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Teams apps that work on Outlook and Microsoft 365

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What are Teams apps that work on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App?

A Teams app that works on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App is an upgraded Teams App with a manifest version greater than or equal to v1.13. This app can work across Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 App (formerly known as Office.com) in addition to working on Teams. Such apps use the value of Teams app capabilities and allow developers to extend these capabilities to Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App. Going forward, app developers don't need to build different apps for different platforms. They can submit a single app package that works across Teams, Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 App. These apps may be subject to different terms than other Office add-ins or pure Teams Apps. Read your license agreement for more details.

Previously, for an app to work in Teams, Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 App, admins needed to manage each app independently across the Teams admin center, Exchange admin center, and Microsoft 365 admin center. Now that these apps can be extended to Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App, admins can manage the app once from Integrated Apps on the Microsoft 365 Admin center, and enable a single, connected experience for end-users across both Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 App.

Note

Any changes made on Integrated Apps on the Microsoft 365 admin center will only impact these apps on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app at this time. To manage how these apps show up on Teams, please continue to use Teams admin center.

The following sections tell you more about the management tools available for these Teams Apps that work on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.

Before you begin

The following controls on Integrated Apps in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center are only available to Global Admins. Check your credentials before you proceed.

Controls for managing Teams apps that work on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App

As an admin, you can manage Teams apps that work on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App in your organization as follows:

  1. Deploy/Pre-install an app for users in your organization on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.
  2. Manage how users can install and use these apps on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.
  3. Upload custom apps for your organization.

Deploy a Teams app that works on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App via the Integrated Apps portal

As an admin, you can now deploy these apps on Outlook, and Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office.com) to a specific set of users, the entire organization, or just to yourself from Integrated Apps on Microsoft 365 admin center. Deploying an app means that it is preinstalled for the selected users on the applicable hosts of the app.

  1. Sign into Microsoft 365 admin center as a Global Administrator.
  2. Select Settings and then select Integrated Apps.
  3. Select Get apps in the Deployed Apps list. This action opens up AppSource in embedded form from where you can select the app that you want to deploy.
  4. Next, you see the deployment screen where general information about the app is given and the applicable products on which the app is deployed.
  5. Click Next to select the set of users to whom you want to deploy the app. Read more about user groups and assignments.
  6. Next, accept permissions if there are any. Then select Next.
  7. Review and finish the deployment of the app. This app is now preinstalled for all selected users in the applicable hosts.

As a Global Administrator, you can also initiate deployment of an app from its overview pane in the Available Apps list on Integrated Apps.

  1. Select the app you wish to deploy from the Available Apps list on Integrated Apps.
  2. Next, select Deploy app in the overview pane.
  3. Complete the deployment steps as listed above.

Note

Any changes made to these apps from Integrated Apps on the Microsoft 365 admin center will only impact these apps on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app at this time. To manage how these apps show up on Teams, please continue to use Teams admin center.

As an admin, you can also take management actions on these apps such as removing the deployment or editing user access.

To remove the deployment of this app

  1. Select Remove app in the overview tab of an app from the Deployed Apps list.
  2. Consent to the removal terms.
  3. Select Remove, then select Done.

To edit the user assignment of an app

  1. Select Edit users in the overview tab of an app from the Deployed Apps list.
  2. Change the user assignment to deploy this app for a new set of users.
  3. Select Update, then select Done.

Manage how users can install Teams apps on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App

As an admin, you can manage availability or how users can install such apps in your organization. You have complete control over who can or can't install and use apps in your organization. Unlike deploying an app that you pre-install for selected users, managing availability of an app allows you to decide which users can self-install these apps from the stores on the Microsoft applications.

The following sections tell you more about the tools available for managing availability of these apps on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.

How to see the available and blocked apps in your organization

  1. Sign into Microsoft 365 admin center as a Global Administrator.
  2. Select Settings, then select Integrated Apps.
  3. Select the Available Apps or Blocked Apps list. Here you can view the status of all apps in the public catalog, as well as any custom line-of-business apps uploaded from Teams admin center or Microsoft 365 admin center.
  4. Select an app to view more details about the app, applicable host products, and availability status within your organization.

How to block an app

You can block an app for all users in your organization to restrict them from downloading and using the app on the Microsoft 365 app and Outlook.

