- February 19, 2021
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Valiant Technology - 3 min
Microsoft Teams can be more than just a chat and conference calling application. With all the integrations that Teams allows, its no wonder that people use this as a hub for their work. These integrations include not only Microsoft applications like Planner and OneNote, but third party applications too. This guide provides an introduction to locating, adding, and accessing apps in your Teams environment.
Search and browse for Teams apps
There are a couple of ways to search for Teams apps. The most straightforward may be to click the apps icon in the left sidebar in Teams.
This will open up the app page with suggestions, categories and a search bar.
Click to review the details of an app and install. Keep in mind some applications will require an account with that third party to use within Teams.
Different apps may appear differently in Teams such as the Weather app being enabled in the Teams search bar or as a bot versus the Asana app being applied to the sidebar.
These are temporary locations as a default and will hide from your sight when you stop using the app.
Pinning apps to the side bar
To make these integrations easier to access, you can pin applications to the side bar in Teams. Click the dot dot dot in the sidebar to open an app search. (For most people it will be located just below Files.)
A few apps will be suggested, but you can always just search. Once you find an app you want to use, click to open. If you haven’t used the app before you will be prompted to add it first.
While the app appears to be open in the side bar, it is still only temporary. To reopen you can to click the dot dot dot again or just pin the app to the sidebar. Right click on the app icon and then select pin.
Alternatively, when you see the app in the search, you can just drag and drop to the side bar to pin it where you like.
Creating tabs for apps in Teams channels
You can add Apps within a Teams channel by using the add a tab function at the top represented by a plus sign. Some apps are ideal for this set up such as Tasks by Planner. This method is best used for an app that users can share when related to the Channel topic.
After you click the plus add tab button, the add a tab page will appear. Recent apps will be featured, but you can easily search using the bar at the upper right or click more apps to browse.
When you have found the app you want to add, you have the option to post to the channel about it. This keeps other channel participants in the know about the integrated apps you share.
Integrated app adoption by users
Adding apps can directly add convenience to your workflows. Since apps may act differently, it’s important that users understand how to use each app within the Teams integration. We find that getting users on board requires two things, involvement and training. Ask for users input on the new app workflow (make a Teams channel about new apps?), and train your users so they understand and feel comfortable using the workflows you implement. Always check the website for the app for any handy tutorials or fee free to contact us at Valiant Technology to request more information about user training.
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