A Guide To Using The Microsoft Teams Updates App

Microsoft Teams has evolved over the past several years from a straight instant messaging tool to an all-encompassing productivity solution aimed at transforming the way businesses operate. Microsoft continues to augment Microsoft Teams core capabilities by adding new apps and widgets to Teams that can help automate, digitize and streamline workflows. Considering the popularity of apps such as the Microsoft Teams Milestones App, it is no surprise that Microsoft added the Updates App to Teams.

What Is The Microsoft Teams Updates App Used For?

The Updates App was released at the end of May 2022 and was designed to help businesses digitize manual and paper-based processes by allowing users to create forms directly in Teams and submit them to reviewers for review and approval. The Updates app allows users to create form templates from scratch and also features several pre-built templates including shift hand-off, store opening, facility inspections, and weekly updates. Forms can be published ad-hoc when an update is required, or they can be scheduled to automatically request an update on a recurring basis. Users can access the app through both the Teams desktop and mobile app, the latter of which makes this solution ideal for businesses with frontline operational staff. For example, an organization with large maintenance operations can have users fill out digital maintenance request forms on a cell phone from the Updates app through a mobile device while out in the field and have that data accessible in an office in near real-time to facilitate faster ordering of parts or equipment.

How To Access The Microsoft Teams Updates App

The Microsoft Teams Updates app is used primarily as a standalone app that appears in the app bar on the left side of the Teams user interface. When clicking into the Updates app from the app bar, users can complete an update form, view submitted update forms, create custom update forms, and schedule update requests. To access the Microsoft Teams Updates app, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Click the “more added apps” button on the app bar.

Step 2: Search for and select “Updates”. Note that if the app is not visible in the app catalog, it might not be enabled in your Microsoft environment. If it is not visible, contact your Microsoft 365 Administrator and request that it be enabled.

Step 3: This is going to bring up the Microsoft Teams Updates app overview card. Click “add” to install the app.

Step 4: The Updates app icon will be displayed on the app bar. Clicking on it will bring you into the primary user interface for the app.

How To Submit Updates In The Microsoft Teams Updates App

Updates (or forms) can be submitted in the app on-demand (i.e. when it is required as determined by a user) or can be scheduled and assigned to users for completion. To submit updates, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Click into the updates app. On the landing page, there are two groups of updates that can be provided. The first is scheduled updates. This section of the interface will display updates that have been scheduled and assigned to you to complete. The update card will display the type, the user that assigned the update, and the due date. The second group features templated updates that can be completed on-demand. Note that the app features several pre-built update types.

Step 2: To submit an update, click on the card, enter all of the required information and click submit. The screenshot below illustrates the Daily Update template which is intended to collect generic updates on the progress of work performed.

How To Create A Custom Form In The Microsoft Teams Updates App

One of the best features of the Microsoft Teams Updates app is that it allows users to create custom update forms that can be used to facilitate any type of basic data entry. Combine this with the power of the Teams mobile app (through which the Updates app can be accessed) and users can submit data from pretty much anywhere. Forms can include free text type fields, choice type fields, and date fields. The app documentation suggests that users can also submit pictures through the app but, I was unable to find this functionality. To create a custom form in the Teams Updates app follow these steps.

Step 1: Click on the Updates app icon in the app bar and then click on “create and manage templates”.

Step 2: Click on “new template”.

Step 3: You can create a template by starting from a blank form or you can create one based on one of the many templates that are included in the app. To create a new template click “start from blank”.

Step 4: Enter a name for the form and a description. Once complete, click “next”.

Step 5: You’ll notice that the text “form design” is highlighted on the pane on the left-hand side. This is intended to tell you what form-building step you’re on. At any point, click on one of the options (i.e. basic settings, form design, workflow settings) to return to that step in the process. To start adding questions to your form, click “+ add new”.

Step 6: Select the question type that you want to add to your form. The options include free text, choice, and date. At this point, you’ll also note that the question builder interface is identical to the question builder in Microsoft Forms. It’s clear that Microsoft has reused some components of Forms to build this app.

Step 7: When building out your form, you will need to enter your form question and will want to check whether the question is optional or required. Note that you can delete a question by clicking on the trash bin icon and can rearrange questions by clicking the up-down arrows. The screenshot below illustrates the addition of a date type question where the submitter will be prompted to record the date that a customer complaint was received. When ready to add another question, click “+ add new”.