  1. Sign into Microsoft 365 admin center as a Global Administrator.
  2. Select Settings, and then select Integrated Apps.
  3. Select the Available Apps list.
  4. Select an app from the Available Apps list to open the overview pane.
  5. Select Block app.
  6. Consent to blocking the app by selecting Yes, I'm sure I want to block this app.
  7. Select Block. You can now see this app in the Blocked Apps list.

When you choose to block an app, it is blocked for all users in your organization. Blocking an app overrides any previous admin deployment or user installation in Microsoft 365 and Outlook so that the app can no longer be used by anyone in your organization.

Note

Currently, the app will only be blocked in the Microsoft 365 app and Outlook. Teams will continue to honor the current setting for Teams Apps made in the Teams admin center and for Outlook add-ins made in the Exchange admin center. For more details, read What happens to your existing settings for Teams and Outlook.

How to unblock an app

You can unblock an app so that it can start showing up in the Microsoft 365 app and Outlook.

  1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 admin center as a Global Administrator.
  2. Select Settings, and then select Integrated Apps.
  3. Select the Blocked Apps list.
  4. Select an app from the Blocked Apps list to launch the overview pane.
  5. Select Unblock app.
  6. Read the availability and deployment status that the app will revert to after unblocking. These statuses are the last saved ones of the app before it was blocked.
  7. Select Unblock. You can now see this app in the Available Apps list and/or the Deployed Apps list.

When you choose to unblock an app, the app reverts to the last saved state of availability and deployment. If the app doesn' have any availability status set, the app reverts to the default tenant setting. Learn more about these controls in the following section.

How to manage the availability of an app in your organization

As an admin, you can control which apps can be installed and used by which users in your organization. By changing the availability, you're deciding how end users in your organization can install these apps from the store and use them on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App. Admins can edit the availability of all 1P and 3P store apps and LOB apps uploaded by them.

  1. Sign into the Microsoft 365 admin center as a Global Administrator.
  2. Select Settings, then select Integrated Apps.
  3. Select the Available Apps list.
  4. Next, select the app you want to edit. This launches the app’s overview pane.
  5. Scroll down and select Edit Users or select the Users tab in the overview pane. Read more about user groups and assignments above.
  6. Select the availability status of the app you want to set:
    • No users in the organization can install means that no one in the organization can install this app on their own from the store and use it in the client.
    • All users in the organization can install means that everyone in the organization can install this app on their own from the store and use it in the client.
    • Specific users/group in the organization can install means that only the users selected by you will be able to install the app on their own from the store and use it in the client. Unselected users are not able to do so.
  7. Select Save.

Note

The availability setting of an app doesn't impact any admin deployed apps. The availability setting only allows you to control which end users can install and use these apps on their own. Any previous admin deployments made will still be honored.

Note

Availability setting of an app will override the state set in default tenant setting. Learn more about default state settings in the following section.

Customize default settings for Teams apps that work on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app

As an admin, you can control the default state of any new and incoming app in your organization. You can do this individually for Microsoft apps, third party apps, and custom apps. The default setting for any organization is set to Allow all users in the organization to access apps. You can change this default setting on Integrated Apps in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

  1. Sign into the Microsoft 365 admin center as a Global Administrator.
  2. Select Settings, then select Integrated Apps.
  3. Select the Available Apps list.
  4. Next, select the Settings icon at the top of the apps list to open the Customize default settings pane.
  5. For each app type category, set up the toggle to allow or disallow all apps to be installed by users.
    • When you switch the toggle to Yes, the apps under that app type will be allowed for users to install.
    • When you switch the toggle to No, the apps under that app type will not be allowed for users to install. Additionally, apps previously installed by users under that app type will no longer be accessible to the users. This does not impact an admin's ability to install the apps. When the toggle is switched to No, admins can still install the apps, and all admin-installed apps would still continue to be accessible to the users.

The default tenant state applies to the following apps:

  • All new and incoming Teams apps with capabilities extended to Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.
  • All apps published in the past that weren't blocked by the admin.
    • If an app was previously blocked for Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App, it will continue to remain blocked even after the default state for the tenant is changed. When admins unblock the app, it reverts to the default state set for the tenant on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.
  • All apps published in the past that were deployed by the admin.
    • The default tenant state also applies to admin-deployed apps. If an app was previously deployed by the admin to a set of users for Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App, it will continue to remain deployed to the selected set of users, even after the default state for the tenant is changed.

