Extending Microsoft Teams Using Apps

Microsoft Teams is more than a communication platform, and its features are not limited to chats and meetings. Teams can also be used to handle daily communications with colleagues, almost replacing internal emails. In addition, it can be extended with apps to support business logic that is not included by default in the application, removing the necessity of using third-party tools or bringing those tools into the Microsoft Teams context.

This chapter introduces Microsoft Teams apps and explains how to get started with the app store, using some available apps as examples. We are going to cover the following topics:

• Understanding apps in Microsoft Teams
• Installing apps in Microsoft Teams
• Getting familiar with Microsoft Teams app types
• Managing personal apps
• Uninstalling apps from Microsoft Teams

Understanding apps in Microsoft Teams

One of the main advantages of Microsoft Teams is the apps that you can install to enhance its features and improve the user experience of the application. Apps open up a wide variety of possibilities and configurations that allow you to tailor Microsoft Teams exactly according to your needs, following your own procedures and workflows.

Using apps, you will be able to bring to Microsoft Teams information and data that is stored in other Microsoft or third-party applications. This is important in the modern workplace environment because it allows you to continue working in the same environment without the need to switch between applications.

According to the study The total economic impact of Microsoft Teams from April 2019:

"Information workers save 15 minutes per day and firstline workers 5 minutes per day by having features and information sources available within Teams, rather than switching between apps. Time savings...

Installing apps in Microsoft Teams

Any Microsoft Teams user by default (with the exception of guests) is able to install apps; to do so, you just need to open the app store and select the desired app, as shown in the following steps:

1. To open the app store in Microsoft Teams, click on the Apps icon in the sidebar.
2. The app store will open in the stage area, as shown in Figure 9.2.1.

   

Figure 9.2.1: Microsoft Teams app store

By default, the store shows the applications from your organization at the top, followed by a list of applications available from the store. To easily find applications, you can use the search or the vertical menu to refine the selection by category or app type.

1. Select the app you want to install and click on it.
2. A pop-up window like the one in Figure 9.2.2 will open, and from it you will be able to get a preview of the app running in Microsoft Teams, a description of the features, and access to privacy and...

Managing personal apps

Personal apps were designed to boost your productivity, and they will always display content that is tailored to you. Personal apps can be launched from the vertical menu and can be configured by you or the administrator to better suit your needs.

The amount of space on the app bar is limited, however, and if there is no space to display all your apps, they will be shown in a submenu that is revealed when you click on the three dots, as shown in Figure 9.3.1.

Figure 9.3.1: Microsoft Teams personal applications

Let's take a look at what each of these numbered areas is:

1. The app bar showing the pinned apps and the … to open the More apps menu.
2. Personal apps that are not visible in the app bar are shown in this menu.
3. A group with all the pinned apps that are not displayed in the app bar due to the lack of space.
4. A group of all the unpinned personal apps that you have available, organized either alphabetically...

Uninstalling apps from Microsoft Teams

On Microsoft Teams, you will find different ways of uninstalling an app, depending on its type. In this section, all the removal processes are detailed, so you can remove apps if you are no longer using them.

Apps that are installed in a team need to be uninstalled from the team directly. This process applies to tabs, connectors, bots, and messaging. To remove one of these apps, do the following:

1. Open the team where the app is installed.
2. Click on … next to the name of the team to open the context menu.
3. In the context menu, click on Manage team.
4. Click on the Apps tab.
5. Look for the app in the list and click on the trash can icon.

   

   Figure 9.4.1: Uninstalling an app from a team

6. In the confirmation pop-up, click on Uninstall.

Personal apps need to be uninstalled by you directly from the app bar where the app is accessible from. To do this, perform the following steps:

...

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned what Microsoft Teams apps are and how to use them in different scenarios. You have also learned how to extend Teams using the app store to create crafted experiences, with the customization of the applications available to users.

In the next chapter, you will learn how Microsoft Teams can be further customized with apps from the Microsoft ecosystem that you might already be using, such as Power Apps, Power Automate, and SharePoint.