How to use Microsoft Loop | Practical Guide

Since the announcement of Microsoft Loop at the end of 2021, the company has incorporated its resources into the applications of Microsoft 365, like the famous teams and Outlook, keeping the beta phase private. With the arrival of the preview version this year, users can start trying out the newest project manager of brand.

Created to offer a revolutionary collaborative experience when it comes to teamwork, content and tasks across different tools and devices, the program has become a great interest for those who want to work more easily and practically.

It is important to remember that although anyone with an account Microsoft While you can currently try it out, some features may require a subscription to Microsoft 365. Additionally, in the case of corporate or educational accounts, the administrator needs to enable the application so that other users can also have access.

With a focus on versatility, the loop offers a range of utilities for both project management and personal organization:

• Routine Management: an agenda to establish and track daily tasks.

• Definition of Goals and Objectives: planner to create and track goals, like a study plan or personal goals.

• Control of Deadlines and Tasks: It helps manage deadlines and responsibilities, such as paying bills or other obligations.

• Activity Lists: Allows you to create lists for different purposes, such as grocery shopping or household chores.

• Long Term Planning: Great for projects that require extended planning, like organizing a trip or upcoming events.

• Progress Tracking: It makes it easier to track and monitor progress on personal projects, such as a renovation or any undertaking that requires step-by-step monitoring.

Furthermore, it is based on three central elements: pages, components e workspaces.

Components are basically snippets of text to be shared, such as lists or paragraphs, and used for collaboration in various other applications such as Microsoft Teams and Outlook, previously mentioned. This way, any change you make to one component is immediately reflected everywhere, which keeps everything up to date.

Pages are places where you can add text, images and components, and enable real-time collaboration between people. Workspaces are virtual environments that group related pages and simplify collaboration on projects. They can also contain planning pages, summaries, meeting notes, and other information.

• Website: available on Microsoft Loop website, just access it by signing in with your Microsoft account on any device.
• Windows: The PC application is available for installation from Microsoft Store.
• Android: find the app in Google Play Store.
• iPhone / iPad: the application can be found in App Store, without a version adapted for the iPad.

How much

While Loop is in the Public Preview period, Microsoft will keep the platform free for personal accounts, with exclusive features for subscribers Microsoft 365. However, it is worth noting that there are usage limits at this time:

• 5 GB in size for each Loop workspace
• 5 workspaces created for each user
• 50 members for a workplace

Microsoft Loop vs. Notion

The truth is that, since the launch of loop, many comparisons were made with the application Notion, your competitor. But although they share several similarities, there are differences between the two programs that can help you choose the best option.

Templates:

Both options offer ready-made design templates to get started, but each follows a different path. You can use them as is or even as a starting point to create something custom.

Models (templates) They can be very useful as they help save time, allowing you to avoid starting from scratch with each new project — which, let's face it, can be a little exhausting. The ability to customize them to fit your workflow is a big plus, and they also span multiple categories, making it easy to find what you need quickly.

Integration

Both apps ensure a seamless experience, allowing users to move between multiple tools seamlessly. However, some details can make a big difference.

With loop, it is expected to integrate harmoniously with other products in the Microsoft. On the other hand, the Notion stands out for its integration that covers different collaboration platforms such as Zoom, Slack e Google. In this case, this ends up being especially advantageous for companies that rely heavily on constant communication tools. The fundamental idea behind a workspace is to have all associated applications working together fluidly, to facilitate and avoid limitation problems. Constantly switching between apps while working, for example, can be cumbersome.

Artificial Intelligence

O Microsoft Loop uses AI Copilot to offer contextual suggestions, helping to materialize your ideas. On the other hand, the Notion Take advantage of this technology to automate more tiring tasks. As its model is more advanced, it is also capable of helping with writing, explaining, translating, among other functions.

The idea is that by using AI to automate these tasks, you can spend more time moving forward and achieving your goals, without wasting time on monotonous work.

Price

When it comes to choosing a good project management tool, the main thing is usually the price, especially since they usually come in monthly subscriptions. Both the loop as much as Notion They offer a free version, but there are somewhat significant differences in terms of prices.

