Since announcing its Loop collaboration app in overdue 2021, Microsoft has been rolling out a few of its options to Microsoft 365 apps like Groups and Outlook. However the Loop app itself has been in non-public beta. That modified in March when the corporate released the Loop app in public preview.
Loop is an online app that you just use thru a internet browser. It’s additionally to be had as a cell app for Android or iOS, with extra restricted capability. Whilst any person with a Microsoft account can sign up to try out Loop (a minimum of for now), some options might not be to be had with out a Microsoft 365 subscription. Additionally observe that when you’ve got a piece or college Microsoft account, your administrator will wish to enable the Loop app for your organization sooner than you’ll use it.
Let’s check out the Loop app and the way you’ll use it to collaborate along with your workforce. Remember that the preview variations of the internet and cell apps could also be volatile, and lines might trade sooner than the apps are formally launched.
What’s Microsoft Loop?
Microsoft Loop is a brand new productiveness app that we could Microsoft 365 subscribers proportion moveable content material snippets and organize them in a collaborative house. Loop is composed of 3 major parts: Loop elements, Loop pages, and Loop workspaces.
Loop elements are moveable textual content playing cards or snippets — lists, tables, paragraphs, or different codecs — that may be shared with others for collaboration. They may be able to be embedded in more than one Microsoft 365 apps equivalent to Groups and Outlook, and any adjustments made to an element in a single location right away seems in all different places. That approach everybody at all times has probably the most present model of the part regardless of which app they’re running in.
Loop pages are shared virtual canvases that assist you to upload Loop elements and different parts equivalent to textual content, pictures, and comparable data. Your co-workers can collaborate with you on pages that you just’ve shared with them, and all adjustments are synced in actual time.
Loop workspaces are digital areas the place you’ll staff in combination comparable pages. You’ll proportion a workspace along with your co-workers in order that they are able to collaborate with you at the pages it comprises. For example, chances are you’ll wish to create a workspace for a venture your workforce is operating on. This venture workspace may just come with more than one pages for the venture, equivalent to a venture making plans web page, a venture transient, assembly notes, a subject matter tracker, and so forth.
Now we have a separate tale that is going into element about Loop components and how to use them in Microsoft 365 apps. On this tale we’ll center of attention on putting in pages and workspaces within the Loop app. Right here’s learn how to get began the use of the app:
- Create a workspace.
- Upload a number of pages on your workspace.
- Upload textual content and different parts, together with Loop elements, to a web page.
- Percentage a web page or workspace along with your co-workers so they are able to collaborate with you on it.
Making a Loop workspace
From the home page of the Loop web app, click on the + button on the higher proper. At the panel that opens, sort in a reputation on your new workspace.
IDGGrowing a brand new Loop workspace. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
You’ll trade the quilt symbol for the workspace by means of clicking it and settling on every other one from a gallery of pictures and colours. Additionally, you’ll make a choice an emoticon to function an icon on your workspace by means of clicking the sq. + button to the left of the workspace name access field.
While you’ve typed in a reputation and made your different picks, click on Create.
Growing Loop pages
After you create your workspace, you’re taken to its first web page. Within the “Untitled web page” line, sort in a reputation for this web page. You’ll make a choice an emoticon to function an icon on your web page by means of clicking Upload icon. And you’ll upload a canopy symbol for the web page by means of clicking Upload quilt and settling on one from a gallery of pictures and colours.
IDGBeginning a brand new web page in a Loop workspace. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Upload textual content and different parts: Within the “Simply get started typing…” space, sort in textual content or sort / to look an inventory of parts you’ll upload to the web page, together with headings, tables, checklists, development trackers, pictures, and extra. (See “How to use Microsoft Loop in Outlook and Teams“ for extra information about the sorts of Loop parts to be had.) To tag a co-worker, sort @, get started typing their title, after which make a choice their title from the consequences that seem.
IDGSort / to look an inventory of parts you’ll upload to a web page. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Use a template: Alongside the ground of any new web page are thumbnails for templates equivalent to Venture Transient, Group Choice, Assembly Notes, and so forth. As an alternative of beginning a web page from scratch, you’ll make a choice this sort of templates to use a pre-designed structure on your web page. Every template comprises a number of related parts that you’ll customise on your wishes, and you’ll at all times upload extra parts and textual content as wanted. Click on Discover different templates beneath the thumbnails to open a gallery of extra layouts to choose between.
Flip a component right into a Loop part: You’ll make a choice any part in your web page to turn out to be a Loop part that may be shared and edited in different Microsoft 365 apps. As an example, you’ll flip a desk part in your web page right into a Loop part, then embed the desk in every other M365 app, equivalent to in an Outlook electronic mail or Groups chat, with any adjustments showing in actual time anywhere the part is being considered.
Click on the part to make a choice it, then click on the six-dot icon that looks to the left or higher left of the part. From the menu that opens, make a choice Create Loop part.
