I wished extra from this Microsoft instrument

Microsoft Loop is a type of Microsoft products that I can see being nice in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later, however proper now, all of it feels a bit disappointing, particularly when apps like Notion exist, which Loop appears to be a clone of in some ways.

Loop launched again in November 2023, and it did not obtain a lot fan fare at first. Nevertheless, after two years of updates, I made a decision that it was time to pay it a go to as soon as once more and see what’s modified for the higher — or worse.

What’s Microsoft Loop?

Microsoft’s newer note-taking and venture administration instrument

Loop is a note-taking platform that additionally capabilities as a approach to brainstorm concepts with the remainder of your crew, deal with venture administration, and do extra, all inside a single app (or webpage). It must be famous that whereas anybody with a Microsoft account can use Loop, you will should be a Home windows 11 Enterprise consumer to entry the devoted app. There’s additionally a cell model from Microsoft that is obtainable for Android.

Microsoft Loop provides a variety of templates and the app itself comes with a clear, minimalist look. Should you’ve used Notion earlier than, you will be very comfy inside the Loop UI, and it is loads cleaner trying than Microsoft OneNote. There’s an infinite-scroll canvas which lets you create free-form notes or Kanban boards. Loop itself is a block editor that means that you can organize blocks by dragging and dropping, making it a extra immersive note-taking expertise and much like newer apps similar to Craft.

As a substitute of getting to hunt by an extended toolbar or menus, Loop makes use of slash instructions for formatting capabilities and content material templates. Whenever you kind / into the physique of textual content in Loop, a listing of choices will seem, together with bulleted lists, numbered lists, tables, and extra. This makes it straightforward to make on-the-fly changes to no matter venture you are engaged on, and is one among my favourite options of Loop. Granted, it is not distinctive to Loop — it is a function present in each Craft and Notion, too.

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Challenge administration and Microsoft Loop

From collaborating and sharing with stakeholders to managing private initiatives

Along with note-taking and drafting, Microsoft Loop additionally capabilities as a venture administration instrument. You possibly can insert a Kanban into any file within the software, however there is a devoted venture administration template that I like to recommend utilizing if you’re trying to replicate an app similar to Jira, Asana, or Trello.

One factor I actually preferred about Loop is its integration into platforms within the Microsoft 365 suite, like Excel and Groups. Loop does help you totally create and handle a big venture, however it’ll work greatest in the event you aren’t utilizing Slack and Gmail, and fairly Groups and Outlook as a substitute.

You possibly can customise any column in Microsoft Loop to no matter fits your wants. Just lately, Loop was up to date to function rule-based automation, so you possibly can create alerts for vital due dates in your columns. Once more, whereas I am glad to see these options being rolled out to Microsoft Loop, they’ve lengthy been obtainable in most, if not all, venture administration software program on the market.

The place Microsoft Loop actually shines is in its collaborative capabilities. It is one of many higher collaborative apps I’ve tried out from the corporate, and you’ll inform that Loop was designed for use with a crew. It is simple to ask anybody to a workspace by including their Microsoft account e-mail to the shape, and it is an effective way to tie all the pieces collectively in the event you work in a crew with a number of folks and totally different stakeholders. Loop is seamlessly built-in with different Microsoft merchandise, particularly Outlook and Groups. You possibly can share all the pieces in Groups and sync your Outlook to Loop and vice versa, making a Loop an ideal possibility in the event you’re already utilizing the Microsoft ecosystem for many issues.

You possibly can import lists and paperwork from different Microsoft apps similar to OneNote, Planner, and Phrase into Loop. For instance, a writing crew can write its paperwork in Microsoft Phrase, and with the Loop plug-in, ship a hyperlink to their editor through Loop. This could enormously simplify your workflow, however it’ll work greatest if you’re already utilizing the complete Microsoft 365 suite.

Why Microsoft Loop in the end lets me down

Loop takes a drained method to productiveness

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Microsoft is not by any means the worst productiveness software program I’ve examined. It is tightly built-in into the Microsoft 365 suite, contains a user-friendly interface and is simple to study. It is an ideal possibility in the event you work in an workplace and also you and your crew are already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite. Nevertheless, it does not differentiate itself sufficient from Notion, Craft, and Coda for me to actually think about abandoning the productiveness apps I am already utilizing day by day.

A big a part of my qualm with Loop is that I do not personally make a lot use of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Nevertheless, in the event you’re managing a crew and utilizing Groups as a substitute of Slack alongside Jira or Asana for venture administration, Loop supplies a very easy approach to hold all the pieces contained inside one ecosystem. That being stated, Microsoft nonetheless has an extended approach to go to make Loop seamless inside the Microsoft 365 suite. On this approach, Loop is hindered considerably by being inside the walled palace of the Microsoft 365 suite, particularly in relation to getting folks over from different productiveness apps from outdoors the Microsoft ecosystem.

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Who’s Microsoft Loop for?

Groups already inside the Microsoft 365 suite

Microsoft Loop is geared toward enterprise customers, and whereas it is an effective way to convey a number of groups collectively simply, it does not convey something new to the desk in its present iteration to make it a killer app. Microsoft’s been steadily updating Loop for the previous two years, so I might see it turning into among the finest productiveness apps sooner or later, however, for now, it does not do sufficient to distinguish itself from the pack.

I’d advocate Loop to any enterprise-level crew supervisor. In case your crew is already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite for many issues, however your venture administration is in an app similar to Jira, Asana, or Notion, switching over to Loop is price it. Should you’re working outdoors the Microsoft ecosystem, I do not assume there’s sufficient there to make it price switching.

Microsoft Loop

Microsoft Loop is a collaboration instrument designed to assist groups work collectively in real-time throughout Microsoft 365 apps, providing dynamic parts like job lists, notes, and venture boards that sync immediately throughout platforms.