O Notion presents several pricing options, with a free version, as well as its package Enterprise. The main difference in prices is related to the increase in the number of guest collaborators as you progress through the plans. Therefore, it is worth choosing a plan that fits the work that will be carried out, as well as the size of the team. Values ​​vary, for example, from $8 (R$39,21 at the current rate) for the plan Plus to $15 (R$73,51 at the current rate) for the plan Business per month, which is quite affordable, considering all the resources available.

As mentioned previously, it is still a little difficult to compare the two programs in this regard, since the Microsoft Loop remains free for trial version. Still, if we consider the possibility of joining the other applications of Microsoft, the cost-benefit must be taken into account, after all, it would not need to be purchased separately and would also come with a package of other very useful programs in terms of productivity.

Collaboration

It has already been highlighted that both applications are excellent for collaboration, but differ in their ability to edit simultaneously in the workspace. In this regard, for some, the Notion may stand out, but for others, the loop seems to be more advantageous.

No Notion, an unlimited number of users can edit at the same time, with all changes reflected instantly. Already in the application Microsoft, the limit for simultaneous editing is up to 50 people, although a maximum of 12 at a time is suggested by the company. The reason is that this limitation avoids overloading the workspace.

Even though there is a limit only in loop, it is prudent that when using the Notion, a limit is considered to prevent several simultaneous changes to workspaces from compromising their integrity.

Safety

This is one of the main points that stands out in the dispute between loop ou Notion. While both offer encryption for protection, in Notion, it is exclusive to the plan Enterprise. Any other type of signature does not offer maximum security. Features like audit logs and one-time logins are reserved for premium members only.

Now at loop, this part requires more collective work, as users need to create security groups with their association with the Azure AD. From there, administrators grant access to users, but can also cancel it at any time. Compared to its competitor, this application approach can be considered safer in some ways, as it allows administrators to monitor and detect possible security risks and prevent themselves.

In general, different opinions are expressed on the internet, as one option excites the public and the other has already become popular with users. Still, the loop seems to be doing well and changing opinions. Currently, only the Outlook, the chat teams and Whiteboard support the application components. Still, the expectation is that it will soon be incorporated into the OneNote and Word for the web.

O Microsoft Loop is available for download at Microsoft Store, and in its web version, it is necessary to have the Windows 10 or superior. As for the mobile versions, you can download it from iOS e Android.

Creating a workspace

How to use loop for the first time? You need to create a workspace. To do this, once you download the application, gain access to your account and a welcome page appears, simply press the two small arrows next to Introduction in the sidebar, and then choose New workspace.

With a new window displayed, simply enter a name for the new environment. After that, just click Create.

An observation is that regarding the workspace cover, it is also possible to choose another image from the image gallery, as well as the design with other available colors.

Creating pages

After creating the workspace, you will soon be directed to its first page. In the section Untitled page, just define a name for it and, if you want, choose a representative icon using the button add icon.

If you want to include a cover image on the page, just click Add cover and select an image from the available gallery.

Add texts and elements

In the field Start typing…, you can enter some text or just type “/” to see a variety of elements available to be added, such as titles, tables, checklists, and more.

If you want to mention someone, just type “@” followed by the person’s name and select it from the results displayed.

Use a template

To use a template, that is, a type of pre-formatted template or pattern, you must go to the bottom of the page and select Template Gallery. Once you have already chosen the one you prefer, just finish by clicking on Use this template.

Each suggested option can also be adjusted as needed, in addition to allowing you to add more elements and texts as desired.

Transform an element into a component

Any element can also become a component in the Microsoft Loop, so that it can be shared and even edited in other coupled applications of the Microsoft 365.

You must select the element by clicking on it and then click on the six-dot icon located to the left or above that element. In the menu that appears, choose Create Loop component.

This way, the element will be marked with a line and the application logo, indicating that it has become a component. To share it in another application, just click on a picture of two overlapping boxes in the upper right corner, which form the icon Copy component. This will allow you to obtain the link and paste it into an email from Outlook or in a conversation teams, for example.

Add pages and subpages

If you want to expand the workspace with more pages, it is also possible via the “+” button on the left side panel. So, just choose the option New page on the menu.

