I needed extra from this Microsoft instrument

Microsoft Loop is a kind 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. 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 mission administration instrument

Loop is a note-taking platform that additionally capabilities as a strategy to brainstorm concepts with the remainder of your group, deal with mission administration, and do extra, all inside a single app (or webpage). It needs to be famous that whereas anybody with a Microsoft account can use Loop, you will must 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 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 a substitute of getting to hunt via a protracted toolbar or menus, Loop makes use of slash instructions for formatting capabilities and content material templates. Once you kind / into the physique of textual content in Loop, an inventory 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 mission you are engaged on, and is considered one of 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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Mission 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 mission administration instrument. You may insert a Kanban into any file within the software, however there is a devoted mission administration template that I like to recommend utilizing if you’re seeking to replicate an app resembling Jira, Asana, or Trello.

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

You may customise any column in Microsoft Loop to no matter fits your wants. Lately, Loop was up to date to function rule-based automation, so you’ll be able to create alerts for essential 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, mission 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 group. It is simple to ask anybody to a workspace by including their Microsoft account electronic mail to the shape, and it is a good way to tie every part collectively in the event you work in a group with a number of folks and totally different stakeholders. Loop is seamlessly built-in with different Microsoft merchandise, particularly Outlook and Groups. You may share every part in Groups and sync your Outlook to Loop and vice versa, making a Loop an amazing possibility in the event you’re already utilizing the Microsoft ecosystem for many issues.

You may import lists and paperwork from different Microsoft apps resembling OneNote, Planner, and Phrase into Loop. For instance, a writing group can write its paperwork in Microsoft Phrase, and with the Loop plug-in, ship a hyperlink to their editor through Loop. This will vastly simplify your workflow, however it is going to work finest if you’re already utilizing the total 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, includes a user-friendly interface and is straightforward to study. It is an amazing possibility in the event you work in an workplace and also you and your group are already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite. Nevertheless, it would not differentiate itself sufficient from Notion, Craft, and Coda for me to actually 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. Nevertheless, in the event you’re managing a group and utilizing Groups as a substitute of Slack alongside Jira or Asana for mission administration, Loop offers a very easy strategy to preserve every part contained inside one ecosystem. That being mentioned, Microsoft nonetheless has a protracted 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 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 throughout the Microsoft 365 suite

Microsoft Loop is aimed toward enterprise customers, and whereas it is a good way to carry a number of groups collectively simply, it would 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 may see it turning into among the finest productiveness apps sooner or later, however, for now, it would not do sufficient to distinguish itself from the pack.

I might advocate Loop to any enterprise-level group supervisor. In case your group is already utilizing the Microsoft 365 suite for many issues, however your mission administration is in an app resembling 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 elements like process lists, notes, and mission boards that sync immediately throughout platforms.