Microsoft Loop: Think, Plan and Create Together
Last updated on March 31st, 2024
Microsoft’s ever expanding suite of Microsoft 365 apps continue to provide productivity tools to help enhance the way people work together. Microsoft Loop is one such app, which provides online collaboration options with the support of Copilot, Microsoft’s AI powered orchestration engine.
What is Microsoft Loop?
Microsoft Loop provides workspaces that can be used to collaborate online. You can create independent blocks that can be used for sharing ideas, project planning, tracking progress, discussing PowerPoint presentations, note taking, and more. Many of the features of Microsoft Loop make it an alternative to the freemium Notion software.
Loop is available for Microsoft 365 subscribers. You can use Microsoft Loop for your organization by integrating it with your organizational accounts or use it for personal use for friends and family. Microsoft Loop syncs real-time with other Microsoft apps such as Teams and Outlook. This allows end users to seamlessly collaborate and work across different Microsoft 365 apps by carrying their collaborative workspace for effective task management.
Getting Started with Microsoft Loop
Creating a Workspace
Microsoft Loop can be accessed by Microsoft 365 users via loop.microsoft.com, Android, or iOS apps. You can get started by creating a new workspace.
Working with Pages
Within a workspace you can create one or more pages. These pages can be used for adding components.
A page can have anything from a PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet, or Word document to polls, tables, checklists, code, etc. For example, you can create a blank page or use a template to start a project brief, discussion for a team decision, plan projects, and create meeting notes. Furthermore, you can also paste a URL to add a page, component, or link within a workspace.
Working with Components
In the workspace you can create new components. A component within a page can include a variety of elements which can even include your files, tables, dividers, images, and content from supported apps. You can also use Copilot Pro to generate content on the fly.
The below example shows how we searched for a PowerPoint presentation from a Microsoft account to include within Loop. Similarly, you can search and include files to instantly embed them in a page to suit your needs, as well as add other elements to craft your Loop.
Collaborating Online
Microsoft Loop is all about collaboration. You can collaborate to think, plan, and create online by inviting others to join your workspace. Loop allows up to 50 people to work on a single workspace simultaneously.
Like other Microsoft apps, the Share button at the top enables access to instant sharing options. You can share the complete Workspace, the page link, or copy to embed the Loop component in supported Microsoft 365 apps.
Version History
Loop comes with version history to ensure that you can access older versions of your work to help you go back to older versions to restore. This is essential when there are multiple users involved on an online collaboration project, since important information can often be overwritten or omitted by mistake or the team might choose to switch back to an older version.
Microsoft Loop Explained
if you would like to dive deeper into the various features of Microsoft Loop, see the video below that provides an overview of how you can change the way you work using Loop.
Final Words
Microsoft Loop can help power your daily tasks with the support of online collaboration features and AI. By integrating Loop in your daily work routine, you can enable cocreation of content, as you collaborate with your teams, plan and execute tasks, and track your progress. Microsoft Loop can also have a variety of other uses. You can use it as a mind mapping tool, note taking app, a space to share content, and more. Hence, how you integrate Loop in your workflow is entirely up to you, with endless possibilities to think, collaborate, and create.
