Microsoft 365 App Cheat Sheet

OneDrive 📁

What it does: Your personal cloud storage

Use it for: Personal files, drafts, work-in-progress

Key feature: Access your files from any device

SharePoint 🏢

What it does: Team sites and shared document libraries

Use it for: Team files, official documents, structured content

Key feature: Metadata, version control, governance

Microsoft Teams 💬

What it does: Chat, meetings, and collaboration hub

Use it for: Team communication, video calls, project collaboration

Key feature: Everything in one place (chat + files + meetings)

Outlook 📧

What it does: Email, calendar, and contact management

Use it for: Formal communication, external emails, scheduling

Key feature: Professional email with calendar integration

Word 📄

What it does: Word processing and document creation

Use it for: Reports, letters, proposals, documentation

Key feature: Professional formatting and collaboration

Excel 📊

What it does: Spreadsheets, data analysis, calculations

Use it for: Budgets, data tracking, reports, charts

Key feature: Formulas, pivot tables, data visualization

PowerPoint 🎨

What it does: Presentations and slide decks

Use it for: Presentations, pitch decks, visual storytelling

Key feature: Professional templates and animations

OneNote 📓

What it does: Digital notebook for notes and research

Use it for: Meeting notes, research, brainstorming, knowledge base

Key feature: Organize notes in notebooks, sections, and pages

When to use: Capturing ideas, meeting notes, project research

To Do ✅

What it does: Personal task management

Use it for: Your daily to-do list, reminders, task tracking

Key feature: Syncs with Outlook tasks, works across devices

When to use: Managing your personal workload

Planner 📋

What it does: Team task and project management

Use it for: Team projects, task assignments, progress tracking

Key feature: Visual boards (like Trello), integrates with Teams

When to use: Managing team projects with multiple tasks

Lists 📝

What it does: Flexible list and tracking app

Use it for: Issue tracking, inventory, event planning, any structured list

Key feature: Customizable columns, views, and rules

When to use: Tracking anything that needs structure

Forms 📋

What it does: Create surveys, quizzes, and polls

Use it for: Feedback surveys, event registration, quizzes, data collection

Key feature: Automatic response collection and analysis

When to use: Gathering structured input from people

Whiteboard 🎨

What it does: Digital whiteboard for brainstorming

Use it for: Visual collaboration, brainstorming, workshops

Key feature: Real-time collaboration, infinite canvas

When to use: Creative sessions, visual planning

Stream 🎥

What it does: Video hosting and sharing

Use it for: Training videos, recordings, company announcements

Key feature: Secure video hosting with transcription

When to use: Sharing video content internally

Power Automate 🔄

What it does: Workflow automation (if-this-then-that)

Use it for: Automating repetitive tasks, connecting apps

Key feature: No-code automation between Microsoft 365 apps

When to use: Automating approvals, notifications, data transfers

Power Apps 📱

What it does: Build custom business apps (no code required)

Use it for: Custom forms, data entry, mobile apps

Key feature: Create apps without programming

When to use: Building custom solutions for specific needs

Power BI 📊

What it does: Business intelligence and data visualization

Use it for: Interactive dashboards, data analysis, reporting

Key feature: Connect to multiple data sources, create live dashboards

When to use: Analyzing data and creating visual reports

Mistake 1: Using the wrong app for the job

Example: Using Word for task management

Fix: Use Planner or To Do instead

Mistake 2: Not knowing what’s available

Example: Manually copying data between apps

Fix: Use Power Automate to automate it

Mistake 3: Using too many apps

Example: Trying to use every app at once

Fix: Start with the core 4 (OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Outlook)