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Microsoft 365 Blog
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Try Microsoft Lists - MSA Preview for iOS

Ankur_Madan's avatar
Ankur_Madan
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Sep 27, 2022

Stay organized and track what matters most - on the go. We’re pleased to introduce Microsoft Lists - MSA Preview for iOS – now available for testing using the TestFlight app.

 

Get the app and join today (see install steps below)

 

 

Steps to join and install:

  1.  Tap the above app link, and join
  2.  Install the TestFlight app first – sign in with your Microsoft account
  3. Join the “Microsoft Lists” beta (listed within the TestFlight app once you sign in)
  4. Accept, install, sign in with your Microsoft account (within the Lists app), and enjoy

 

Microsoft Lists at the tap of your fingertips – a fully functional information tracker while on the go

 

Stay organized – Track and manage contacts, work and life events, home maintenance, and more.

 

 

Easy to start – Use built-in templates to create lists in seconds

 

 

Anywhere access – Create and work on lists and list items from your iOS device

 

 

Share and Collaborate – Bring people to your information and keep everyone in sync

 

 

Switch to bigger screen – Go from mobile to desktop with lists.live.com; don’t worry, your data stays in sync across devices – a single source of truth with multiple entry points.

 

 

We have been using Lists for iOS here at Microsoft to plan morale events, gifts, roadmap items, travel expenses, and more – and we love it! We hope you enjoy it, too. And invite your friends and family to join in.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Q: What is MSA?

 

MSA stands for Microsoft account - the account which you use to log into Outlook.com or Xbox Live. You can access the Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview for iOS app for free using your MSA account. And if you don’t have an MSA, they’re free to create and use; start here.

 

Q: Do I need to install the TestFlight app for accessing Lists MSA?

 

A: Yes. Currently Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview for iOS is limited to 10,000 installs via this method of preview. You need to both install TestFlight and download the beta version of the Microsoft Lists app for iOS. You can then sign in with both your Microsoft 365 organization ID (commercial) and your Microsoft account (personal).

 

Q: How is this different from Microsoft Lists for iOS in the App Store already?

 

A: The current production app in the App Store is Microsoft Lists which supports logging in with your work or school account – for commercial Microsoft 365 customers. The Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview for iOS (via TestFlight) allows signing in with your Microsoft account. Note: Our goal is to have one app that allows logging in with your work or school account, and MSA – or a combination of all your accounts.

 

Learn more about the Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview, sign up, sign in, and give it a try. And… let us know what you think. Just shake your device to send feedback. We are in preview, and gathering feedback is critical to get it right, for you.

 

Thanks for trying the app and letting us know what you think.

 

- Ankur Madan, Senior product manager – Microsoft

Updated Sep 27, 2022
Version 2.0
  • Mat__SCG's avatar
    Mat__SCG
    Copper Contributor

    As I'm unable to use the Beta version of Lists through Test Flight as (incorrectly) detailed above, I can only comment on the screenshots.

    1. It does appear that the beta version is not so different (UI) from the existing version on the App Store
    2. The existing version on the app store is a huge missed opportunity for most users of Microsoft Lists within Sharepoint / Teams / whatever to present list items in a sensible way that is appropriate to the form factor of the iPhone. There are hundreds of list apps out there which do a stunning job of providing a "native" style user interface, but the existing Microsoft Lists app is extremely non-user-friendly as follows:
      1. it requires the user to scroll sideways (!)
      2. it truncates words and even field names
      3. when words are truncated it tends to show the first few characters then the last few characters, which means it's almost impossible to read basic parts of a list such as the title of the item (really - ridiculous)
      4. it is an extremely poor use of screen real-estate with huge gaps everywhere and yet words are cut off requiring scrolling in two directions
      5. comments are not supported, not even shown on existing list items
      6. you can't actually open a list item but instead when you click on the text under a field it just tries to allow you to edit that text
      7. if your list view involves hiding the title, that means you simply cannot open a list item as the only way to open the item is to tap on the title
      8. the app crashes regularly

    Given the UI looks pretty similar in this Test Flight beta, it looks like I will not be using this app ever.

    It's a huge missed opportunity. We use MS Lists for managing client communications, client deliverables, and integrating into our business workflow.

    A functional and useful app would have been fantastic, sadly there is none.

  • Mat__SCG's avatar
    Mat__SCG
    Copper Contributor
    • Instructions above do not appear to be correct. Once you install Test Flight app from Apple, it requires you to enter an invitation code from developer. The instructions above say "install test flight app, then log in with your MSA account", which doesn't make sense. Upon launching the Test Flight app, you cannot go further until you click the "Redeem" button and enter a code. 
    • If the following words don't send shivers down the spine, then clearly you haven't worked for Microsoft for very long: "Our goal is to have one app that allows logging in with your work or school account, and MSA – or a combination of all your accounts"... just wow.
  • HammerOZ's avatar
    HammerOZ
    Copper Contributor

    I'm looking forward to this being released. I want to share some collaborative asset management lists with clients who may have free or paid MS accounts. I cant really expect clients to install testflight etc. Hopefully sooner than later! :lol:.. let it loose MS