IDGTurning a web page part right into a Loop part. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
The part can have a line drawn round it with the Loop emblem at its higher left to signify that it’s now a Loop part. To proportion the part in every other app, make a choice the Replica part icon (two overlapping squares) on the higher proper of the part. You’ll then paste the part hyperlink into an Outlook electronic mail or Groups chat.
As of this writing, most effective Outlook, Groups chat, and Whiteboard strengthen Loop elements. It’s anticipated that Loop will quickly be applied into Groups channels, OneNote, and Phrase for the internet.
Including extra pages and subpages
You’ll stay including pages on your workspace.
Upload every other web page: Within the sidebar alongside the left, click on the + button, and from the menu that opens, make a choice New web page.
Upload a subpage: You’ll upload a web page this is branched beneath every other web page. Within the sidebar alongside the left, click on the three-dot icon to the fitting of the web page that you need so as to add a subpage beneath. Then, from the menu that opens, make a choice New subpage.
IDGYou’ll upload subpages (and subsubpages) as wanted. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Growing pages within the Concepts phase
Towards the highest of the sidebar alongside the left, there’s a piece titled “Concepts” the place you’ll paintings on a web page sooner than you upload it to a workspace. This may come in useful if you wish to upload a web page to a workspace that you just’re already be sharing with co-workers, however you’re no longer in a position on your co-workers to look the web page but.
Create a web page in Concepts: Transfer the pointer over Concepts within the sidebar and click on the + that looks to its proper.
IDGMaking a web page in Concepts. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Screenshot: microsoft-loop-06-add-ideas-page.jpg
Caption: Making a web page in Concepts.
Upload an Concepts web page to a workspace: Click on Concepts within the sidebar. A listing of the pages within the Concepts phase opens in the primary window. Transfer the pointer over the web page that you need so as to add to a workspace, click on the three-dot icon, and from the menu that opens, make a choice Upload to workspace.
At the panel that opens, click on the title of the workspace the place you need so as to add the web page. The web page shall be appended because the remaining web page within the workspace.
IDGIncluding an Concepts web page to a Loop workspace. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Restoring a prior model of a web page
The Loop internet app archives more than one variations of a web page as you and your collaborators make adjustments to it. If you make a decision {that a} web page used to be higher sooner than sure adjustments had been made to it, you’ll view the former variations and repair one among them on your workspace.
With the web page open, click on the three-dot icon on the higher proper. From the menu that opens, make a choice Model Historical past. Within the sidebar alongside the fitting, click on the date/time of the former model that you need to view. That model seems in the primary window. Click on the Repair button to switch the web page with this earlier model.
IDGYou’ll view and repair previous variations of a web page. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Sharing a Loop workspace or web page
Within the Loop app, you’ll invite co-workers to collaborate with you on a workspace or a person web page. For those who proportion a workspace, each and every individual you invite can view and make adjustments to any web page in that workspace. For those who proportion a web page, collaborators will be capable to view and edit most effective that web page.
Sharing a workspace
There are two tactics to proportion a workspace:
With any web page in that workspace open in the primary window: Click on the Percentage button on the higher proper. From the menu that opens, make a choice Workspace.
From the house web page of the Loop internet app: Transfer the pointer over the workspace you need to proportion and click on the three-dot icon that looks. From the menu that opens, click on Individuals.
IDGInviting collaborators to a Loop workspace. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Both approach, a panel opens the place you’ll sort within the electronic mail addresses or names of other people to your Microsoft account contacts whom you need to collaborate with. While you’ve completed including names, click on the Invite button. They’re going to be emailed a hyperlink to get entry to the workspace.
Sharing a web page
You’ll proportion a web page that’s in a workspace or within the Concepts phase by the use of one among two sorts of hyperlinks:
- As a internet hyperlink: While you or anyone you invite clicks this hyperlink, the web page opens in a internet browser.
- As a Loop part: While you or anyone you invite pastes this hyperlink inside of an Outlook electronic mail or Groups chat, the web page is embedded in it.
You’ll proportion a web page from Loop’s major window or from the sidebar alongside the left.
With the web page open in the primary window: To proportion the web page as a internet hyperlink, click on the Percentage button on the higher proper and from the menu that opens, make a choice Web page hyperlink. At the panel that opens, click on the Replica button to replicate the hyperlink, which you’ll paste into an electronic mail or chat.
To proportion the web page as a Loop part, click on Percentage > Loop part or click on the dual-square icon to the left of the Percentage button. At the panel that opens, click on the Replica button to replicate the part hyperlink, which you’ll paste into an Outlook message or Groups chat to embed the web page there.
IDGCopying the hyperlink to a shared Loop web page. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
From the left sidebar: You’ll additionally proportion a web page with no need to open it in the primary window. Within the sidebar alongside the left, click on the three-dot icon to the fitting of the web page that you need to proportion. From the menu that opens, click on Percentage web page hyperlink or Percentage Loop part.