In the case of something more specific like a subpage, just click on the three dots next to the desired page in the side panel and select New subpage.

Creating pages in the ideas section

the section Ideas It has the advantage of being able to work on pages before adding them to a workspace, which can be useful when sharing with a team, but at times when you still don't want the page to be seen.

To create a page in this field, just hover the cursor over the button Ideas at the top of the left side panel, and click on the “+” that will appear.

To add one of these created pages to a workspace, you need to click Ideas again, and wait for a list of pages in that area to be displayed in the main window. So, just hover the cursor over the desired page, click on the three dots and select Add to workspace in the options menu. After that, just choose the name of the workspace where you want the page added.

Restoring the previous version of a page

Exclusive to the app Microsoft Loop On the web, multiple versions of a page are allowed to persist while you and others make changes to it. If you prefer an earlier version of the page, you can view the version history and simply restore one of them to your workspace.

With the page open, you need to click on the three dots icon in the top right corner and select version history. In the side panel on the right, the date/time of the desired previous version must be chosen so that it is displayed in the main window. So, to replace the page with the selected version, just click Restore.

Sharing pages and workspace

Always valuing teamwork, Microsoft Loop it also allows you to invite people to collaborate in a workspace or on a page.

When sharing a workspace, each person can view and edit any page in it. When sharing a page, collaborators will only have access to that page for viewing and editing.

Sharing the workspace

Here, there are two ways to share a workspace:

• With a page open from that space in the main window, you will click the Share in the upper right corner and choose Work space on the menu.

• Exclusive to the web app, just hover your cursor over the desired workspace and click the three-dot icon. Then, with the appearance of Members In the options menu, just select it.

In both cases, a panel will open where you can enter the email addresses or names of the people you want to invite. Once you do, just click Invite and they will automatically receive an email with a link to access the workspace.

Sharing a page

In this case, you can also share in two ways:

• With the page open in the main window, just click the button Share in the upper right corner and choose Page link ou Loop Component.
• In the side panel, simply click on the three dots next to the page and select Link share page ou Share Loop component.

When you do this, depending on the account, you can adjust the editing or viewing permissions for the page; allow broad access for viewing or restrict for specific editing; in addition to being able to set an expiration date for the link or add an access password, if you wish.

Managing pages and workspace

O Microsoft Loop allows the creation of new spaces and pages until performing basic actions such as renaming or deleting.

To manage a workspace the way you want, you can:

• Create a new one: With a page open, you must go to your space in the sidebar and choose New workspace on the menu.

• Switch to another: In the sidebar, click on the name of your current space and select another one from the list. Another way is to go to the Loop home page to choose another one.

• Rename or delete one: On the home page, hover over a workspace and choose Rename and style ou Delete in the three-point menu.

Regarding pages, it is possible:

• Change their order in a workspace: In the sidebar, just drag and drop the page to the desired position.

• Rename or delete it: You need to hover over the page in the sidebar, click on the three dots and choose Rename and style ou Delete.

• Copy one to another workspace: Just hover your mouse over the page, click on the three dots, select Add to workspace and choose the space where you want to copy the page.

It is also worth remembering that since its launch, much of the Microsoft Loop It has been talked about and even tested by users. Until then, what was known was that new features could be added to improve the entire program, which actually came to fruition with the announcement of four new features to improve the management of everything. Are they:

• Status in workspaces

The status in workspaces will be released in the future, basically with the aim of highlighting changes or deadlines, so that these types of information gain greater focus.

• Files and documents according to descriptions

A new intelligent optimization function allows the attachment of files and documents to a workspace based on the project description.

• Integration with Power automat

Loop can now be integrated into the application Power automat, software to help with workflow. This combination can help simplify task management, including the ability to notify the team when there are updates within the application.

• Workspace creation from Microsoft Teams

By the end of the year, the application will also feature a tool that will simplify the creation of a workspace in the loop after a meeting at teams. Basically, notes and other documents shared during the meeting can be attached promptly.

See also: How to use Microsoft Designer

How to use Microsoft Designer

Sources: Microsoft, Computer World, Windows Report

reviewed by Glaucon Vital in 20 / 1 / 24.