Microsoft lately launched a useful new Outlook characteristic — a Kanban-style board view in Outlook Calendar. Currently obtainable solely in Outlook on the internet, the brand new characteristic helps you to pin playing cards containing helpful info onto a undertaking board. These playing cards can embody calendars, notes, job lists, hyperlinks, and different objects. Some components in these playing cards can work together together with your foremost Outlook calendar.The Outlook board view is obtainable when you have a paid Microsoft 365 account or a free Outlook.com account. (See Microsoft 365 plans for house, small enterprise, and the enterprise, or join a Microsoft account without spending a dime.)Here are the necessities for utilizing the calendar board characteristic in Outlook for the net.Access the Outlook calendar boardGo to your Outlook house display screen in your internet browser, which can be at outlook.workplace.com or outlook.stay.com, relying on whether or not you’ve gotten a Microsoft 365 subscription or a free account. In the toolbar working down the left fringe of the web page, click on the Calendar icon. This opens your Outlook calendar within the browser window.On the upper-right nook of the Calendar web page, click on the Month button, and from the drop-down menu that opens, choose Board. (Instead of “Month,” this button might say “Day,” “Work Week,” or “Week.”) The board interface seems instead of your month-to-month (or every day or weekly) calendar view. IDG
You entry the board structure by altering the view (within the upper-right nook) to Board. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Pin playing cards to your boardToward the upper-left of your Outlook Board house display screen, click on Add to board. From the menu that opens, choose the kind of card you wish to add to your board. Select Show all to see a number of extra varieties of playing cards. (I’ll go over all the cardboard sorts intimately later within the story.) IDG
Select a card sort so as to add to your board. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Once you’ve chosen a card sort, the cardboard will seem in your board.Repeat the method so as to add extra playing cards. As you retain including playing cards, each will seem in an empty house on the board.Note that you may add a number of of the identical sort of card to your board. This means you possibly can have a number of calendars, notes, recordsdata, and so forth. pinned to your board.Change your playing cards’ structure, look, and moreWhile there are particular methods to work together with sure varieties of playing cards (coated later within the story), there are just a few basic methods to work with playing cards, akin to transferring them, resizing them, and altering their background colour.You can transfer any card to a different place in your board. Click the cardboard in order that it turns into highlighted by a blue border. Then click-and-hold an space towards the border of the cardboard, drag the cardboard to a different place in your board, and let go to set it again onto the board.The playing cards for calendars, notes, and job lists might be resized. To do that, transfer the pointer to a facet or nook of the cardboard till it modifications to double-ended arrows. Then click-and-hold and drag the arrows to enlarge or shrink the cardboard’s dimension.Another option to transfer or resize a card is to click on the three-dot icon on the upper-right of the cardboard and choose Resize from the menu that opens. To resize the cardboard, drag one of many eight factors that seem across the edges of the cardboard. To transfer the cardboard, transfer your cursor pointer (which can appear like 4 arrows or a grabbing hand, relying in your browser and working system) to the middle of the cardboard; then click-and-hold and drag the cardboard to a different spot on the board. IDG
You can simply resize or transfer a calendar, word, or job record card. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
To stop the playing cards in your board from being moved or resized unintentionally once you’re navigating amongst them, click on on the Lock objects toggle swap on the upper-right nook of the board. Click Lock objects once more to unfreeze the playing cards.Most card sorts allow you to change their background colour and/or set a due date. Changing a card’s background colour can assist it stand out on the board, or you possibly can arrange a color-coded scheme for various initiatives. To change the background colour of a card, click on the three-dot icon on the upper-right of the cardboard, choose Change colour, and make a colour choice.To set a due date for a card, click on the three-dot icon, choose Set due date, and choose a date from the calendar that seems. To change a due date you’ve set, click on the three-dot icon and choose Edit due date.IDG
Setting a due date for a word.
Navigate your boardOutlook’s board view is ready up as an “infinite canvas” the place you possibly can maintain including playing cards to your board. As you achieve this, it’s possible you’ll not be capable of see them abruptly.To navigate your view of the board, click-and-hold an space of the board that’s not coated by a card and drag the four-arrows (or grabbing hand) pointer as a way to see a special a part of the board. A thumbnail will seem within the lower-right nook exhibiting you the structure of the board and the place you’re on it. IDG
Use the structure thumbnail within the lower-right nook to see the place you’re on the board. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Types of playing cards you possibly can pin to your boardHere is a rundown of the playing cards that you may embody in your Outlook board and find out how to work together with them.CalendarWhen you first activate the board, there’s a pinned card model of your Outlook calendar on it, and thus, no matter occasions and different info that you have already got placed on it can seem right here. You can work together with this calendar card simply as you usually do with the calendar when you find yourself not in board view. This consists of including an occasion or a reminder on a date, and welcoming individuals in your contacts to an occasion. IDG
Your foremost Outlook calendar seems as a card in your board by default. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
(For extra info on find out how to use your Outlook calendar, akin to setting occasions on it, see Microsoft’s “Introduction to the Outlook Calendar.”)You also can pin a number of extra calendar playing cards in your board. (You might have one calendar dedicated to work-only occasions, for example, and a second calendar marking your schedule outdoors of labor.) This is the method:IDG
Adding a brand new calendar card.
