Microsoft is adding two new apps to Microsoft 365. People and File Search respectively ensure that you can search for information about colleagues faster and find files more easily within Microsoft 365.
Microsoft is introducing two new small applications for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Refreshingly, these applications have little to do with Copilot, and more with the effective way people use Microsoft 365 in a business context.
People
The new People app allows users to easily look up colleagues within the organization and view their profile information. The app shows contact details, job titles, and organizational charts, among other things. The compact app appears as a kind of widget from the taskbar. This way, employees can quickly get context about someone they’re in contact with, without interrupting their workflow.
Through People, it’s also possible to send a Teams message directly from the app. The search function offers more than just names. Users can also filter by job title, team, location, or project. This makes the app useful for finding new colleagues or internal experts relevant to ongoing projects, even if their name slips your mind.
File Search
File Search has a similar setup, but for files. With the File Search app, Microsoft aims to make it easier to find files within Microsoft 365, even if you don’t remember the document’s name. The app displays the most recently used files by default, but users can also search based on content, people involved, or file type.
Additionally, it’s possible to view a file in preview mode before sharing it. This way, users avoid sending the wrong version. File Search is intended as a supplement to existing search functions in OneDrive and Teams.
Both apps can be pinned to the taskbar in Windows 11 for quick access. This is how Microsoft primarily envisions them being used. Through the taskbar, it’s possible to use People or File Search without really stopping what you’re doing. The two apps are available for Microsoft 365 users participating in the Insider program (Beta channel) with an Enterprise or Business license.
Admins can consult additional configurations and the rollout process via the Microsoft 365 admin portal. We don’t yet know when People and File Search will become widely available.