Getting ready

The ability to create Microsoft 365 Groups depends on the model adopted by the organization, as shown here:

A Microsoft 365 Group can be created directly via the Outlook client, Outlook Web Access, or the Outlook mobile app. We will demonstrate the steps that you need to follow using Outlook Web Access. There are also indirect ways of provisioning Microsoft 365 Groups, which we will learn about in the coming chapters on Chapter 8, Microsoft Teams, Supplement Chapter 6, Planner, and Supplement Chapter 4, Yammer.

How to do it...

Microsoft 365 Groups appear at the lower left-hand corner of your Outlook profile. Here, it will list all the Microsoft 365 Groups you are a member of. To create a new group, perform the following steps:

1. In the Groups section on the left, click on New group as shown:

   

2. Provide a Group name and Description.
3. Microsoft 365 creates a group email address based on the group name. You can change the email address if you like.

4. Next, set the Privacy option.

   

   "Public" groups will let anyone in the organization join your group. Users can see the group members and contribute to group files. "Private" groups will require the group owner's approval for someone to join the group. The creator of the group becomes the group owner by default. Additional owners can be added by the group owner.

5. Once you have filled in all the sections, click Create.
6. Your group is now ready to be shared with members. You can add other colleagues or even other groups. You should be able to invite people from outside your organization (if your organization allows this). You can add up to 1,000 members to one group. The following screenshot shows you how to do this:

Figure S3.3: Add members to the groupNow, your group is ready. The new group should start appearing under the Groups section. At this point, members will receive a welcome email with links to common group tasks.

How it works...

When a new group is created, the group gets an email address assigned to it. You can send a single email to the group email address and all the group members will receive it.As mentioned previously, when a member is added to the group, they receive a welcome email. The welcome email looks as in the following screenshot:

The email contains four links, each taking you to a specific group feature. Let's see what these four features are.

Group team site

The Microsoft 365 Group provisions a SharePoint site that every group member can access, where all the group files can be saved. SharePoint offers additional capabilities, such as news articles, content pages, and so on. The following screenshots show the landing page of the SharePoint site that is provisioned for the group:

Connecting your apps

The Microsoft 365 Group lets you connect to a host of other apps from the Microsoft 365 store, as shown:

These apps can be used to facilitate tasks within the group. For instance, you could add the Twitter connector to receive tweets from an account or track certain hashtags.

See also

• The Creating a group using Teams recipe in Chapter 11, Microsoft Teams
• The Creating a Yammer group recipe in Chapter 12, Yammer – The Enterprise Social Network
• The Creating a group using Planner recipe in Chapter 17, Planner

To delete a group that is no longer needed, refer to the next recipe.

Getting ready

Microsoft 365 users can only delete groups created by them. You can do this via the Outlook client, Outlook Web Access, or the Outlook mobile app.

How to do it...

On Outlook Web Access, you can see all the Microsoft 365 Groups that you are part of in the lower left-hand side navigation section. Follow these steps to delete a Microsoft 365 Group:

1. Select the group you want to delete and click on the Settings symbol next to the group members.

2. This should bring up the Group Settings pane. Click on Edit group, as shown:

   

3. Click on the Delete group link at the bottom of the pane and click Yes to any confirmation message.

After completing this step, you have now deleted a group.

How it works...

Deleting a group deletes all conversations, files, notebooks, and tasks. There is no concept of a group recycle bin, from where you can restore the group. However, the administrator has the option of restoring the deleted group within 30 days. If the administrator takes no action within 30 days, the contents of the group (files, conversations, etc.) will be deleted forever.

If you want to restore a Microsoft 365 Group that got deleted, you can do it via the Deleted groups page by navigating to the following link and following the guidance provided on screen: https://outlook.office.com/people/group/deleted.

See also

• The Leaving a group recipe in this chapter
• Restoring a deleted group: https://m365book.page.link/m365-restore

In the next recipe, we’ll see how you can join an existing group.

Getting ready

You can join groups that are not created by you. On Outlook Web Access, if you right-click on Groups and click Discover, it lists all the groups in the organization. Some of these groups might be private, while others will be public.

How to do it...

