I needed extra from this Microsoft software

Microsoft Loop is a type of Microsoft products that I can see being nice sooner or later 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 undertaking administration software

Loop is a note-taking platform that additionally features as a strategy to brainstorm concepts with the remainder of your workforce, deal with undertaking 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 may have to be a Home windows 11 Enterprise consumer to entry the devoted app. There’s additionally a cell model from Microsoft that is accessible for Android.

Microsoft Loop affords a variety of templates and the app itself comes with a clear, minimalist look. In case you’ve used Notion earlier than, you may be very snug throughout the Loop UI, and it is quite a bit 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 means that you can organize blocks by dragging and dropping, making it a extra immersive note-taking expertise and much like newer apps resembling Craft.

As an alternative of getting to hunt by means of an extended toolbar or menus, Loop makes use of slash instructions for formatting features 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 simple to make on-the-fly changes to no matter undertaking you are engaged on, and is one in every of 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 tasks

Along with note-taking and drafting, Microsoft Loop additionally features as a undertaking administration software. You’ll be able to insert a Kanban into any file within the utility, however there is a devoted undertaking administration template that I like to recommend utilizing if you’re trying to replicate an app resembling 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 permit you to totally create and handle a big undertaking, however it should work greatest in the event you aren’t utilizing Slack and Gmail, and reasonably Groups and Outlook as an alternative.

You’ll be able to customise any column in Microsoft Loop to no matter fits your wants. Lately, Loop was up to date to characteristic rule-based automation, so you may 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 accessible in most, if not all, undertaking administration software program on the market.

The place Microsoft Loop actually shines is in its collaborative features. 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 workforce. It is simple to ask anybody to a workspace by including their Microsoft account e mail to the shape, and it is a good way to tie every part collectively in the event 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’ll be able to share every part in Groups and sync your Outlook to Loop and vice versa, making a Loop an ideal choice in the event you’re already utilizing the Microsoft ecosystem for many issues.

You’ll be able to import lists and paperwork from different Microsoft apps resembling 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 through Loop. This may enormously simplify your workflow, however it should 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 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, encompasses a user-friendly interface and is straightforward to be taught. It is an ideal choice in the event 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 essentially take into account abandoning the productiveness apps I am already utilizing every 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 the event you’re managing a workforce and utilizing Groups as an alternative of Slack alongside Jira or Asana for undertaking administration, Loop supplies a very easy strategy to preserve every part contained inside one ecosystem. That being stated, Microsoft nonetheless has an extended strategy to go to make Loop seamless throughout the Microsoft 365 suite. On this method, Loop is hindered considerably by being throughout the walled palace of the Microsoft 365 suite, particularly with regards to 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 a good way to deliver a number of groups collectively simply, it does not deliver 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 may see it changing into among the best 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 workforce supervisor. In case your workforce is already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite for many issues, however your undertaking administration is in an app resembling Jira, Asana, or Notion, switching over to Loop is value it. In case you’re working outdoors the Microsoft ecosystem, I do not suppose there’s sufficient there to make it value switching.

Microsoft Loop

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