Microsoft 365 Shortcut Apps Rolling Out in Windows 11: Here's What You Get (2025)

Microsoft 365 is adding three new apps to its roster: Calendar, File Search, and People.

First unveiled in June, these "companion apps" are rolling out to Windows 11 users now and are designed to "enhance productivity and save users time within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem." In other words, they’re small shortcut-like apps accessible from your taskbar.

Calendar allows you to access details from your Microsoft 365 calendar without opening it in full. You can make changes directly from the app, which launches from the taskbar. You can also search Teams messages, join meetings, look at your day or agenda views, and see all the details for individual appointments.

File Search allows you to look through all of your Microsoft uploaded documents in one place. You can filter search results by who made the document or who recently edited it, preview a document in the companion app, share files, or copy a link to share it through another platform.

People, meanwhile, helps you look through your company's org chart or personal contacts. You can also use this to send short Teams messages, or to pull up further details about each person.

Each of these apps will start at launch once Windows 11 updates. Microsoft says you can turn off auto auto-launch feature by going to the Settings of each app and toggling Auto-Start at Windows login to off.

The rollout begins today, but they're all in beta, so you may not get access until they launch in full at a later date. The apps are currently exclusive to desktop; Microsoft says mobile versions “are not yet available,” suggesting it may have future plans for a mobile alternative.