Kari’s Tip #121: Search Smarter — Know Where to Look in Microsoft 365

Last week we talked about where to save your files in Microsoft 365 — OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint. But saving is only half the battle. The real win? Finding them fast.

Here’s the catch: where you search matters — because each tool stores files differently, and the search bar behaves differently depending on where you use it.

Let’s break it down and make searching smarter:

✅ Understand Where Files Live

• OneDrive = your personal cloud storage
• Teams = a window into SharePoint (files live in the team’s SharePoint site)
• SharePoint = shared document libraries and folders across your org

🗝️ Tip: When you open a file in Teams, click “Open in SharePoint” to see its true location — and unlock full search/filter options.

✅ Use the Global Search Bar — But Know What It’s Searching

• In Teams, it searches chats, channels, and files stored in Team’s
• In Outlook, it searches emails, attachments, and contacts
  
• In S...

You’re working in Microsoft 365, and you need to save a file. But do you put it in OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint?

Let’s clear it up — with real tips you can use today, and a sneak peek at something new I’m working on just for you.

✅ OneDrive = For you

Think of it as your personal storage space in the cloud. Files are private by default, and it’s perfect for:

• Notes, drafts, or working files

• Documents not ready to be shared

• Your own project materials

⭐ Tip: If you delete something, don’t panic — the OneDrive Recycle Bin keeps files for 30 days (or longer, depending on your settings). You can restore anything with just a few clicks.

✅ Teams = For your group

When you upload a file in a Teams channel, it’s stored in a connected SharePoint library — and everyone in the Team has access. Teams is ideal for:

• Collaborative documents

• Meeting notes or shared agendas

• Day-to-day work with your department or project team

⭐ Tip: Open files from Teams...

📑 Schedule Send in Outlook: Write Now, Deliver Later

Ever wish you could schedule an email to go out later—without waking up early or staying late?

Now you can!
Outlook makes it easy with the new and improved Schedule Send feature. 🙌

⏱ Time to Read/Watch: ~2 min

📬 How to Use It:

New Message → Click the arrow next to Send → Schedule Send

Choose the exact date and time you want your message to be delivered. Whether you're working late, planning ahead, or simply spacing out communication—this gives you full control over when emails go out.

Once you hit send, the message will sit in your Drafts folder. You do not need to have your computer on or be connected in order for the message to send.

💡 Why This Saves Time:

✅ Stay productive without sending emails at odd hours
✅ Prevent inbox pileup for your coworkers
✅ Plan ahead without having to remember to hit send
✅ Reduce stress by getting communication done in advance

🎯 Pro Tip:

Use Schedule Send to queue up weekly u...

 📑Color Coding in Outlook!

This one simple setting helps me visually sort through the noise and find what mattered most—fast. Especially when I've been out of the office or away from my email.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to View > View Settings > Conditional Formatting.
   
2. Click Add Rule, name your rule something like “From My Manager” or “High Priority”.
   
3. Choose a font color (I love bold red or green).
4. Click Condition to filter by sender, subject, or flags.

This tiny trick makes a huge difference when your time (or brain space) is limited.

📌Pro Tip: Want flagged emails to show up in bold red? Or make your boss’s emails stand out in blue? You can!

💡Why This Saves Time:

✅ Quickly spot high-priority emails without reading every subject line

✅Visually separate work vs. personal or urgent vs. FYI at a glance

✅Spend less time triaging your inbox after time away

✅Focus faster by knowing where to start

✅Reduce overwhelm during busy seasons (like wedding weeks!) 

Turn Emails Into Calendar Events in One Click

🧠 Feeling buried in back-and-forth emails about meetings?

Outlook has a time-saving feature that helps you skip the copy/paste and go straight to scheduling—right from your inbox.

⏱ Time to Read/Watch: ~2 min

Here are two fast ways to create an event from an email:

🖱️ Drag & Drop

Drag the email onto the Calendar icon in the bottom-left corner of Outlook.

It opens a brand-new meeting or appointment with the subject, body, and any attachments already filled in.

📅 Reply with Meeting

If the email requires discussion, click Reply with Meeting from the ribbon.

Outlook turns it into a calendar invite—perfect for scheduling quick syncs without retyping anything.

💡 Why This Saves Time:

✅ You don’t have to switch apps or retype details

✅ Keeps everything (context, attachments, info) in one place

✅ Helps you act quickly—while it's still top of mind

🎯 Pro Tip:

Use this feature when you feel that “we should just meet ...

🧭 Where Did the Teams Tab Go?!