The default tenant state won't apply to the following apps:

  • Apps that have any user selections made by the admin.
    • The changes made by the admin as part of How to manage the availability of an app in your organization are honored over the default state in the tenant. Once an admin specifies users for an app, this setting supersedes the tenant-wide default setting for that app.

What happens to your settings on Teams and Outlook

Any existing settings made on the Teams admin center will continue to be honored on the Teams client.

As an example, the Foo Teams app recently upgraded to a Teams app that also works on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App (formerly known as Office.com).

  Impact on Teams client Impact on Microsoft 365 Impact on Outlook client
If you had previously blocked the Foo Teams App on the Teams admin center Users in your organization can't download and use Foo on Teams. Users in your organization can download and use Foo in the Microsoft 365 app. This can be controlled by admins on the Microsoft 365 admin center. Users in your organization can download and use Foo in Outlook. This can be controlled by admins on the Microsoft 365 admin center.
If you had previously allowed the Foo Teams App on the Teams admin center Users in your organization can download and use the Foo in Teams. Users in your organization can download and use Foo in the Microsoft 365 app. This can be controlled by admins on the Microsoft 365 admin center. Users in your organization can download and use Foo in Outlook. This can be controlled by admins on the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Now that Foo is a Teams App that also works on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app, you can make changes to its availability from the Microsoft 365 admin center.

  Impact on Teams client Impact on Microsoft 365 Impact on Outlook client
If you block Foo App in the Microsoft 365 admin center No impact. Users in your organization continue to experience Teams behavior for Foo based on the admin settings in Teams admin center. Users in your organization can't download the Foo on the Microsoft 365 app, and can't use any previously installed (by user/admin) Foo app. Users in your organization can't download the Foo App on Outlook, and can't use any previously installed (by user/admin) Foo enhanced teams app.
If you unblock Foo in the Microsoft 365 admin center. No impact. Users in your organization continue to experience Teams behavior for Foo based on the admin settings in Teams admin center. Users in your organization can download and use Foo on the Microsoft 365 app. Users can use any previously installed (by user/admin) Foo app. Users in your organization can download and use Foo in Outlook. Users can use any previously installed (by user/admin) Foo app.

Upload custom Teams apps that work on Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App

You can also upload custom line of business apps and deploy/pre-install them for users in your organization:

  1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, in the left nav, choose Settings and then Integrated apps.
  2. Select Upload custom apps.
  3. Upload the manifest file from your device or add a URL link. Some apps require you to add users before you can select Deploy.
  4. Select Add users, choose Is this a test Deployment, and select either Entire organization, Specific users/groups, or Just me. Specific users/groups can be a Microsoft 365 group, a security group, or a distributed group. You can also choose Test deployment if you want to wait to deploy the app to the entire organization. Read more about user groups and assignments.
  5. Select Next to view the Accept permission request page. The app capabilities and permissions of the apps are listed. If the app needs consent, select Accept permissions. Only a global administrator can give consent.
  6. Select Next to review the deployment and choose Finish deployment. You can view the deployment from the Overview tab by choosing View this deployment.

Whenever a custom line of business app is uploaded, it is made available to all users in the organization for installation and use by default. You can edit the availability of this custom line of business app from the Available apps list. For more information, see the section about how to manage availability of an app in your organization.

As a Global Administrator, you can also initiate deployment of a custom app (uploaded from Teams Admin Centre) from its overview pane in the Available Apps list on Integrated Apps.

  1. Once the app is uploaded from Teams Admin Center, it will show up in the Available Apps list on Integrated Apps with the availability status of All users in the organization can install.
  2. Select the app from the Available Apps list on Integrated Apps.
  3. Next, select Deploy app in the overview pane.
  4. Complete the deployment steps as listed above.

Once finished, the app will be deployed to Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App. To manage this app on Teams, visit Teams Admin Center.

Note

Before uploading a custom app from Integrated Apps on Microsoft 365 admin center, please verify if this app is visible in the Available Apps list. If it is visible, please deploy the app using the steps outlined above.

Removal of a custom app

  1. Select Remove app in the overview tab of an app from the Deployed Apps list.
  2. Consent to the removal terms.
  3. Select Remove, then select Done.

Note

Removing a custom app from the Deployed Apps list on Integrated Apps will delete the deployment and the app will no longer be available for install to end users in your organization on Outlook and/or the Microsoft 365 App. If the custom app is also supported on Teams, it will be removed from the Teams admin center.

Please verify if the app was successfully removed from both the Microsoft 365 admin center and Teams admin center.