I wished extra from this Microsoft software

Microsoft Loop is a kind 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. Nonetheless, 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 challenge administration software

Loop is a note-taking platform that additionally capabilities as a technique to brainstorm concepts with the remainder of your workforce, deal with challenge 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 person to entry the devoted app. There’s additionally a cell model from Microsoft that is out there for Android.

Microsoft Loop affords a variety of templates and the app itself comes with a clear, minimalist look. For those who’ve used Notion earlier than, you will be very snug throughout the Loop UI, and it is rather a lot cleaner wanting 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 permits you to organize blocks by dragging and dropping, making it a extra immersive note-taking expertise and just like newer apps corresponding to Craft.

As a substitute of getting to hunt by way of an extended toolbar or menus, Loop makes use of slash instructions for formatting capabilities and content material templates. While you sort / 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 simple to make on-the-fly changes to no matter challenge you are engaged on, and is one in all my favourite options of Loop. Granted, it is not distinctive to Loop — it is a characteristic 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 challenge administration software. You possibly can insert a Kanban into any file within the software, however there is a devoted challenge administration template that I like to recommend utilizing if you’re trying to replicate an app corresponding to Jira, Asana, or Trello.

One factor I actually favored about Loop is its integration into platforms within the Microsoft 365 suite, like Excel and Groups. Loop does assist you to absolutely create and handle a big challenge, however it’ll work greatest in case you aren’t utilizing Slack and Gmail, and reasonably Groups and Outlook as an alternative.

You possibly can customise any column in Microsoft Loop to no matter fits your wants. Just lately, Loop was up to date to characteristic rule-based automation, so you’ll be able to create alerts for necessary 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 out there in most, if not all, challenge 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 may inform that Loop was designed for use with a workforce. It is easy to ask anybody to a workspace by including their Microsoft account electronic mail to the shape, and it is an effective way to tie the whole lot collectively in case you work in a workforce with a number of individuals and completely different stakeholders. Loop is seamlessly built-in with different Microsoft merchandise, particularly Outlook and Groups. You possibly can share the whole lot in Groups and sync your Outlook to Loop and vice versa, making a Loop an amazing possibility in case you’re already utilizing the Microsoft ecosystem for many issues.

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

Why Microsoft Loop in the end lets me down

Loop takes a drained strategy 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 straightforward to study. It is an amazing possibility in case you work in an workplace and also you and your workforce are already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite. Nonetheless, it does not differentiate itself sufficient from Notion, Craft, and Coda for me to actually take into account abandoning the productiveness apps I am already utilizing each 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. Nonetheless, in case you’re managing a workforce and utilizing Groups as an alternative of Slack alongside Jira or Asana for challenge administration, Loop offers a very easy technique to hold the whole lot contained inside one ecosystem. That being mentioned, Microsoft nonetheless has an extended technique to go to make Loop seamless throughout the Microsoft 365 suite. On this means, Loop is hindered considerably by being throughout the walled palace of the Microsoft 365 suite, particularly in the case of getting individuals over from different productiveness apps from outdoors the Microsoft ecosystem.

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Who’s Microsoft Loop for?

Groups already throughout the Microsoft 365 suite

Microsoft Loop is geared toward enterprise customers, and whereas it is an effective way to carry a number of groups collectively simply, it does not carry 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 changing into the most effective productiveness apps sooner or later, however, for now, it does not do sufficient to distinguish itself from the pack.

I might advocate Loop to any enterprise-level workforce supervisor. In case your workforce is already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite for many issues, however your challenge administration is in an app corresponding to Jira, Asana, or Notion, switching over to Loop is price it. For those who’re working outdoors the Microsoft ecosystem, I do not suppose there’s sufficient there to make it price switching.

Microsoft Loop

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