Month: September 2024

Microsoft 365 Ask Me Anything sessions – 2024 / 25

We’re back for the 2024 / 25 Academic Year!

Based on feedback at the end of the last series we are continuing to run these, on the second Tuesday at 10.00 and the fourth Tuesday at 09:00, each month.

How do I join the sessions?

We’re making it simpler to get signed up for these sessions / add them to your calendar this year.  For those who have already become members of the site (signed up last year), we have sent the invitations to you directly.

 

For those who haven’t signed up before, please follow the instructions below.

 

  1. Head over to The Microsoft 365 Ask Me Anything Pages at https://imperiallondon.sharepoint.com/sites/M365AMAPages
  2. On the home page, scroll down until you see the “Ask Me Anything Sessions – 2024 / 25” section.
  3. The section will display a message about the group being deleted – it hasn’t (it’s a SharePoint quirk!).  Click on the link “The Microsoft Ask Me Anything Pages” to join the membership group …
    Screenshot showing the message about the group being deleted.
    Initial “deleted group” message

    You will be automatically added to the group and see a page as follows …

    Screenshot showing successful joining of the group
    Successful joining of the group
  4. Now close the tab with the “You’ve joined this group” message and refresh the SharePoint page.  You will then see the upcoming sessions.
  5. Click on the title for a session and then in the window click on “Add event to your calendar” and choose whether you want to add the single occurrence or the series.
    Screenshot showing how to add the event to your calendar
    How to add the occurrence or series to your calendar
  6. If you add the series then you need to just go to one entry for each series (2nd Tuesday vs 4th Tuesday) and add that series.
  7. You will get an ICS file downloaded which will either be for the single date or the session depending on your choice in step 3.
  8. Open the ICS file that has downloaded and accept the invitation to add the event or series into your calendar. Repeat for the second series or for as many sessions as you wish to join individually!

 

Once you’ve done that check your calendar for the entries to the meeting including the join link for Teams.

 

We look forward to welcoming you in October 2024.

Coloured Folders in OneDrive for Business

In mid 2023, Microsoft introduced the option to choose colours for folders in OneDrive for Business on the web.

Microsoft is bringing coloured folders to OneDrive within the Microsoft Windows File Explorer starting in mid-September 2024 and scheduled to finish by mid-October 2024.

If you have used coloured folders on the web version of OneDrive then these will be replicated in the OneDrive in your Windows File Explorer.

Once the change happens, you can also update and manage the colour for folders in your OneDrive from within the File Explorer.

Screenshot showing the menu to change folder colours in OneDrive within the Windows File Explorer
Manage Folder Colours from Windows File Explorer

Microsoft 365 Updates – Summer 2024

This blog article rounds up a number of recently announced or released updates during the Summer of 2024.

 

Teams Breakout Rooms – choose your room

Planned for release by late October – Meeting Organisers using Breakout Rooms will be able to choose whether participants are assigned to specific breakout rooms in advance or whether they can choose which breakout room to join.  This will prove useful for meeting participants where organisers wish to allow participants a choice.

Meeting organisers should look for the new feature in the breakout rooms panel when setting up the breakout rooms.

 

Screenshot showing organiser view of breakout rooms and how to set to allow attendees to choose the room they join
Organiser view of breakout room setup for attendee choice

 

Screenshot of attendee experience when breakout room choice is available
Attendee view of breakout room choice

Available late October 2024

 

OneNote for Windows 10

As previously advised, Microsoft are ending support for the OneNote for Windows 10 application at the end of October 2025.

You are recommended to use the OneNote Windows application which is bundled with the Office 365 download.

OneNote for Windows now supports the option to move the navigation bar to the left side of the app providing a consistent navigation experience across all OneNote apps.

 

Support ends October 2025

 

Microsoft Teams – Rename the General channel

From mid-September 2024, Team owners will be able to rename the General channel to something more meaningful for their team.

If you rename the General channel you cannot rename it back to General at a later date.

When changed the channel will appear in alphabetical order amongst any other channels created.

The renamed channel cannot be archived or deleted.

 

Available mid September 2024

 

Microsoft Teams – New skin tone settings and reactions

From late October 2024, new skin tone settings will be enabled to allow users to choose a preferred skin tone for relevant emojis and reactions across chats, channels and meetings on all Teams platforms (Teams for Desktop, Teams for web, Teams for Mac and Teams Mobile).

 

Screenshot showing how to set the skintone within the Settings in MS Teams
Set your skintone via the settings in MS Teams

 

Screenshot showing how to set skintone within the emojis element of Teams reactions
Set skintone via the emojis element in MS Teams reactions

 

Available late October 2024

 

Microsoft Teams – Notify when available

You can now get notified when a colleague’s status changes to available.

You can subscribe to the notifications by doing the following

Right click (or tap on the “…”) on a person in the chat list view and choose “Notify when available”

Screenshot showing how to set the "notify when available" option in MS Teams.
How to set “Notify when available”

 

Available now

 

MS Teams – Calendar Notifications

You will now see calendar notifications in Teams through the Activity Feed.  You will also be able to accept or reject calendar invitations through this activity feed view.

You can change this through the “Notifications and activity” section of Teams settings.

This is one by default in your activity feed.

Screenshot showing how to edit the calendar notifications in the activity feed
How to change the calendar notifications for the Activity Feed

Available now

 

MS Teams – Emojis, GIFs and Stickers in One Picker

Microsoft have simplified the selection of emojis, gifs and stickers, bringing all elements into one unified picker in MS Teams.

Screenshot showing the simplified emjoi, GIF and sticker picker now available in MS Teams
Screenshot of the simplified emjoi, GIF and sticker picker.

 

Available now