General M365 Tips
Access Everything from One Place
- Go to workplace.onesms.org to see all your M365 apps in one place, including Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and Word.
- Bookmark this page on your browser for faster access every day.
- You can pin your most-used apps to the left sidebar for quick navigation.
Use the Search Bar Everywhere
- Every M365 app has a search bar at the top. Use it to find files, emails, people, and conversations quickly without clicking around.
- In Teams, search for a person's name to jump directly to a conversation with them.
- In Outlook, search for a keyword to find any email from any time.
Try Microsoft Copilot (AI Assistant)
- Copilot is built into M365 apps to help you write, summarize, and organize faster.
- In Word, ask Copilot to draft a letter or summarize a document for you.
- In Outlook, ask Copilot to summarize a long email thread in seconds.
- Access the Copilot homepage at workplace.onesms.org.
Microsoft Teams Tips
Pin Important Channels
- Right-click any channel and select Pin to keep it at the top of your channel list.
- Great for department channels you check every day.
- You can drag pinned channels to rearrange their order.
Mute Channels You Don't Need
- Right-click a noisy channel and select Mute channel — you'll stop getting notifications but can still read it whenever you want.
- You can also set your overall Teams status to Do Not Disturb during class or meetings.
Share Files Directly in Teams
- In any chat or channel, click the paperclip icon to attach a file — no need to email it.
- Files shared in a channel are automatically saved to that team's SharePoint, so everyone can access them later.
- Click the Files tab in a channel to see all shared documents.
Meeting Tips
- Use Background Blur or virtual backgrounds during video calls — click the three dots in a meeting and select Apply background effects.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + M (Mac) to quickly mute/unmute your mic.
- Turn on Live Captions during meetings for easier understanding — click the three dots and select Turn on live captions.
Teams on Mobile
- Download the Microsoft Teams app on your phone to stay connected on the go.
- Tap and hold a message to react, reply, or forward it.
- Swipe right on a message to reply to it directly in a thread.
Outlook Email Tips
Use Folders to Organize Email
- Right-click on your inbox (in the left panel) and select New folder to create organized folders like "Parents," "Admin," or "Projects."
- Drag and drop emails into folders to keep your inbox clean.
- Use Rules to automatically sort incoming emails into folders.
Schedule Emails to Send Later
- Write your email, then click the dropdown arrow next to Send and choose "Send later."
- Pick a date and time and your email will be delivered automatically — useful for sending things early in the morning without working late.
Undo a Sent Email
- After sending, a small "Undo" banner appears briefly at the bottom of your screen — click it to cancel the send.
- You can extend the undo window in Settings → Mail → Undo send (up to 10 seconds).
Set an Out-of-Office Reply
- Going on a break or leave? Click Settings (gear icon) → Automatic replies and type your message.
- Set start and end dates so it turns off automatically when you return.
- You can set a different message for people inside and outside the school.
Outlook on Mobile
- Install the Microsoft Outlook app on your phone and sign in with your school account.
- Swipe left on an email to archive it; swipe right to mark it as read or flag it.
- Tap Focused or Other at the top to switch between your important emails and lower-priority ones.
OneDrive Tips
Share a Link Instead of Attaching
- Instead of emailing a large file as an attachment, upload it to OneDrive and share a link.
- This saves email space and ensures everyone always sees the latest version.
- Right-click the file → Share → copy the link and paste it into your email.
Collaborate on Documents Together
- Share a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file from OneDrive and multiple people can edit it at the same time — no need to email back and forth.
- You can see other people's cursors moving in the document in real time.
- All changes are saved automatically — no need to press Save.
Control Who Can Access Your Files
- When sharing, choose "Specific people" to limit access to only the people you name.
- Choose "View only" to prevent others from editing your file.
- You can remove someone's access at any time by going to the file → Manage access.
General Mobile Tips
Add Apps to Your Home Screen
- After installing Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive, add them to your home screen for one-tap access.
- On iPhone: Press and hold the app icon → Add to Home Screen.
- On Android: Long-press the app in your app drawer → drag it to your home screen.
Manage Notifications
- In Teams mobile: tap your profile picture → Notifications to control which alerts you receive.
- Turn off notifications for less important channels so you only get alerted for what matters.
- Use Quiet hours in Teams to silence notifications outside of school hours.
Save Data Usage
- In Teams settings, set videos in meetings to low quality when on mobile data to save your data plan.
- Download files for offline use when on Wi-Fi so you can view them without internet later.
- In OneDrive, enable "Upload via Wi-Fi only" so large files don't use your mobile data.
Handy Keyboard Shortcuts (Desktop)
On Mac, replace Ctrl with Cmd for most shortcuts.
Have a question about any M365 feature? Submit a ticket at support.onesms.org or email ardc_support@onesms.org.