Working remotely with Microsoft 365

Find yourself needing a file quickly after you get home from the office? Or while working from the local coffee shop? Certainly not while on vacation, but you get the idea…

They call it hybrid working - simply working from wherever you are, and you’ve probably been doing it for along time, but the latest productivity and collaboration tools make it easier than ever.

If you already use Microsoft 365 in the office (or if you have a laptop that travels with you), you can easily extend access to your files and team to other devices, like your phone or home computer.

First, make sure your organization is okay with you accessing company information on your personal devices. If they are and they have a Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, or Premium subscription, you can access your most used applications remotely. Outlook is available for keeping up on email, but you can also work with Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

What if I don’t have a laptop or am not in the office?

You can use your internet browser! The Microsoft 365 websites provide access to most of the features you are used to. Simply:

1. navigate to office.com
2. ‍sign in with your work account
3. ‍click the app you need and get back to work

Consider expanding the functionality of the 365 productivity suite by installing the Microsoft apps on your phone. For example, Teams is used for real-time messaging and chat, file sharing, and joining meetings but you can easily set your status or block notifications when you aren’t available.

Maximize your productivity

To get the most out of Microsoft 365, you will want to store your files online. By storing your files in the OneDrive or SharePoint cloud, rather than on your local computer, the files are now available wherever you are. They are backed up and you can control who can see or edit them with sharing permissions. It’s a seamless transition back to your desktop applications whenever you are ready.

Spend some time moving your files to online locations - such as your personal OneDrive space or your team’s SharePoint site.

Side note: using and sharing files in OneDrive or SharePoint will unlock powerful coauthoring abilities. Your teammates can now edit the same file that you are!

You will want a good internet connection and to ensure that the apps you install or the browser you use stays up to date for the latest feature releases and security protections.

Looking for more information?

Check out this training module from Microsoft.