Microsoft To Do Search Feature

alex143

alex143

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My company just flipped me over to Microsoft 365 (I was previously using Outlook 2019). I was previously using Tasks and each of my tasks now show in Microsoft To Do. Of course I will have a lot to get used to when making this change, but my biggest hurdle right now is that I can't seem to find a way to search within To Do. There's a search bar at the top, but it seems to only search my email folders. The best solution I have found is to scroll to the bottom of the list of tasks/todo items and then use Ctrl-F as a search feature. This is ok, but it limits me to searching for the header of the Next Actions list. If I have a keyword in an attached file or notes section, this process won't find those items. I really miss this feature from 2019. Is there anyone here that uses Microsoft To Do that has a workaround?

If not, I might need to change where I store my Next Actions lists - any recommendations for where to store them? I would prefer a free option that I can access on my computer.

Thank you!
 
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mksilk2

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I have found this issue too. It's like Microsoft forgot that feature. I use search constantly in ToDo, it is very frustrating without it,
 
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RomanS

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alex143 said:
I use it within Outlook. Is it better to use the stand-alone desktop app? What do you recommend?
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Yes, I clearly recommend the desktop app. It is faster, is (in my opinion) better geared towards task management and the search covers more content.
 
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mksilk2

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The issue for me is that my work PC doesn’t have the ToDo app, I was forced to use the web version. It worked well and had the search capabilities. Then MS Office365 upgraded and ToDo was more integrated into the Outlook application. It gave me the option to have a ‘pop out’ ToDo screen, ie a new window, so I had a window for my inbox, one for my calendar and another for ToDo. But in the pop out window for ToDo the search function had gone. As I use tags in ToDo I use search a lot, so a separate ToDo window without search makes it unusable for me. I have to go back to the web version. It makes me so frustrated with Microsoft that they almost do it right, but not quite…
 
Lucas W.

Lucas W.

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Microsoft is slowly going to unify Outlook desktop and web version experience and probably in the future they will drop the desktop app development.

I was using Outlook Tasks for many years but MS To Do in my opinion is not an alternative for it right now – to use it I need a separate desktop MS To Do app and I have to keep it open in a separate window. Also the support of the attachments is quite poor in MS To Do. I just think that MS To Do lost some benefits of integration with Outlook. This is why I think other software solutions are more competitive right now.
 
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mksilk2

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Lucas W. said:
Microsoft is slowly going to unify Outlook desktop and web version experience and probably in the future they will drop the desktop app development.

I was using Outlook Tasks for many years but MS To Do in my opinion is not an alternative for it right now – to use it I need a separate desktop MS To Do app and I have to keep it open in a separate window. Also the support of the attachments is quite poor in MS To Do. I just think that MS To Do lost some benefits of integration with Outlook. This is why I think other software solutions are more competitive right now.
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I don't disagree with you, and yet it's the only option I am allowed to use in my work environment unfortunately.
 
Lucas W.

Lucas W.

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mksilk2 said:
I don't disagree with you, and yet it's the only option I am allowed to use in my work environment unfortunately.
Click to expand...

Oh, I see. But how about Nirvana for web browser? I think that you have mentioned somewhere that you use it for personal stuff.
 
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mksilk2

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Yes I can use the nirvana web browser but not for work related information so I have two GTD systems, ToDo for work and Nirvana for personal.
 
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