What’s Next After SharePoint Lists? – Microsoft Lists

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Introduction

To-do lists have always been a part of Microsoft, in SharePoint or the independent software Microsoft to Do. In May 2020, Microsoft launched Microsoft Lists (MS List) – an evolution of SharePoint Lists. The app falls under the Office 365 subscription and helps employees along with managers track projects without worrying about permissions.

Accessing MS Lists

The first step needed to try out this new Microsoft application is to navigate to Lists application within office 365. Here are a set of steps to help you find your way there:

  • Type “portal.office.com” in the browser URL.
  • Click on waffle menu at the extreme right and then click on the “Lists” icon as shown in the image.
Infographics show Accessing SharePoint List

You will be redirected to the lists app. Click on “New list”

Infographics show redirected to the lists app. Click on “New list”

Features of MS Lists

Microsoft has revamped lists to make this tool more powerful than legacy SharePoint lists. Below are a few Microsoft Lists features that you may find useful as well as instructions and details on how to utilize these new features.

1. Create MS List Separately or As Part of an Existing SharePoint Site:

While creating a new MS List, it is possible to associate the created MS List with an existing SharePoint site. The list can also be created separately.
Infographics show Create SharePoint List separately

As shown in the image, the “Travel Request” list can be created separately or associated with either “ComfyCushion” or with the “Communication site” sites 

2. Mark MS Lists as Favorite

Previously, SharePoint Lists did not permit users to mark a list under ‘favorites.’ The new and improved SharePoint Lists offer this functionality. To mark a list as a favorite, the user simply needs to click on the Star Icon at the top right of the MS List as is shown in the image.

Infographics show Mark MS Lists as Favorite - SharePoint List

The favorite marked lists will be shown at the very top as shown in the example below: 

Infographics show favorite marked lists

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3. Add Icon and Color MS Lists:

In MS Lists, we can now differentiate between different lists by adding icons and colors to allow you to identify the list more easily visually you are looking at. See the example shown below:
Infographics show how to Add Icon and color Microsoft Lists vs SharePoint Lists

The icon and color associated with this SP List are shown in the extreme left. 

Infographics show Bug Report for SharePoint Project.

The icon and color associated with a list is also shown in the homepage of MS Lists. 

Infographics show icon and color associated of Microsoft Lists vs SharePoint Lists

4. Integrating MS Lists with Other Software

MS Lists offers complete integration with PowerApps, Power Automate, Power BI , and Teams similarly to SharePoint Lists.

The image below shows an integration of Power Automate and MS Lists

Infographics show Integrating MS Lists with other software

i) To integrate a List in Teams, Select the team within your Microsoft Teams app that you want to integrate with and click on the + sign as shown.

Infographics show To integrate a List in Teams - Microsoft Lists vs SharePoint Lists

ii) Search for “List” and click on the icon. 

Infographics show Search for “List” and click on the icon

iii) You can create a new list or add an existing one. In this case, we will add an existing list. 

Infographics show creating a new list or adding an existing one

iv) In this step, we will give the URL of the “Bug Report for SharePoint Projects” 

Infographics show URL of the “Bug Report for SharePoint Projects”
Infographics show MS List has been added - SharePoint List

v) As you can see, the MS List has been added and now can be accessed from within Teams. 

Infographics show MS Lists App for iOS - Microsoft Lists vs SharePoint Lists

5. MS Lists App for iOS:

Microsoft has also launched the MS Lists app for iOS (iPhone and iPad) allowing you to access your lists on the go. The app can be easily downloaded from the App Store.

Further reading Applying JSON Formatting on SharePoint List

Microsoft Lists vs Excel vs SharePoint Lists

At first it might seem that MS Lists serve the same purpose as Excel or SharePoint Lists but there are a lot of differences. For example, different situations and will require different software. To make things simpler, let’s classify which solution is best suited for what scenario:

1. Use Microsoft Lists When:

  • The user needs multiple views of the data for multiple different situations.
  • The user needs version control on items in the list.
  • The user requires deep integration with other apps in Office 365 subscription.
  • The user needs strict control and permissions of data in the list.  

2. Use Excel Spreadsheet When:

  • The user needs large data sets exceeding 5000 items.
  • The user needs to apply complex formulas to the data.
  • The user requires bulk manipulation of data.

3. Use SharePoint Lists When:

  • The user has at least minimum permissions on the site on which the list is located.

Please note: While SharePoint Lists possess most of the functionality of MS Lists, SP Lists should be used when a List is strictly bound to the SharePoint site. MS Lists on the other hand are meant for information sharing across a wide spectrum while SharePoint Lists are meant for users of the site. 

Further reading Choosing Your SharePoint Consulting Services Firm: A Guide

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Conclusion

While Microsoft Lists and SharePoint Lists have a lot in common, they each have their own purpose and can be used in different ways. Microsoft is working toward releasing MS Lists, which is a standalone tool, while SharePoint Lists are meant to be associated with SharePoint sites and subsites. If you have any questions regarding SharePoint Lists or MS Lists, reach out to us 

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