Here’s your end-user focused catch up of updates for 17th October to 6th November 2021 across Microsoft 365 and Teams.
We continue with the new format this week; instead of grouping the content by availability, it’s grouped by app. I have tried to make the blog easier and faster to read by only sharing the short version of each update…if something catches your eye click ‘Read the full article‘ at the end of a topic to learn more.
Here’s what we look at this week:
- Office.com
- Outlook
- Planner
- SharePoint
- Stream
- Teams
- Visio
Would you prefer to watch the video or listen to the podcast version of the update? Just scroll to the bottom for the links.
Office.com
Office.com is getting an update
Microsoft are updating the Office.com and Office app for Windows experiences. These updates will make it even easier to find all the content associated with you, access your apps and templates in one place, take action quickly, and understand what work needs your attention. Due early to late January 2022 for most of us. Read the full article.
Outlook
‘Coming Soon’ in Outlook for Windows is coming back for you to preview the new location for the Mail, Calendar, People & Tasks.
Microsoft are bringing back the Coming Soon option to preview the new location for the Mail, Calendar, People, Tasks, and other modules in Outlook for Windows. Due mid to late November. Read full article.
Text predictions in Outlook for iOS & Android,
When this update rolls out, you will see text predictions in Outlook for Android and iOS when writing an email message. You’ll be able to swipe right to accept it or keep typing to ignore. Text predictions will on by default, you can disable them in Account Settings. Due worldwide late November to late January (already available in US and Canada). Read full Android article.
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. When this feature launches, Planner for the Web and for Teams (Tasks app) will support rich text in task notes. Other Planner experiences in iOS, Android, SharePoint, and Power Automate will only support plain text task notes, but they plan to update these apps to support rich text at a later date. Due mid-December to early February.
SharePoint
Updates to the site creation experience.
Microsoft will be updating the SharePoint site creation experience to make it easier for site creators to select the right type of site, understand roles, and site permissions. Updates to this experience will include refreshed graphics, expanded site descriptions, and additional context for different permission levels in the Site permissions panel. Rolling out in early November for some, available by mid-December for the rest of us. Read the full article.
OneDrive & SharePoint | Image filters.
You will soon be able to quickly stylize your photos by applying filters. These filters can change the photo’s colour and light settings (exposure, contrast, highlights, saturation…), as well as stylize your photos by adding colour to shadows, mid-tones and highlights or simply turn a colour photo into black and white. Rolled out by late November.
Lists and SharePoint | New Microsoft 365 Lists entry point in the SharePoint app bar.
This new feature will allow you to be able to easily access and view Microsoft 365 Lists from the SharePoint app bar that have been followed and viewed often. Due January 2022.
What’s running late in SharePoint?
Private drafts for SharePoint pages and news.
This new feature will provide you the ability to create private drafts for pages and news posts. A private draft will be visible to only the page author, the people the author chooses to share it with, and site admins. You will be able to create and edit content that’s not ready for others to see except the people with whom you want to collaborate. Due early to late November. Read the full article.
Stream
Stream on SharePoint: viewership retention for Stream videos
If you are a Stream (on SharePoint) user with videos on your OneDrive for Business or SharePoint sites, you will soon be able to identify the key moments in a video using a “Viewership Retention” chart. Due late November to mid-December. Read the full article.
Generate Captions On-Demand for Stream built on SharePoint
If you have edit permissions to a video stored in OneDrive for Business or a SharePoint document library, you will be able to generate a closed caption file in English. Any viewer of the video will then be able to display the transcript as closed captions. Due early January to late January for most users. Read full article.
Teams
Q&A in Teams meetings.
The Q&A app for Teams meetings and webinars is now available for public preview. To use; create your meeting > select the + button in your Teams meeting > add Q&A. Available now, but final functionality may change. Read the full article.
Microsoft Teams tab actions are moving.
Microsoft Teams tab actions are moving out of the tab header bar and into the tab dropdown to help declutter the user experience. Due mid-November to early December. Read the full article.
Expanded reactions in Microsoft Teams.
This update will expand available reactions by allowing you to apply any emoji as a reaction to chat messages. You will be able to pick from more than 800 Teams emojis to express yourself. This will be available for Teams desktop apps (Windows and Mac), Teams mobile (Android and iOS), and Teams on the web. Due mid to late January for most of us.
Co-organiser role coming to Teams meetings.
Meeting organisers will soon be able to assign the co-organiser meeting role to up to 10 specific people they invite to their meeting. Co-organisers will be granted most of the capabilities of the organiser in the meeting, including being able to access & modify the meeting options for the meeting. Due late November to early December. Read the full article.
What’s running late in Teams?
Introducing background effects on web.
Teams web users will have the ability to use background effects for video calls. Ow due late November to early December.
Focus time experiences in the Viva Insights Teams App.
Microsoft have made the decision to make some changes prior to rolling out this feature. Now on hold as Microsoft review this change. Read the full article.
Variable playback speed for Teams meeting recordings.
For Teams meeting recordings saved to OneDrive & SharePoint, you’ll be able to change the playback speed (0.5x – 2x) while watching the video. Watching a boring Teams meeting recording at a playback speed greater than 1 is a great way to save time. Now due late October to late November. Read the full article.
Teams Meeting Recordings Auto-Expiration in OneDrive and SharePoint.
As part of the evolution of the new Stream (built on SharePoint), Microsoft are introducing the meeting recording auto-expiration feature, which will automatically delete Teams recording files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint after a preset period of time. Now due early January to early February. Read the full article.
Fluid live components in Teams chat.
Fluid components in Teams chat allow you to send a message with a table, action items, or a list that can be co-authored and edited by everyone in line and in the future will be shareable across Office applications like Outlook. You will be able to quickly align across teams, and get work done efficiently by copy and pasting components across Teams chats. Now due mid-November to late December. Read the full article.
Visio
Microsoft 365 to include the core functionalities of Visio for everyone at no extra cost.
Microsoft are adding Visio to Microsoft 365 commercial plans for all users at no additional cost. Visio in Microsoft 365 comes with a web app that offers core functionalities of Visio and allows you to create, edit, and share professional diagrams and integrates with a variety of Microsoft solutions, including Microsoft Teams, for a collaborative diagramming experience. Due November 2021 to late January 2022 at no extra cost. Read the full article.
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