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Microsoft To Do vs Outlook Tasks
Is Microsoft To Do replacing Outlook Tasks? Or how do they work together? Is Outlook Tasks being retired? I'm a Technology Adoption Analyst who co-leads our Champions program and we want to make sure...
WillDeHaan hey, good questions
Why are there 2 places for To Do tasks?
Outlook tasks have been around for a long time and there would be users who still use it and the features are slightly different.
Is there a best practice or best overall tool to use for this? Is To Do a better tool to push to our end users since it integrates with Planner and Teams and Outlook?
I'd be promoting To Do for individuals.
- It has its own handy features (lists, grouped lists, smart lists, list sharing, tags, recognised dates, My Day etc)
- It's integrated with Microsoft Teams
- It surfaces your Planner items
- It surfaces flagged emails
- It has a dedicated app with mobile widgets
I have relied on the rich feature set offered by Outlook Tasks to manage the workflow in my medical practice and find Microsoft To Do in its current form to be a totally inadequate replacement. For over fifteen years, I have modeled much of my use of Outlook Tasks from the Total Workday Control books by Michael Linenberger that highlight the tremendous power and flexibility provided by Tasks.
I appreciate the need to offer a simpler interface for new users as Microsoft To Do provides, but I hope with its introduction that the more advanced task management needs of longtime users of Outlook Tasks will not be overlooked. Hopefully, and perhaps most simply, both apps can be retained in the new Outlook for Windows to achieve "the best of both worlds."
I appreciate the need to offer a simpler interface for new users as Microsoft To Do provides, but I hope with its introduction that the more advanced task management needs of longtime users of Outlook Tasks will not be overlooked. Hopefully, and perhaps most simply, both apps can be retained in the new Outlook for Windows to achieve "the best of both worlds."
- I also have adopted Total Workday Control by Michael Linenberger with great success using Outlook Tasks. It would be impossible to replicate in To Do.
I agree with Harold3 that To Do and Tasks should both be supported. This would meet the needs of a simpler interface (To Do) for some, and the more advanced needs (Tasks) of others.