✨ Bring Back Your Favorite Layout in Seconds

If your Teams icon disappeared or your Teams are now inside the “Chats” section—you’re not alone. 😵‍💫
Microsoft recently rolled out a layout change that’s confusing a lot of people—but don’t worry, you can switch it back!

Time to Read/Watch: ~3 min

This tip walks you through the quick fix and explains why Microsoft made the change (and why you don’t have to live with it if you don’t want to!).

🔄 What Changed?

Microsoft wants to streamline the navigation in Teams by combining “Chats” and “Teams” into one section.

        
While that sounds helpful in theory, in practice—it’s throwing off lots of users who rely on having Teams as a separate button in their sidebar.

🛠 How to Get Your Teams Button Back

1. Open Microsoft Teams

2. Click the three dots (···) at the bottom left

3. Choose Settings

4. Select Chats and channels
   
   

5. Change the layout to Separate

✅ That’s it! Your familiar la...

🧠 Microsoft Loop vs. OneNote—What’s the Difference? 📒🔁

✨ Collaborate Faster Without Giving Up Your Notes!

Maybe you’ve heard of Microsoft Loop—but is it just another version of OneNote? 🤔 Not quite!

I’ll show you how these two tools are different and when to use each one. Spoiler: you’ll probably use both!

🧩 Loop = Sticky Notes for Real-Time Collaboration
📓 OneNote = A Binder for Your Thoughts and Meetings

Time to Read/Watch: ~3 min

Loop is great when you need a fast, interactive way to brainstorm, assign tasks, or take action right inside a Teams chat or Outlook email. OneNote is your go-to for detailed meeting notes, organized sections, and long-term storage.

🔍 Quick Comparison:

Use Flagged Emails + Planner Tasks in One View! 📬✅

 ✨ Stay On Top of Tasks Without Missing a Beat!

Have you ever flagged an email in Outlook, then opened Microsoft Planner and thought, “Why is my email showing up here?” Surprise—it’s not really Planner. But it is one of the most helpful integrations Microsoft has to offer!

In Kari’s Tips & Tricks #114, I’m showing you how your flagged emails and Planner tasks come together, so you can see all your work in one simple list.

🧩 Flag It. Assign It. See It All in Teams.

Time to Read/Watch: ~2 min

When you flag an email in Outlook, it becomes a task in Microsoft To Do. Tasks from Planner (which are usually assigned in group plans or projects) show up too. But here’s the magic:

Both types of tasks appear in the Tasks by Planner and To Do app in Microsoft Teams.

So if you’re using Planner for team projects and Outlook for personal follow-up, you can finally see everything in one place—no more bouncing between apps!

🔄 How It Works:...

⌨️ Kari’s Tip #113: Master 3 Excel Shortcuts to Save Time! 📅📋

✨ Speed Up Your Excel Game with These Keyboard Tricks!

Tired of clicking through Excel menus? Let’s turbocharge your workflow with three must-know keyboard shortcuts! Today’s Kari’s Tips & Tricks #113 shows you how to insert today’s date, copy data from above, and use Excel’s most popular shortcut—all in seconds. Get ready to work smarter!

⌨️ Master 3 Excel Shortcuts: Date, Copy, and More! 📅📋
Time to Read/Watch: ~2 min

Excel is your data powerhouse, but slow clicks can bog you down. These three shortcuts—inserting today’s date, copying from the cell above, and the #1 go-to command—will make you feel like an Excel ninja! Here’s how to do them in a snap:

Why These Shortcuts?

Keyboard shortcuts are like secret weapons for Excel pros. Instead of navigating menus, you can enter dates, duplicate data, or manage your spreadsheet with a quick key combo. These three are game-changers: one stamps the current date, another gra...

📥 Kari's Tip #112: Auto-Organize Outlook with Dynamic Search Folders! 🔍🚀

 ✨ Dynamic Search Folders in Outlook—Your Inbox, Smarter!

Is your Outlook inbox a chaotic mess of emails? Stop wasting time filing messages manually! Today’s Kari’s Tips & Tricks #112 shows you how to use 📥 Dynamic Search Folders to auto-organize emails in Outlook. Find what you need with one click—no more digging!

🎥 Video Walkthrough!

You asked, I listened—videos make learning a breeze! Check out this quick guide:

📥 Eliminate Filing Messages in Outlook with Dynamic Search Folders! 🔍
Time to Read/Watch: ~2 min

Got an inbox overflowing with emails from clients, projects, or that one VIP? Set up a Dynamic Search Folder to automatically sort and display the messages you need! Here’s how to create one in Outlook in a snap:

Why Dynamic Search Folders?

Before we dive into the how, let’s talk why these are a game-changer!

Outlook is your communication hub, but manually sorting emails into folders is a time suck....