Unplug this holiday season with these Microsoft 365 features

Hi, Microsoft 365 Insiders! There’s plenty to look forward to this month – lights, holiday foods, presents, celebrations, time with friends and family – but the best thing of all about December might be having time to unplug from work, even for just a few days. Microsoft 365 is here to help you turn this aspiration into reality.

Turn off notifications in Teams

Teams notifications help you stay informed about discussions, gain visibility into updates without having to check channels manually, and foster collaboration and engagement. But when you’re away from the office, it can be annoying and burdensome to receive a steady stream of pings about ongoing conversations or messages that aren’t urgent.

By turning off notifications completely (or partially if you want to stay apprised of some conversations), you can ensure that your time away is restful.

How it works

1. In Teams, select the three-dot menu in the top right of a post.
2. Select Turn off notifications.

 

Availability: This feature is available to Microsoft 365 users.

Learn more: Turn notifications on or off for a post in a channel in Microsoft Teams

Switch to mobile for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Apple devices

Sometimes you want to fully unplug – no laptop, work phone, pager, or carrier pigeon. Other times, you may want a “lifeline” in case something crucial comes in or an emergency arises.

Handoff in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint supports a seamless switch between Apple devices, so you can pass along a work-in-progress document or presentation from your Mac to your iPhone or iPad.

How it works

1. Install Word, Excel, or PowerPoint from the App Store, sign in with the same Apple ID across your devices, and ensure your apps are up to date. NOTE: Handoff is not supported on Apple Watch.
2. Make sure the file you want to hand off is stored in the cloud on OneDrive or SharePoint.
3. Open the document, worksheet, or presentation on one of your Apple devices, and bring it near another Apple device where you want to continue working.
4. After a few seconds, you will see in the Dock on your Mac or iPad, or the switcher on your iPhone, indicating that the file is waiting for you to hand it off.  

5. Tap on that app to open the file on the second device.

 

Availability: Handoff in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is available to users running Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for: 

• iOS: Version 2.89 (Build 24090210) or later 
• Mac: Version 16.89 (Build 24091630) or later 

Learn more: Seamlessly switch between your Apple devices with Handoff support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Set your out of office messages

Your out of office message in Outlook – and status message in Teams – can work wonders to give you peace of mind when you step out to attend a kids’ holiday concert or family gathering, or take some well-deserved time away from the office.

Here are some tips for setting it up, and ensuring you don’t miss a beat and keep clients, customers, and colleagues happy and informed:

• State the duration: Clearly mention the dates you will be unavailable.
• Provide a reason (optional): You can briefly mention why you are out, but it's not mandatory.
• Offer an alternative contact: Provide the contact information of a colleague who can assist in your absence. Make sure that the contact you include is aware that you’re doing so and is available to fill in for you.
• Set expectations: Let the sender know when they can expect a response from you.
• Be polite and professional: Maintain a courteous tone throughout your message.

Here is a sample out of office message:

Subject: Out of Office 12/16-12/27: Adele Vance

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office celebrating the holidays and will not be checking emails regularly. I will be away from Monday, December 16 to Friday, December 27 and will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my return.

For urgent matters, please contact Megan Bowan by email at megan.bowan@contoso.com, or by phone at (847) 555-3346.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,
Adele Vance

 

We hope these features help you unwind and come back refreshed now and throughout the year.

 

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