Curious about what’s on the horizon for SharePoint this year? Here’s our list of new SharePoint features we’re looking forward to the most.
We aren’t afraid to admit that new SharePoint features get us excited because it brings value to organizations like yours every single day. So, let’s explore what Microsoft’s SharePoint 2022 roadmap has in store, as well as some other Microsoft 365 updates.
Here are four of our favorite new SharePoint features, including some released at the back end of 2021 and others set for release in 2022.
Table of content
1. The new SharePoint site creation experience
General availability: December 2021
What is it?
Making SharePoint more accessible for its users has been one long journey. It’s part of Microsoft’s effort to modernize SharePoint so that it has the ease of use and seamless user experience that the latest applications achieve. In this case, making it simpler for site creators to create the right type of site and for IT administrators to understand and manage roles and permissions.
The update includes a visual guide that helps users quickly understand the difference between a team site and a communication site.
In addition, controls for setting permissions have been extended with greater depth of choice and more information on the impact of each option.
Read more: How to use SharePoint Online: Best practices, tips, and tricks
To change these settings, you must have owner permissions on the SharePoint site.
To manage site permissions:
- Go to your SharePoint team site
- In the top right corner, click Settings ⚙️
- Click Site permissions
The new site creation experience allows more people in your organization to embrace SharePoint and gives IT administrators a smoother and more efficient way of working. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned pro, it makes the process quicker, easier, and more accurate
What Microsoft says:
“We’ve updated the site creation experience to make it easier for site creators to select the right type of SharePoint site, understand roles, and site permissions. Updates to this experience include refreshed graphics, expanded site descriptions, and more context for different permission levels in the Site permissions panel.”
2. Microsoft 365 Lists entry point integration in SharePoint app bar
General availability: January 2022
What is it?
Another convenient user experience enhancement for SharePoint admins, making it easier to use Microsoft Lists, is one of our favorite recent additions to the SharePoint experience.
The new entry point in the SharePoint app bar will allow you to easily access and view Microsoft 365 Lists from the SharePoint app bar. For more information on the SharePoint app bar experience, check out the official Microsoft documentation on the topic.
What Microsoft says:
“An entry point to Microsoft 365 Lists will appear in the SharePoint app bar after the files icon. Content in the Microsoft 365 lists panel is driven by Microsoft Graph and is personalized to user activity.”
Microsoft Lists is a Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work across Microsoft 365 products. Lists is an improved version of SharePoint lists and part of the modern list experience in SharePoint. Microsoft Lists doesn’t replace SharePoint lists, but rather extends its capabilities.
Microsoft Stream: Comment on a video or audio file in SharePoint and OneDrive
General availability: April 2022
What is it?
This update improves the options for collaboration within Microsoft Stream, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
Users with view permissions can leave a comment on video and audio files and users with edit permissions to comment with @mentions. How comments work across Office apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, will be the same for Microsoft Stream comments, offering a consistent experience.
Comments can be disabled by file editors and owners on a per-file basis through the Video settings button above Comments.
What Microsoft says:
“This feature builds on top of the already existing comments found in OneDrive and SharePoint Online but presents these comments with a new Office look and feel within the player.”
By bringing more Microsoft Stream functionality into SharePoint, Microsoft is giving SharePoint users more freedom to collaborate via video.
With the ability to comment on video and audio files, the scope for what’s possible expands greatly. It’s a good idea to consider how to boost user experiences with more access to internal video content. This feature is designed to allow this to happen seamlessly. For example, IT admins can comment and tag employees on relevant video and audio files that require action to be taken, speeding up key IT processes.
It’s time to get creative and provide IT admins and wider staff with better video-based experiences.
OneDrive new command bar
General availability: September 2021
What is it?
Another great addition that helps improve the overall user experience and is available when using both the OneDrive and SharePoint web viewer.
With the updated command bar, OneDrive and SharePoint users can access and interact with files and primary commands with greater ease. Its main benefit is a reduction in visual clutter. The updated command bar will show you the primary commands you use most frequently. This way, you can do what you need to do without seeing commands that you don’t require.
What Microsoft says:
“With this update, you can easily identify the right file and access primary commands. The simplified view allows you to focus on the content, and that is visually pleasing.”
High levels of productivity demand ease of access and speed of action—and it helps too if the design is simple and decluttered. This is essentially what this new update to the command bar allows for users within the OneDrive and SharePoint web viewer. It simply lets users do more with less—i.e. they can do what they need quicker and easier, all in one place without having to leave the page or navigate through different commands.
This selection is a small taste of what Microsoft has in store for SharePoint and Microsoft 365 users in 2022 and beyond. At ShareGate we stay on top of all new SharePoint features to help you empower users to do their best work in Microsoft 365.