Step 8: When building out free text questions as outlined in the screenshot below, you can set the response type to a long answer which allows for more information to be collected by toggling on “long answer”. Note that with all question types you can also enter a subtitle which is useful for providing additional instructions on the type of information to be entered by clicking on “…” and then selecting “subtitle”. This will add space below the question where you can enter additional text.

Step 9: When building out choice-type questions, enter your question text and then enter the different choice options that submitters can select from. If you want to add additional options, select “+ add option” and additional fields will be added. If you want to allow submitters to enter a custom other response when submitting the form, check “add other option”. If you want to allow submitters to select multiple responses when filling out the form, toggle “multiple answers” on. Lastly, if you want to display the choice type question in a drop-down field instead of a choice picker, click “…” and select “drop-down”.

Step 10: Once you finalize your form, click “next”.

Step 11: The next step is to configure the workflow settings for the update form. Note that workflow functionality involves simply selecting the users who should have access to the form and who should be able to review submitted instances of the form. Search for and select the users who you want to be able to submit the form in the “submitters” field. Note that only the individuals selected here will be able to access and submit the form. Search for and select the users who you want to be able to review submitted forms in the “viewers” field.

Step 12: You can also create a schedule for the form to be completed. Enabling this will simply have Teams fire a notification to the submitters in their activity feed requesting that they complete the form. To do this, toggle “Advanced Settings” on and then select the frequency in the “repeat” field and select the date and time. Once complete, click “publish” to publish the form.

Step 13: The update form will be published and available to those users added in the viewer form.

Step 14: The screenshot below outlines the activity feed notification that submitters will receive and also displays how the card appears in the Microsoft Teams user interface.

How To Edit Or Disable A Form In The Microsoft Teams Updates App

Once a custom form is published, it can be updated to add new questions or to revise or remove existing questions. It can also be disabled which means that it will no longer be visible to submitters.

Step 1: To edit a custom form, click into the updates app and then click on the “manage updates” tab. Next, find the form and click on the “…” at the end of the form row and click on “edit”. To disable the form, click on “disable”.

How To Use The Microsoft Teams Updates App In A Team, Chat, Or Meeting

The Microsoft Teams Updates app includes chatbot functionality that allows users to invoke or initiate the app in a Team channel post, chat, or meeting chat simply by typing “@updates”. After installing the app as outlined above, follow these steps to invoke the app in a team, chat or meeting chat.

Step 1: In a channel post compose box, type “@Updates”. This is going to display the Updates app as a suggestion. Click on “updates”.

Step 2: Next, click on the “+ create update” command.

Step 3: Next, you will be prompted to either write an update which will allow you to select one of the available templates or custom forms that you have access to, or to request an update which will allow you to select an update form and post it to the team such that all members are prompted to fill out the form. The next steps will focus on requesting an update from the team members.

Step 4: Next, select the specific update form you would like team members to provide.

Step 5: Click “pick this template”.

Step 6: Next, you can edit the form template before publishing it. Once you’ve edited the form or if you want to use it as is, click “next”.

Step 7: Next, you will be prompted to update the workflow settings for the form. This will allow you to schedule this form to be posted to the channel of the team on the cadence you select. If you do not want to schedule the post, then toggle “advanced settings” off. Once complete, click “publish”.

Step 8: The update card will be published and team members will have an opportunity to provide an update and review submitted updates.

Where Is The Microsoft Teams Updates App Data Stored?

If the forms that you can build in the Microsoft Teams Update app look familiar to you, then it should come as no surprise that they are actually stored in Microsoft Forms. Every form that is created and submitted through the Updates app is a read-only form in the Microsoft Forms web app. To export data from the Microsoft Teams Updates, app follow these steps.

Step 1: Navigate to https://forms.office.com and click on the form that you wish to export.

Step 2: Click on the “responses” tab.

Step 3: To view responses in the browser, click “view responses”. To export the Update app data to excel, click “open in Excel”.

Limitations Of The Microsoft Teams Updates App

The Updates app is a welcome addition to Microsoft Teams strictly because it offers organizations with front-line or field operations a free solution to facilitate digital data collection. That being said, one of the major omissions from this app at the time of release is the ability to include attachments on form submissions. Considering the app includes templates such as incident reports and maintenance requests, it is a bit curious that this app doesn’t allow users to attach an image or even snap a picture from a mobile phone to augment the data being submitted. Considering that it is possible to attach files to forms that are created in Microsoft Forms, it is likely that Microsoft will add this functionality through a future release.

How To Use The Microsoft Teams Updates App Video Tutorial

If you prefer to learn how to use the Microsoft Teams Updates app in video format, then check out my tutorial below.

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