To join a group, do the following:

1. Right-click on Groups and click Discover. This will bring up the Discover pane with a search box. Start typing the group name you would like to join, as shown here:

   

   Public groups will let you join immediately. Private groups will require the group owner's approval.

2. Click on Request to join or Join. If you are joining a private group, you will need to provide the reason for making the request, as shown here:

By clicking Send, your request to join the group will be logged and the group owner will take the appropriate action.

How it works...

If you wish to join a public group, you simply click Join and become a member of the group. You can then participate in group conversations and have access to group files.In the case of a private group, the owner of the group receives an email informing them about your interest. They can then choose to grant you access or ignore your request. The email will look something like this:

If the owner approves your request, you will receive a group welcome email.

See also

• The Creating a group recipe in this chapter

Next, we’ll see how you can leave a group that you are a part of.

Getting ready

You can leave a group at any time. You do not need any special permission to leave the group.

How to do it...

On Outlook Web Access, you can see all the Microsoft 365 groups that you are part of in the lower left-hand side navigation section. To leave a group, do the following:

1. Select the group you want to leave and click on the Settings symbol next to the group members.
2. Click on Leave group and click Yes to any confirmation message.

How it works...

When you click the Leave group option, all your permissions to the group resources are revoked. If you want to retain access to the group but just do not want to receive notifications about the group activities, you can update your Email preferences in the Group Settings pane, as shown in the following screenshot:

See also

• The Deleting a group recipe in this chapter

A group is of no use if it doesn’t have members, so let’s see how members can be added in the next recipe.

Getting ready

If you are a group owner, you can add additional members to the group. You can also invite people from outside your organization (if your organization permits this). The external users will become part of your team and will have the same privileges as other members of the group.

How to do it...

You can add new members to the group while you are creating a new group. If the group has already been created, take the following steps:

1. Select the group and click on the number of members, as shown here:

   

2. The new screen lets you add new members by searching for them in the company directory, as in the following screenshot:

   

3. Clicking on Add members brings up a text box that lets you type in the email address of the team member.

4. When you start typing the email address, the text box displays suggestions from the company's active directory. To invite external users, type in their email addresses:

   

5. When you select a member from the list, they get added to the group.

How it works...

Adding members grants them access to all the group resources. Microsoft 365 manages the permissions automatically for you.

If you are adding external users, they receive an email at the email address that you provided. To log in to Microsoft 365, the user needs a Microsoft account. If the email address provided is a Microsoft account, the user can simply log in to Microsoft 365. If not, then the user is prompted to create a Microsoft account using the email.

See also

• The Creating a group recipe in this chapter
• The Removing members from a group recipe in this chapter

Having discussed how to add a user, in the next recipe we will see how you can remove users from a group.

Getting ready

If you are a group owner, you can add or remove members from the group. This will revoke their access to the group resources.

How to do it...

On Outlook Web Access, you can see all the Microsoft 365 Groups that you are part of in the lower left-hand side navigation section. You can remove members from the group by following these steps:

1. Select the group and click on the number of members:

   

2. Remove the user from the group by clicking the X icon, as shown here:

How it works...

Removing a member (which includes external users) revokes their access from all the group resources. Microsoft 365 manages the permissions automatically.

See also

• The Adding members to a group recipe in this chapter

The group can communicate with each other via the shared mailbox. We will learn about this in the next recipe.

Getting ready

You will have access to the conversation space if you are a group member. Users who are not members of the group can, however, send an email to the group's email address which will reach all members of the group.

How to do it...

On Outlook Web Access, you can see all the Microsoft 365 Groups that you are part of in the lower left-hand side navigation section. To initiate a conversation, do the following:

1. Select the group and click Send email:

   

2. Type your message and press the Send icon.

How it works...

The conversation space is like a group mailbox, where everybody in the group can view all the conversations. All recent conversations appear at the top.Conversations in a public group can be read and responded to by anyone in the organization. In the case of private groups, only group members can participate in conversations.Conversations can include attachments, emojis, and rich text content. They also support @mentions to notify specific people of a message.By default, conversations appear in the group's conversation area, but you can choose to receive conversations in your personal inbox by following the group by clicking on the Follow icon in the group team site, as you can see in the following screenshot:

See also

• The Booking meetings recipe in this chapter
• The Sharing files recipe in this chapter
• The Collaborating on a notebook recipe in this chapter

In the next recipe, we will see how you can book meetings with team members.