Add a calendar card by clicking Add to board > Calendar. It will seem on the board with a pop-up menu. Here you possibly can select an current calendar or, to create a brand new calendar, click on Add calendar.A panel will open presenting you many methods so as to add a brand new calendar, akin to choosing a template on the left-hand toolbar (e.g., Schools or Holidays) or by importing an .ics calendar format file.To add a brand new clean calendar: From the left-hand toolbar, choose Create clean calendar. On the following panel, click on on Calendar title and sort in a reputation in your calendar. If you need, choose a colour scheme and “charm” icon for it. Click the Save button. Then shut this panel by clicking the X on its upper-right nook. IDG
Creating a brand new clean calendar. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Back on the calendar card in your board, click on the down arrow, and from the menu that opens, click on the title of the calendar you created. It will then be displayed within the calendar card.On your smartphone: You can view calendars you created and pinned to your Outlook board within the Microsoft Outlook cell app. From the app’s house display screen, faucet the Calendar icon on the lower-right to view your calendar. To swap to a different calendar that you simply created and pinned to your Outlook board, faucet the calendar icon on the upper-left nook. A panel will slide in from the left, itemizing your calendars. Tap the title of one other calendar to view it within the app.Task RecordThe job record card ties in with Microsoft’s To Do app, so once you add a job record card to your board, the duties you’ve gotten in To Do will seem by default. If you don’t already use the To Do app, a clean Tasks card will seem.To add duties to the cardboard: Click on Add a job, sort in textual content to explain the duty (or merchandise, akin to for a buying record), and click on the Add button to the precise. Add as many duties as you want this manner.IDG
You can drag and drop objects in a job record to reorder them.
Click the star icon to the precise of any job to mark it as vital. Each job has a circle to its left. When you’ve accomplished a job, click on its circle to mark it with a verify. This removes the duty from the record. You can see duties you’ve accomplished by clicking Show lately accomplished on the backside of the record.To rearrange the order of your job record: Move the pointer over a job till a six-dot icon seems to its left. Click-and-hold this icon, and drag the duty up or right down to the place on the record you wish to set it.To see extra actions for a job: Right-click on the duty to open a menu of extra choices. You can set a reminder for the duty or a due date once you need it to be accomplished. You’ll be alerted of both by means of Outlook on the day and time you assign to it. You also can open the duty within the To Do app, mark it as accomplished, and extra.IDG
Setting a reminder for a job.
If you don’t wish to set a future due date for a job however as an alternative ensure you tackle it immediately, choosing Add to My Day from the right-click menu provides the duty to your Outlook schedule for the present day.To see an inventory of duties in your schedule immediately: On the upper-left nook of the duty record card, click on Tasks, and from the menu that opens, choose My Day. Or, out of your Outlook board, click on the My Day icon on the toolbar towards the upper-right nook. (A 3rd view obtainable from the menu within the upper-left nook of the duty record card is Calendar Board – Default, which exhibits you different objects in your board which have due dates assigned to them, akin to notes or collections.)Note that though you possibly can add a number of job record playing cards to your board, the identical total record of duties will seem in each. As you add, mark full, or in any other case change duties in any of them, the modifications will seem dynamically in different job record playing cards and within the To Do app. Why would you need a number of job record playing cards? It is perhaps helpful to have one exhibiting Tasks, one exhibiting My Day, and one exhibiting the Calendar Board – Default view.IDG
You can spin off a job onto its personal card on the board and add steps to finish the duty.
