Apps In Microsoft Teams
An app is a tool used to get the work done. Choose it for the task or information the collaboration needs. Teams can make that tool available in a personal view, within a chat or channel, or during a conversation or meeting. An app does not have to be a channel tab.
Choose The Right Context
| Context | What it gives people | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Personal app | A view of a person's work across conversations and Teams, available through the Teams app bar when added or pinned. | Planner can show a person's tasks and plans. |
| Chat or channel | A shared entry point for the people working together on a topic. | Add a relevant plan or dashboard as a tab where the group discusses it. |
| Message or meeting | A tool used at the moment of a conversation, such as an action in the compose area or an app in a meeting. | Start an approval from a chat or bring an app into a meeting when supported. |
Microsoft describes personal apps, chat and channel tabs, meeting apps, and messaging actions. These are capabilities of individual apps, not features every app provides. The Planner app in Teams, for example, offers a personal view of tasks and plans. A tab in a channel can instead point people to a plan used for that topic.
Keep The Tool Connected To Its Work
Use Planner for tasks, Lists for tracked records, or Power BI for a dashboard when those tools fit the work. Add an app to a channel only when the people in that topic need it there. A personal app can be useful without appearing in any Team; an app in a meeting may serve only that meeting. Microsoft also documents starting an approval from a Teams chat.
Teams can present a connected service while the underlying information remains with that service. For example, channel documents are managed in SharePoint. A Power BI report added to Teams still needs Power BI permissions. Adding an entry point in Teams does not grant people access to every source behind it. See Teams and SharePoint integration.
Before adding an app for a group, check who owns its data, who can use it, and who will maintain it. Team owners and IT may restrict app installation or availability through Teams settings and policies. See manage access to Teams apps.