Getting ready

You will have access to the group calendar if you are a group member. You can book group-specific meetings or group events using the group calendar.

How to do it…

On Outlook Web Access, you can see all the Microsoft 365 Groups that you are part of in the lower left-hand side navigation section. To book a meeting, follow these steps:

1. Select the group and click on the Calendar icon:

   

2. The screen will look as shown in the following screenshot:

   

3. To book a new meeting, click on the New event button on the top left of the screen. Specify the event information, including the following:
   • A title for the event
   • The event location
   • Participants
   • The start time
   • The end time
   • Recurrence
   • The meeting agenda

You can see these fields in the following screenshot:

1. Once the fields have been filled in, click on the Send button to send the invite.

How it works...

The meeting created in the group's calendar appears when you select the group from the navigation pane:

The meetings from all the selected groups are superimposed on top of each other but coded in different colors:

You can change the view to take a wider or closer look at your schedule:

See also

• The Having conversations recipe in this chapter
• The Sharing files recipe in this chapter
• The Collaborating on a notebook recipe in this chapter

A group needs to collaborate on documents from time to time, the next recipe shows how that is done.

Getting ready

Every Microsoft 365 Group has a SharePoint site associated with it. All the group files are saved in the SharePoint database in one or more document libraries. Every group member has "contribute" access to the files.

How to do it...

On Outlook Web Access, you can see all the Microsoft 365 Groups that you are part of in the lower left-hand side navigation section. To share files, do the following:

1. Select the group and click on the Files icon. This displays all the files stored in SharePoint's default Documents library:

   

2. To add a new Office document (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), click on New:

   

3. The new file will be created in the library.
4. You can also upload an existing document by clicking on the Upload option.
5. To download the file, click on it and then click on the Download option from the ribbon or the context menu:

Note that you cannot delete files using the Files tab from within a Microsoft 365 Group. These files can be deleted from SharePoint.

How it works...

File management in groups is limited when accessed from within the Microsoft 365 Group. But the same files can also be accessed by going to the SharePoint site associated with the group. You can navigate to the SharePoint site by clicking on the Site menu option:

By navigating to SharePoint, you will not only have access to the default documents library but you can also create additional libraries, not to mention the other benefits it provides, including but not limited to:

• Versioning
• Metadata
• The recycle bin

The following is a screenshot of a SharePoint landing page provisioned for the group:

See also

• The Viewing and editing documents in the browser recipe in Chapter 5, Document Management in SharePoint Online
• The Having conversations recipe in this chapter
• The Booking meetings recipe in this chapter
• The Collaborating on a notebook recipe in this chapter

The next recipe demonstrates how you can collaborate on a shared notebook.

Getting ready

Microsoft OneNote is primarily a note-taking application. Its simple user interface allows it to be used as a canvas or a notebook. It supports both handwriting and typed text. In OneNote, users can create notes that include text, tables, pictures, and drawings. You can add links to your notes with a web page, a link to Office documents, and more. Your work is automatically saved as you go along.OneNote offers a very good platform for channeling your creativity. As a member of the Microsoft 365 group, you get access to a team notebook, which lets you create and share team notes and capture team meeting minutes.

How to do it...

The notes in OneNote can be organized in pages and sections. You can think of sections as chapters in a book. Each section can contain several pages. You get a blank notebook, to begin with:

1. To create a section, click on + Section and give it a name.
2. To create a page, click on + Page and give it a name.
3. To draw a picture, go to the Draw tab and select Pen. Use your mouse or a stylus pen (for touch screen devices) to draw.
4. Switch to the text mode by selecting Text and type your notes.
5. Use formatting options, such as bullet points or to-do controls, accordingly:

How it works...

OneNote lets you share your notebook with others. Anyone who has access to the notebook can see all the sections and pages. The Microsoft 365 Group creates a notebook that the entire team can access. You can use this to capture, compile, and share minutes, thoughts, and ideas with your teammates. You can switch between your notebooks by clicking on the three lines as shown in the following screenshot:

See also

• The Having conversations recipe in this chapter
• The Booking meetings recipe in this chapter
• The Sharing files recipe in this chapter