To spin off a job into its personal job record: From the right-click menu, choose Add to board > Default. The job will turn out to be pinned as its personal card in your board (whereas additionally remaining on the top-level job record). You can now add subtasks to the duty by clicking on Add a step and typing in textual content.On your smartphone: You can use the Microsoft To Do cell app to view or edit your job lists. From the app’s house display screen, faucet Tasks to view your job lists.NoteOnce you’ve added a word, click on on Note on the title bar and sort in a title in your word. Then click on Take a word… beneath and sort within the textual content in your word.Use the toolbar alongside the underside to format your textual content, create a bulleted record, or insert a picture saved in your laptop.To evaluate all of the notes that you simply’ve pinned to your board in an inventory format: On the toolbar on the higher proper of your board, click on the OneNote feed icon. A sidebar on the precise opens exhibiting smaller variations of your notes that you may scroll down by means of, with probably the most lately opened notes towards the highest. Clicking a word on this record will open it inside this sidebar. You can edit it inside this sidebar. IDG
You can add fast notes to your self anyplace on a board, then use the OneNote feed sidebar to view all of them. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
On your smartphone: You can use the Microsoft OneNote cell app to view or edit your notes. On the house display screen of the app, faucet the Sticky Notes icon on the decrease proper to indicate an inventory of your notes.Weather and ClockYou can pin playing cards that show the climate or time of your present location or different cities. Each climate card can show just one location, however you possibly can add as many as you want. A single clock card, alternatively, can present the present time for a number of areas. This might be useful when you want to concentrate on the schedules of individuals you’re working with who stay in different time zones.Or, when you’re planning a visit, you possibly can set climate and time playing cards in your vacation spot to remind you of the time distinction and how much clothes to pack.IDG
Weather and clock playing cards are useful for preserving tabs on climate situations in varied locales and evaluating time variations.
GoalThis card units a single job that you might want to do. After you add a purpose card, click on on What’s your purpose? and sort in a quick description of the duty. Click Set date and choose a day from the calendar. Confusingly, once you set a due date with different varieties of playing cards akin to notes, the due date seems on the cardboard in your calendar board however not in your foremost Outlook calendar. When you set a due date for a purpose, nonetheless, will probably be added to your Outlook calendar.To change a purpose’s due date: Click the three-dot icon on the upper-right of the Goal card and choose Edit due date.IDG
Goal playing cards spotlight a single purpose to be accomplished, and their due dates seem in your foremost Outlook calendar.
Link and FileThe Link card shows an internet hyperlink. Clicking this hyperlink will open it in a brand new browser tab.The File card shows a hyperlink to a file that’s in your OneDrive storage. If it’s a Microsoft Office file, clicking this hyperlink will open the file in a brand new browser tab within the respective internet model of the Office app — so, for instance, clicking an .xlsx file will open it within the internet model of Excel.LocationIDG
Location playing cards show you how to maintain data a few specific location useful.
This card shows a map thumbnail and data for a location, akin to a enterprise, metropolis, or landmark. Once you’ve added the cardboard to your board, click on Enter a location, begin typing the title of the placement, and choose the placement from the record of choices that seems. If obtainable, an tackle, cellphone quantity, and/or web site will even be listed on the cardboard.To get instructions to the placement in Bing Maps: Click the three-dot icon on the upper-right of the cardboard and choose Open instructions.IndividualWhen you first pin this card, you’ll be prompted to sort within the title of an individual who’s in your Microsoft account contacts. This card then shows their title, e-mail tackle, and different obtainable info, akin to their cellphone quantity and job title.CollectionA assortment is a card that accommodates different playing cards. It’s a option to manage your playing cards in order that they don’t turn out to be cluttered in your board.When you first pin a group card to your board, you’ll be prompted to sort in a reputation for the gathering.To add playing cards to the gathering card: Click-and-drag a card in your board onto the realm of the gathering card with the phrases Drag objects into a group, or click on the three-dot icon on the upper-right of any card, choose Move to assortment, and select the gathering to maneuver it to. IDG
A set card, akin to “All things Sydney” on the left, teams different playing cards collectively. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Create extra boardsYou can create multiple board. For instance, you possibly can assemble playing cards which might be associated to your present work undertaking on one board, and create one other, separate board that accommodates playing cards with info pertaining to your upcoming enterprise journey.IDG
You can create totally different boards for various functions.
To create one other board: At the upper-right nook of the board that you simply’re viewing, click on Board, and on the menu that opens, click on the arrow to the precise of Board and choose New board. You’ll be prompted to sort in a reputation for the brand new board. After you click on Create, your Outlook board house display screen will swap to the brand new board.To swap again to your unique board: At the upper-right nook of the board you’re viewing is a button exhibiting the title of the present board. Click that title, and from the menu that opens, click on the arrow to the precise of Board and choose Default.IDG
Switching again to the default board.
To rename or delete a board: At the upper-right nook of the board you’re viewing, click on the board’s title, click on the arrow to the precise of Board and transfer the pointer over the title of the board. A pencil icon and a trash can icon will seem to the precise of it. To rename the board, click on the pencil icon, sort in a brand new title, and click on Update. To delete the board, click on the trash can icon.
Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.