With the current upraise of Teams usage for collaboration meetings have been simplified and gone up to the next level of features.
However, Microsoft still haven’t addressed the use case where users having multiple Mailboxes in Outlook added with delegation permissions (Shared mailboxes or User mailboxes) and to use the specific account’s Teams features when it comes to organizing meetings.
Noticed everyone is trying their own DIY methods to get around this challenge. Opening number of browsers for each profile and maybe incognito sessions etc.
These multiple browsers will hog the memory and often confusing users when they have to toggle between few different browsers.
I’m really hopeful that Microsoft will provide a solution for this soon, but until then, Edge browser apps along with the Edge profiles will do the needful
Edge Browser Apps
The new Edge browser is well and truly the modern browser that I was looking for. Its getting new features very frequently as it addresses a lot of questions users would have as many of the services today are browser based.
With Edge browser profiles and apps, you can easily make any website an app and install as an app and also make that app shortcut on the desktop, pinned to the Taskbar or the Start Menu.
And best of all it’s really gone of opening many browser sessions and toggle between tabs.
If you click on the 3 dots in the far right-hand corner in the browser and select Apps you’ll get the below options
Select “Install Site name as an app” and that will confirm the installation and press “Install“
This will install the app and load it in a different session.
Note that this app is a part of the profile that we are talking next. If you toggle to a different profile, you will see a different set of apps.
Edge Browser Profiles
This is a useful feature in the browser where you can open multiple instances of the browser by using different MSA (Microsoft Account) or Work or School type accounts.
This keeps the instance related cookies/ cache/ passwords in that said instance and will not conflict credentials if you have logged in to the same service from a different profile (Eg: OWA on profile 1 and OWA on profile 2 with different set of credentials)
If you click on the Avatar on the browser, you will be able to see the profiled and can sign-in to another one if needed.
Click Add Profile and Sign-in
Once you signed-in, its just a matter of going to the avatar and click on the profile you need to load and it will open as new browser
Lets marry the Profiles and Apps
Now that we are aware about the apps and the profiles, lets do go for the solution
- Add profile of the other user that you need to sign-in to Edge app
- Complete the sign-in process and sync data if required
- Once completed, login to https://outlook.office.com and sign-in from the desired account
- Once logged in, Install OWA as an app for that profile
- done
Managing a Shared Mailbox with delegate permissions, but not using the account credentials of the other user
Chances are you are managing your manager’s mailbox with delegate permissions, not using their credentials to sign in. In a situation like that,
- If you have opened Outlook App in the previous method, Right-click on “Folders” and select “Add Shared Folder“
2. Type and select the mailbox you have delegate access to and once done, the mailbox will be added underneath your primary mailbox just like in the Outlook client
3. Now once you go to the Calendar, select the account you need to set the meeting from, complete the request and send it.
4. Slide the option ton ON for the “Teams Meeting“
5. The calendar you selecting in step 3 will be host of the Teams meeting
6. Done
Renaming an App and Set Shortcuts
I’ve noticed, when you setting some websites as an App, that will provide you the option to rename the app. But if it;s for a standard app like OWA, WordPress, the app name cannot be changed.
However, if you go to edge://apps/ of the profile you are in or click the 3 dots and select Apps > Manage Apps, you will see all the apps you have installed in that browser profile.
Right-click on the app and select “Create Shortcut“
Select the option as required
Once added as a Desktop shortcut, you can rename it as usual.
Install Teams as an app
This is also a cool method to keep more than one Team session opened if you have multiple Teams accounts running or need to maintain on behalf of your manager.
Once you completed the above steps, you can close all other browser sessions and keep one Browser opened.
When you need to open the apps based on different profiles from the shortcuts you’ve setup earlier.
Final Words
This is more like a workaround because Outlook can’t support the above MS Teams scenario, but a good use case of the modern browser that uses right level of permissions and still performing the desired function.
Microsoft, its your move to make this bit simplified! A reg hack? A new Office update that supports the above scenario?
EMS Route - Shehan Perera 