Both business and private users can test the new Microsoft Loop elements with their account.

Microsoft Loop was originally announced in 2021 as a “synchronized canvas that can collaborate on data from other Office apps.” Two years later, that’s still the goal. Working together and creating something new together is in the foreground. The concept is very similar to Notion, an app that aggregates data between numerous applications such as Adobe, Figma, and Amazon.

With Microsoft Loop, the software giant is following its own course with the numerous Office apps at its core. Loop Pages are essentially blank canvases for people to share and then collaborate on. There are several templates available to help you get started.

Within such a canvas, you can also easily search for content between the Office apps. Microsoft Loop even suggests different documents to link to as you design. Up to 50 people can work together in a digital workspace, although Microsoft says it’s quite large (via The Verge). Rather, it is aimed at smaller groups of two to twelve users.

Cooperation as enrichment

There is an extensive task scheduler with features that you can expect from such a tool. It includes Planner and To-Do, two services that Microsoft already offers today. Microsoft Loop connects them into a clearer whole for better project tracking.

When it comes to collaboration, Loop impresses the most. Microsoft developed the tool in the middle of the pandemic and today provided many additional functions through the hybrid workshop. For example, you can put smileys on things to get appreciation for your work, and you can “poke” people to draw their attention to a project.

Work together anywhere, including mobile

Today only the web environment is available for testing. Over time, Microsoft Loop should also get a mobile app for Android and iOS. You won’t create or edit new documents along the way, but you can conveniently keep track of tasks and quickly add a photo or video to a project.

Microsoft emphasizes that the mobile version of Loop will not be a copy of the desktop experience. “We want to make it easy for everyone to take things on mobile and focus on small adjustments you can make on the go.”

Microsoft Loop is an evolution of the Fluid framework that pulls all kinds of data from Office apps. For example, you can conveniently send a loop window in an email to a colleague with additional information. If this information is updated in the meantime, until the person opens their email, they will immediately see the latest information in the loop element.

The same applies to conversations within Microsoft teams. In the long term, you can conveniently add such a loop window, which will immediately share the latest updates with colleagues.

Microsoft 365 Copilot AI

Going forward, Microsoft sees an important role for Microsoft 365 Copilot, the intelligent AI announced last week within the Office suite. This is useful for brainstorming. Microsoft even speaks of one multiplayerComponent where you and your colleagues can ask the AI ​​chatbot questions and manipulate each other’s answers.

Microsoft is already testing the Copilot AI feature internally. It is not yet clear when this feature will actually be rolled out to other users. It seems logical to us that Microsoft 365 Copilot would first be rolled out to Office apps to gain experience there, before being put into Microsoft Loop where it needs to aggregate all this data.

You can test Microsoft Loop today via this link. Both personal and business accounts can work with it, although in professional environments you may need to ask IT to allow loop components. If this does not happen, after registering in the portal, you will receive a notification that you do not have access to Microsoft Loop.