Exchange a web page’s sharing permissions: Relying on the kind of Microsoft account you’re the use of and the way the administrator of your paintings or college account have set sharing permissions, get entry to to the web page you’re sharing could also be open to any person with the hyperlink or limited to other people to your group. By way of default, whoever has get entry to will be capable to make adjustments on your web page. You’ll trade who has get entry to and whether or not they are able to edit or most effective view the web page.
At the panel that looks when you choose Percentage > Web page hyperlink or Percentage > Loop part, don’t click on the Replica button straight away. As an alternative, click on the textual content beneath the sharing hyperlink: it is going to most likely say Any individual with the hyperlink can edit or Folks in [your organization] with the hyperlink can edit. This opens the “Sharing settings” panel.
IDGConverting who has get entry to to a Loop web page. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Relying in your account and the permissions set by means of your admin, you’ll have more than a few sharing choices to be had: Any individual, Folks in [your organization], Folks with present get entry to, or Particular other people. Folks with present get entry to are the ones you’ve tagged within the web page with the @ command. If you select Particular other people, you’ll input electronic mail addresses or names of contacts you need to ask to collaborate at the web page.
To switch the permissions so that any one with get entry to to the web page can view it however no longer edit it: Within the “Sharing settings” panel underneath “Extra settings,” click on Can edit, and from the drop-down menu that opens, make a choice Can view.
And once more relying in your form of account and the way it’s configured, there could also be two extra settings that you’ll make a choice. First, you’ll set an expiration date for the hyperlink. It’s going to now not paintings after a date that you select. And you’ll set a password — when anyone clicks the internet hyperlink on your web page or pastes the Loop part hyperlink for it, they’ll have to go into this password first.
IDGSome customers can set an expiration date and password for get entry to to a web page. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
After you’re making your picks, click on the Practice button towards the ground. The custom designed hyperlink on your web page shall be generated for copying.
Managing your Loop workspaces and pages
It’s simple to create new workspaces, navigate amongst Loop workspaces and pages, and carry out different movements like renaming or deleting pages and workspaces.
Create a brand new workspace: With a web page open in the primary window, click on the title of your workspace within the sidebar alongside the left. From the menu that opens, make a choice New workspace.
IDGYou’ll simply swap to every other workspace or create a brand new one. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Screenshot: microsoft-loop-13-switch-workspace.jpg
Caption: You’ll simply swap to every other workspace or create a brand new one.
Navigate to another workspace: With a web page open in the primary window, click on the title of your workspace within the left sidebar. From the menu that opens, click on the title of every other workspace or make a choice Browse all workspaces to visit the Loop house web page and make a choice every other workspace there.
Rename or delete a workspace: Cross to the house web page of the Loop internet app, transfer the pointer over a workspace, and click on the three-dot icon that looks. From the menu that opens, click on Rename and elegance or Delete.
IDGClick on the three-dot icon for a workspace to take movements equivalent to opening it, renaming it, or deleting it. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Exchange the order of pages in a workspace: Within the left sidebar, transfer the pointer over a web page that you need to transport. Click on-and-hold the web page, drag it up or down, and let it cross the place you need it to be set alongside your checklist of pages.
Rename or delete a web page: Within the left sidebar, transfer the pointer over a web page and click on the three-dot icon that looks. From the menu that opens, click on Rename and elegance or Delete.
IDGA number of instructions are to be had whilst you click on the three-dot icon to the fitting of a web page. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
Replica a web page to every other workspace: Within the left sidebar, transfer the pointer over a web page and click on the three-dot icon that looks. From the menu that opens, click on Upload to workspace, then make a choice the title of every other workspace that you just’ve already created. A duplicate of this web page shall be added to that workspace.
The use of the Loop cell app
The Microsoft Loop cell app (for Android and iOS gadgets) is in preview unlock as of this writing. It means that you can view Loop pages that you just created within the internet app in addition to Loop elements that you just created in Microsoft 365 apps.
You’ll open a workspace that you just created within the internet app, and examine and edit the pages in it. However the cell app doesn’t be capable to assist you to create a workspace or upload pages to a workspace.
IDGYou’ll view workspaces and edit pages in them by the use of the cell app. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
You’ll additionally create new pages the use of the cell app. The entire parts described above that you’ll upload to a Loop web page the use of the internet app also are to be had within the cell app. You’ll proportion your pages and set permissions by the use of the cell app as neatly.
IDGYou’ll create and proportion pages by the use of the cell app. (Click on symbol to magnify it.)
There are further obstacles to the cell app that fluctuate relying on whether or not you’re the use of the Android or iOS app. See Microsoft’s Loop mobile FAQ for main points.
Copyright © 2023 IDG Communications, Inc.
