We recently reported on Microsoft’s annual event, Ignite. Ignite 2022 brought a plethora of announcements from the tech giant, including the brand-new Microsoft 365 app. If you missed our previous news piece on the topic, Microsoft 365 will replace Office 365 as Microsoft’s dedicated productivity suite.
Now, in the previous article, we quoted Microsoft as saying that nothing major will change in the move from the Office app to the 365 app. However, the most recent information on the subject paints a very different picture. We joked in the last article that the only aspects that change between the two apps are a new icon and a new-look interface. As it turns out, a lot more changes are happening.
Microsoft released a video in which it explains the 365 app. The video is incredibly short, at only 55 seconds in length, so don’t expect terribly much information. However, it does highlight a few key elements of the app:
- You’ll be able to search for files according to by whom they were shared
- You’ll also be able to create new content easily with new pre-designed templates
- The app will act as a hub for all your productivity apps, be they Microsoft, industry or company-specific, or general third-party apps
- You’ll be able to prepare for meetings and see upcoming events and dates of importance with even more ease with the new Feed interface
- The Feed interface will also show you updates from individuals you follow
- You’ll have quick access to all your most important and recent files
All in all, this new app seems like the slingshot many of us have been looking for in an effort to create a more organized, productive, and intuitive professional environment. However, there’s a caveat. Even though the app is already listed on the Google Play Store, it seems to just be the old Office app. In fact, that’s exactly what it is. Office has now been renamed to Office (Microsoft 365), and, as yet, it features limited functionality compared to those we saw in the video.
Microsoft has said that the Office mobile app, the Office app for Windows, and Office.com will morph into the Microsoft 365 app on their respective devices ‘in the coming months.’ As amazing as the new functionality seems, we don’t have a release date as yet.
If you’d like to read our first piece, you can find it here: Microsoft 365 announced as Office successor.
