Microsoft has started rolling out new lightweight taskbar apps for Microsoft 365 users on Windows 11.
These apps, called Microsoft 365 companion apps, automatically launch at startup and give users quick access to contacts, file search, and calendar directly from the Windows taskbar.
The rollout began this month for business users of Microsoft 365. The three main companion apps include:
- People companion: Provides an interactive company org chart and lets you easily find and contact anyone in your organization. You can start a Teams chat or call, or send an email quickly.
- File Search companion: Allows fast searching for Microsoft 365 files right from the taskbar. You can search by file name, author, or keywords across OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, and Outlook. It also lets you preview files before opening them and includes filtering and sharing options.
- Calendar companion: Gives a quick view of your Microsoft 365 calendar, showing upcoming events and allowing you to search for appointments or join meetings instantly.
These apps were in beta for several months following their announcement at Microsoft’s Ignite conference last year. Now they are generally available for business users and will be automatically installed on Windows 11 devices with Microsoft 365 apps. IT administrators can disable the automatic installation if needed, and users can prevent the apps from launching at startup.
This new addition aims to streamline workflow by bringing essential Microsoft 365 tools closer to users without opening full apps, improving productivity on Windows 11.
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