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Microsoft’s New Calendar App: A Peek at Your Day—Whether You Want It or Not

Microsoft has rolled out a new Calendar app, because apparently, we all needed another way to be reminded we’re too busy.

This latest tool is part of the “Microsoft 365 Companion” experience, a trio of apps aimed at helping users stay productive—or at least feel like they are.  It joins the People and File Search apps available to some Microsoft 365 plans.

Your Schedule, Now in the Taskbar

Instead of opening Outlook or Teams to see your meetings, the Calendar app lives snugly in your Windows 11 taskbar. It’s like Microsoft said, “What if we took that notification anxiety and pinned it right in your line of sight?”

Source: Microsoft plus some cropping.

Features include:

  • A daily or weekly view of your calendar (yes, that wall of meetings you somehow agreed to)
  • Quick access to Teams meeting links (of course it’s tied into Teams)
  • The ability to RSVP to invites without the drama of opening a full app

More Features, Fewer Clicks (Allegedly)

Microsoft touts some “handy capabilities” like:

  • One-click meeting join buttons (you’re still late, but now with flair)
  • A search bar for tracking down events and Teams chats (in case you forgot which “Sync” was with whom)
  • Easy taskbar pinning for those who like their productivity tools in plain sight

You can also open the app from the Windows Start menu or the system tray, assuming you’re not already lost in a sea of open windows.

It’s a small, sleek calendar that wants to make your digital life smoother. Whether it simplifies your day or just adds another shiny icon to ignore… well, that’s up to you.

Who Gets It?

Right now, it’s available for the lucky folks who match all these specs:

  • Windows 11
  • Business or Enterprise licenses
  • Microsoft 365 desktop apps
  • M365 Insider Beta Channel

However one of our machines matches those specs and Calendar app see we not.  You might be luckier.

So if you’re using Windows 10 or a personal M365 plan—sorry, guess you’ll just have to calendar the old-fashioned way.

People and File Search apps coming to Microsoft 365

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