission setting of anyone can respond to external users by email. Also, a preview of your distribution email sent from Forms will be shown in the sending dialogue”. Due December 2022?
OneDrive
Sharing Experience – Sensitivity Labels inside the Sharing Dialogue
MS: “Sensitivity labels are used to classify and protect your organization’s data. These labels are completely customisable, and admins can apply a label to a specific file based on the organisation needs. We’ve now added sensitivity labels inside the Sharing dialogue, to provide you the ability to see what labels have been applied to your files prior to sharing them”. Available now.
Delayed: New sharing menu dropdown
Microsoft are updating the Share button in Microsoft OneDrive to provide easy access to additional sharing options. When you select Share in OneDrive for Business on Web, you’ll see a contextual menu with all choices available to you for sharing files or folders with your teammates. Available for some now, others won’t see it until end of January 2023. Read more
Outlook
One to watch: Search to show results from Teams messages
MS: “Search results in Outlook on the web will now show Teams messages and files shared in Teams conversations”. Due February 2023?
One to watch: Teams Chat from Outlook meetings
MS: “This feature provides an easy Teams chat experience from Outlook in the context of a meeting for participants to send a quick message or review the chat”. Due March 2023?
Planner
Rich text and images in Planner task notes
Microsoft are adding support for rich text (bold, italics, underline, etc.) and images in the Planner task notes field. Now expected late January 2023. Read more.
SharePoint
One to watch: External File Request in SharePoint Document Library
MS: “With the file request feature in SharePoint Document Library, you can choose a folder where others can upload files using a link that you send them. People you request files from can only upload files; they can’t see the content of the folder, edit, delete, or download files, or even see who else has uploaded files.” Due January 2023?
Stream
Stream on SharePoint: search video transcript
This feature allows users who are viewing a video to search for keywords contained in the video transcript. This feature is available on video files that have transcripts and are stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Due mid-January to late February 2023. Read more.
Teams
New Teams meeting type: Virtual Appointments
A new Teams Meeting type; ‘Virtual Appointment’ will appear in the ‘New meeting’ dropdown menu in the Teams Calendar. This is a free feature (do not confuse with Advanced Virtual Appointments) that brings enhanced business-to-consumer meeting features into the Teams scheduling experience. When meeting with someone from outside of your organisation, the Virtual Appointment meeting can be used to ensure the person you are meeting with has a seamless experience with the meeting from start to finish – all without having to learn or download new tools. Early to late February 2023. Read more.
Teams Support for co-organisers to manage Breakout Rooms
Users assigned the co-organiser role in the main meeting will be able to create and manage Breakout Rooms on behalf of the organiser and be able to access/modify meeting options for any Breakout Room. Due mid to late January 2022. Read more.
Teams ‘Out of date’ banner…and more about the update process.
From December 2022 you may see an ‘Out of date’ banner in Microsoft Teams if you have not been keeping it up to date, and maybe even a blocking page requesting an update to the latest version of Teams. Due December 2022. Read more.
Meeting Toolbar Usability Improvements
The Teams team at Microsoft have done a great job of adding useful features to Teams meetings…but things have gotten a bit busy looking. The new Microsoft Teams meeting toolbar makes navigating meetings and features easier. Due mid-January to late February 2023.
Mention Everyone in chat
Similar to how you can mention individuals in chat, you will soon have the option for “Everyone”. After typing @, you will see the same people results you see today, but a new option, “Everyone” will be available. By selecting “Everyone” and sending the message, a notification will be sent to all users in the group chat based on their selected notification settings. Due late January to late February on desktop, iOS and Android. Read more.
Delayed: Microsoft Teams calendar Scheduling Form pop-out
Microsoft will be releasing a new feature in Microsoft Teams that will enable you to pop out the scheduling form as a separate window. Currently, you need to switch back-and-forth between apps to multi-task in in the Teams calendar. Now due by mid-January 2023. Read more.
Delayed: Magnify PowerPoint Live slides in Teams
When a slide deck is presented via PowerPoint Live in a Microsoft Teams meeting, all meeting attendees will be able to use the Magnify Slide feature to privately zoom into the presentation. Now due early January 2023. Read more.
Add people to a group chat from compose box via @mention
You will soon be able to add someone to a group chat directly from the compose box by @mentioning them. This update is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 97736. Due by late December 2023.
Delayed: Start a Teams Chat with Distribution Groups, Mail-Enabled Security Groups, and O365 Groups
You will soon be able to start a Teams Chat with Distribution Groups, Mail-enabled Security Groups, and O365 Groups. This feature will respect the limits on members in a group chat, currently set to 250 members. Now due late November 2022 to early January 2023. Read more.
Delayed: New ‘Unread only’ toggle in the Microsoft Teams activity feed
A new Unread only toggle will help you to quickly view all the unread activities in your activity feed. Now due by late January 2023. Read more.
