Updates in Microsoft Teams Allows Users to Create, Submit, and Review Employee Updates

Welcome to Updates, an out-of-the-box app that allows you to create, submit, and review updates. People can easily see their employee updates, check-ins, and reports in one place to make sure the team is on track for success, whether those are recurring processes that happen on a regular basis or in-the-moment updates that might be needed at any time.?

Whether on a desktop or mobile device, workers are alerted in the flow of work and can easily complete and submit updates, saving everyone time and energy.?

Open the Updates app

You’ll find Updates on the left side of Teams with other apps. Select it to start sending and receiving updates. If you don’t see it there, select?More apps and you’ll find it in the list. If it is not in the list, select?+ Apps?on the left side of Teams and search for?Updates.?

See your updates

In Updates, the?Submit?tab displays updates that need to be submitted, and the?Review?tab displays updates available to view. Each person has?Scheduled?and?Important?updates.??

Scheduled updates have been assigned a due date. Important updates have yet to include a due date but are available for in-the-moment events such as facility inspections, incident reports, and more.??

People can submit, create, edit, and view updates.?

Create an update?

If it’s your first-time using Updates, don’t worry, we’ll show you the process of staying up to date with your team and give you some tips on how to use the app.??

From the app, start by creating an update for teammates:?

• Select?Create and manage templates?in the top right corner of the app.
• Select?+ New template?in the top right corner.
• Choose one of our?Templates?that complement your everyday updates or choose?Start from blank?for anything in-between. If you selected a Template, review the contents, and select?Pick this template.

• Configure the update template name and description in?Basic settings, then select?Next.
• Adjust and/or add any questions to the template in?Form design, then select?Next.

• Assign users as?Submitters?if they can complete and add content to the update. Assign users as?Viewers?if they can see and track update progress and the details of the submissions. Decide if Submitters are required to attach files and select?Advanced settings?to set recurring due dates at specific times.

• Select?Publish.

If you create an update with a due date, it will appear in the?Submit?tab under?Scheduled?for Submitters. If it doesn’t have a due date and can be completed at any time, it will appear in the?Submit?tab under?Important.??

For?Viewers, updates will appear in the?Review?tab. If the update has a due date, it appears in the?Review?tab under?Scheduled. If it doesn’t have a due date and can be completed at any time, it will appear under Important.?

Manage update templates?

Update templates can be edited and can be made available by?Assigners?if they’re needed and made unavailable if they’re not.?

1. Select?Create and manage templates.
2. Under?Actions, select?More options?(...).
3. Enable?will make the template active and available for use.
4. Disable?will make the template not available for use.
5. Edit?will allow you to edit the template.

Confirm your template status is correct. The template status can be changed at any time.

Submit an update?

Submitters can complete and add content to updates that have been assigned to them.?

1. Select the?Submit?tab at the top left corner of the app.
2. Choose an assigned update in?Scheduled?or?Important.
3. Once you’ve added all your information and attachments, select?Submit.

All your submitted updates will appear in?Your Submissions, which is located below the?Scheduled?and?Important?sections.?

In the?Submit?tab, selecting?See all?will display your assigned updates that can’t fit in the?Scheduled?and?Important?sections.

View an update?

Viewers can keep up to date with the progress of updates and view the details of submitted updates.?

• Select the?Review?tab at the top left corner of the app.
• Select a?card to see all updates from that specific template.

Note:?Selecting cards will display all the updates from that specific template, in order of submission, and in relation to each due date if it is a recurring update. Selecting a?specific update shows the full details of the submission.?
        

• Choose an update located beneath?Received?to see the details and attachments of that specific submission.

Updates listed under?Scheduled?will showcase each update template’s?Submission rate?and total number that have been?Submitted?and are?Unsubmitted. Updates under?Important?will showcase the number of?Submissions?and?New submissions.??

In the?Review?tab, selecting?See all?will display all the?Scheduled?and?Important?updates.

Create, send, and receive updates in chat?

From your desktop, enter any chat or channel conversation and request an update from the Update app message extension. Everyone in the chat or channel conversation will automatically be assigned as Submitters.?

1. Enter your desired team chat or channel.
2. Select?More options?(...)?in the bottom right corner of the compose bar.
3. Choose?Request an update.
4. Choose one of the Templates that complement your everyday updates or choose?Start from blank?for anything in-between. If you selected a template, review the contents, and select?Pick this template.
5. Enter the template title and adjust and/or add any questions to the template in?Form design, then select?Next.
6. Choose the?Rules settings, such as requiring file attachments and select?Advanced settings?to set recurring due dates at specific times.
7. Select?Publish.

The Update app message extension also allows people to submit updates.??

1. Enter your desired team chat or channel conversation.
2. Select?More options?(...)?in the bottom right corner of the compose bar.
3. Select?Updates?app.
4. Select?Write an update?or choose one of the templates in?Get started by writing an update.
5. Choose your desired template. Add your information and add?Viewers?if necessary.
6. Select?Submit.

The update that is created or submitted will appear in the group chat or channel as a card allowing Viewers to view the submission or Submitters to submit an update from it.?

Note:?If there is already an update card in the chat or channel and you have been assigned as a Submitter, select the card to submit a response directly for that update. If you have been assigned a Viewer role, select the card to view the submissions.
        

Want more?

?Manage the Updates app for your organization in Microsoft Teams