What is Microsoft List? What does it do?

What is Microsoft List? What does it do?-Digital Citizen UP

Microsoft Lists is a powerful tool designed to help you track information and manage your work, events, issues or even personal tasks. Integrated with other apps and services in Microsoft 365, the Microsoft Lists app can be just what you need to streamline your workflow and collaborate more efficiently with your team or friends. In this tutorial, I’ll tell you more about what Microsoft List is and what it’s used for, and what to expect when working with the lists you create. Interested in learning more about Microsoft Listings? Then read on:

What is Microsoft List?

Microsoft Lists is a new app from the Redmond-based company that lets you create, share, and track information lists across teams or organizations, as well as within family or groups of friends.

Microsoft Lists is a tool for creating powerful lists

What is Microsoft List used for?

For example, if you need to keep track of work, Microsoft Lists can help you manage projects, track inventory, monitor issues, and any other task that requires lists.

Microsoft’s list can help you track information

Microsoft Lists can also be useful for keeping track of more personal tasks and even collaborating with others. For example, they are great when you need to organize an event, manage personal expenses, or even think about what gift to buy for your friend.

Example of a list created with Microsoft Lists

If all of this sounds interesting, you may be wondering how to get access to the Microsoft List. Read on to find out more:

How to access Microsoft Lists

First, you should know that the Microsoft Lists app is built on the Microsoft 365 platform. This means that the lists you create are integrated with other apps and services from Microsoft, including Microsoft 365 apps, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams. You can access your Microsoft Listing from the web, mobile or desktop.

Sign up for Microsoft on the web

However, as far as I know, unless you have a work account or a Microsoft 365 organization (with a Microsoft 365 subscription), the only way to access Microsoft Lists is from within the Microsoft 365 (Office) apps found in Windows or directly on the web, in register.live.com.

Microsoft Lists can be accessed from Microsoft 365 (Office) apps

On mobile devices, you can also install the Microsoft Lists application: it is available for Android smartphones and iPhones. However, when I try to sign in with my personal Microsoft account, I’m notified that I need to use a work or school account. If you don’t have that either, an alternative is to use Microsoft Lists in a web browser, as it works regardless of the device you’re using.

Microsoft Lists works on mobile devices

Now you know what Microsoft List is, what it’s used for, and how to access it. Next, let’s look at how to use the Microsoft Lists (web) app.

How to use Microsoft Lists

While testing Microsoft Lists for the first time, I must say I found them quite easy to use. If you’ve worked with Microsoft Excel or SharePoint before, the learning curve is practically non-existent. And even if you don’t, Microsoft Lists’ overall graphical approach and simple interface translate into an uncomplicated, hassle-free process of creating, editing, and sharing lists. Here’s what to expect from working with Microsoft Lists:

How to make a list in the Microsoft Lists app

When you create a new list in Microsoft Lists, you can:

start over with an empty List (the new list is completely empty, and you need to add all the elements you need); start From an existing list (using the list you created earlier); start From CSV (file with data separated by commas); use one of the available templates.

Create a new list in Microsoft Lists

List templates include pre-built and configured lists with the elements you usually need. There are, for example, templates for:

tracking issues, useful for reporting and monitoring (un)resolved issues and bugs in software projects; event schedule, useful when you need to plan an event like a conference, workshop, or, why not, even a wedding; 🙂 work progress, useful when you need to keep track of your priorities and steps in delivering the final result; expenses, are useful to all of us, regardless of whether we want to keep an eye on money spent on work projects or personal finances.

Get started with options and templates for Microsoft Lists

These are just a few of the templates I’ve found useful, but the list goes on. And if you don’t find any template that fits your needs when creating a new blank list, it’s easy to add columns for information such as text, numbers, dates, choices, or images. While it’s similar to how you work with an Excel spreadsheet, getting elements into lists in Microsoft Lists is even easier.

Create columns in Microsoft Lists

Play around with the few options available in the Microsoft Lists interface. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.

How to view and edit lists in the Microsoft Lists app

The lists you create with Microsoft Lists can be visualized in different views. For example, you can view a list as a grid (like a regular to-do list or table), but you can also view a list as a Gallery (each item is listed as a card with an image) or as a Board (each item is displayed as a task, with a task and a status). You can also create a calendar view to list items by date.

Calendar view of lists created with Microsoft Lists

If you need to edit an element in a list, a simple click or tap on the element will usually be sufficient to enter editing mode. Then, you can change the value as desired.

Enter data in a list in Microsoft Lists

Column editing and formatting is also done intuitively: click or tap a column heading, open Column settings, then you’ll get access to a series of options. Among other things, it includes options to edit, hide, or format.

Column settings in Microsoft Lists

And last but not least, Microsoft Lists also lets you sort, filter, group, and format data according to your needs.

Filter in a list in Microsoft Lists

At the risk of repeating, editing lists in Microsoft Lists is a breeze. However, there are too many options to cover them all in this guide. I recommend playing around with Microsoft Lists for a bit to get used to its features.

What are the advantages of Microsoft Lists?

Microsoft Lists looks like a powerful and versatile application. In my opinion, there are several important aspects that make it a great choice for many users:

This app can help you organize and manage all kinds of data, from simple to-do lists to complex work projects. The user interface offered by Microsoft Lists is simple and easy to use, and the settings and options within are intuitive. Microsoft Listings are available from any web browser, whether on desktop or mobile. Sign up for Microsoft is free (for now; it will change after 200,000 users will register and start using it).

What do you think about Microsoft Lists?

Now you know what Microsoft Lists are, what they’re used for, and what to expect from them. While not the same as SharePoint lists, Microsoft Lists are similar, offering a simple but powerful way to keep track of any project that involves lists. What project doesn’t need a list? If you use Microsoft Listings for your business, I’d love to hear what you think about it. And if you’re a home user, would you rush to sign up for Microsoft Lists while it’s still free? Let me know in the comments section below.

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