Delayed: Expanded reactions in Microsoft Teams
This update will allow you to apply any emoji as a reaction to chat and channels messages. You will be able to choose from over 800 existing Teams emojis to express yourself. Browse all the reaction options or use the search bar to the find the reaction you want. Now due mid-December to late January 2023. Read more.
Ones to watch in Teams
New Presenter window while screen sharing
During Microsoft Teams meeting, presenters will soon have a new Presenter window while screen sharing. Highlights include controls docked at the top, active speakers’ faces visible and meeting notifications will be shown here. Due early to late February 2023. Read more.
One to watch: Actionable Missed call Notification in Activity
MS: “Users will have the option to call back on a missed call directly from their activity feed”. Due February 2023?
One to watch: Automatic lowering of a user’s Raised Hand after speaking
MS: “To reduce the number of stale raised hands in meetings, we will now suggest users to lower their raised hand after we detect they spoke in the meeting. They will be able to choose to keep their hand raised. If the user doesn’t take any action on the suggestion notification, we’ll automatically lower their hand. This should ensure smoother meeting facilitation for organizers and presenters.” Due March 2023?
One to watch: Enhanced flyout design for app engagement and discovery
MS: “Enhanced visual layout helps you quickly launch apps that you have as well as discover new ones to help you complete your day-to-day tasks in Teams.” Due February 2023?
One to watch: Expanded view for profile card
MS: “With the expanded view of the profile card, users will now be able to see a richer view of a person’s profile, such as their contact data, custom properties, and their LinkedIn information. This expansion also enables the user to view richer organization chart information about the person they are interacting with, without leaving the context they are in”. Due February 2023?
One to watch: Suggested files in chats
MS: “Save time with AI based file suggestions in chat. As an expansion of suggested replies in chats, Teams uses AI to surface files when it detects in the conversation intent to share a file. Now, users will be able to respond to their chat message and attach a file in one click”. Due February 2023?
One to watch: Surface Message Actions by Most Recently Used Menu
MS: “This feature surfaces most recently used Message Actions into the level one menu for users to access quickly”. Due January 2023?
One to watch: Video Filters in Microsoft Teams Meetings
MS: “Video filters allow participants in Teams Meetings to augment their video stream with visual effects. The effects are provided by app developers on Teams Platform”. February 2023?
One to watch: OneNote: Teams Meeting Notes in OneNote
MS: “Every Teams meeting now comes with a collaborative OneNote canvas. Create notes from the Teams calendar or during a meeting. You can easily recall your notes and manage your tasks directly from OneNote”. Due March 2023?
One to watch: Visio personal app in Microsoft Teams
MS: “Visio will be available as a personal app, or private workspace, in Microsoft Teams. With a private workspace, users will be able to view and edit Visio files in a central location without leaving Teams. When using the Teams desktop app, users will be able to use the Pop out app option to open Visio in a separate window, allowing users to continue using Teams chat, call, collaboration, and meeting capabilities”. Due January 2023?
Whiteboard
Attribution support for sticky notes in Microsoft Whiteboard
Attribution support allows you to see who added a sticky note to a Microsoft Whiteboard, and who updated it last. Due late December 2022 to early January 2023. Read more.
Delayed: Text Formatting Support for Microsoft Whiteboard
The ability to format all or a portion of text in text boxes, notes and shapes is coming soon to Whiteboard web, Teams and the Windows app. Now due by early January 2023. Read more.
Modern commenting experience coming to Whiteboard
You will soon be able to share your thoughts and have conversations on Microsoft Whiteboard using the modern commenting experience. Due late January to late February 2023. Read more.
Around Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365; introducing the Microsoft Feed
The Microsoft Feed will provide a mix of relevant content from across Microsoft 365. It helps you discover and learn about people and content across Microsoft 365 relevant to you. The feed is personal to you and shows content based on what’s likely to be most relevant to the person viewing it at that time. Read more.
Loop components in Word for the web in Targeted release
Microsoft Loop components are coming to Word for the web. Due for targeted release users in early December to early February 2023. Read more.
Important information about Microsoft Power Automate emails
MS: “As of Thursday, January 19, 2023, Microsoft Power Automate email notifications, such as approvals, flow alerts, and sharing notifications, will be sent from the following email addresses:
“Please add these email addresses and IP addresses to your tenants’ safe senders list so critical Microsoft Power Automate emails are not missed.” Change due 19th January 2023.
On hold: Pausing the Briefing emails from Microsoft Viva
MS: “Based on customer feedback we’re taking some time to improve the content of the Briefing emails from Microsoft Viva to be more personalized for each recipient. We will pause sending these emails in early 2023 and will share an updated Briefing email roadmap later in 2023”.
One to watch: Microsoft Project: Advance Dependencies in Project for the Web
MS: “Set non-default dependencies between tasks, such as Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish and Start-to-Finish dependencies”. Due February 2023?
One to watch: Microsoft Project: Grid Conditional Colouring
MS: “Conditional coloring allows one to configure rules on various project fields to visually highlight patterns in the project data”. Due December 2022?
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