News

Office 365 Admin App 3.0 Now Available

• By Kurt Mackie
• 06/14/2016

Microsoft on Tuesday released the latest version of its Office 365 Admin App for Android and Windows Phone.

This lightweight management application for IT pros is not yet available for iOS devices yet, but it's expected to arrive in about two weeks' time. This release is mostly a cosmetic update. Microsoft changed its design to be more like its flagship Office 365 Admin Center management solution. For instance, the icons and color used are similar, per Microsoft's announcement.

Microsoft also seems to have slimmed down the dashboard view from previous iterations. It shows "Messages" and "Health" up front, with the "Users" and "Support" tiles dropped from the display.

Not everything can be done using the app, but Microsoft is claiming to have thousands of users since product launch in 2014. "We're now at a point where the app can stand on its own, and we have many customers -- especially small businesses -- who use the app as their main administration tool," Microsoft claimed. It's also used by Microsoft's partners to manage accounts.

There are a couple of new features. First, there's a "feature grouping" capability. When IT pros view a user card, they now get a list of quick actions to take, such as password reset, license assignment, deletion or the ability to block a user.

Second, the application now highlights some information. For instance, it will note users that are blocked in red type, per Microsoft's announcement.

The free Office 365 Admin App is just for use by an "Office 365 admin with an active Office 365 business subscription," according to Microsoft's product description. The apps are currently available at the Google Play store and the Microsoft Store.