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Pilot: Microsoft Planner

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The new Microsoft Planner (MS Planner) is now available. The new web-based application is being rolled out by Microsoft everywhere. Here is what you need to know about this app and how to start using it.

What is Planner?

The new MS Planner is a combination of Microsoft To DO, Microsoft Planner (old), and Microsoft Project for web. This new version brings these productivity features into a single, unified task management tool.

Starting early August 2025, Microsoft will retire Project for the web and will redirect users to Planner for the web and Planner for Teams.

The existing Tasks by Planner and Microsoft To Do apps in Microsoft Teams are now renamed to “Planner”, and it includes a Copilot integration.

The new MS Planner is a free tool, and it is included in your Microsoft 365 subscription.

It also offers premium features, and if you want to use them you will need to subscribe an additional license.

There are two plans in Planner. The Basic and the Premium plan.

The Basic plan

With this plan, users can create a “Simple Plan” from scratch. The layout will look very familiar as it resembles the previous Tasks by Planner. You can set up tasks, assign them to team members, add a start and due date, highlight progress, and assign a priority level. You can also organise your tasks in various buckets, for example, organise your tasks by types of work or internal departments.

The basic plan also includes various templates, such as Project Management, Commercial Construction, Software Development, Business Plan, Employee Onboarding.

In resume, Planner in Microsoft 365 includes the following features.

  • Real-time collaboration, commenting, and sharing using the Planner app in Microsoft Teams or the Planner web app
  • Creation and management of content-rich tasks with features including files, checklists, and labels
  • Tasks organized by My Day, My Tasks, and Assigned to me
  • Basic plan templates
  • Ability to view reports and dashboards2
  • Grid, Board, Schedule, and Charts views
  • Ability to view task dependencies
  • Security, compliance, data privacy, accessibility, and Microsoft 365 customer support

The Premium plan

This plan offers more complex templates like Sprint Planning, Marketing Campaign, and Simple Project. Additionally, the licence includes Microsoft Copilot for Planner, which can help users generate and track tasks through generative AI.

An additional license is required to access Premium features. For complex Project management, CERN recommends to use JIRA which is fully supported.

How to access the new MS Planner?

Access Planner through your web browser

  • Click Open MS Planner and if you're not already signed in, select Sign in (with your work or school account).

Access Planner through your Microsoft 365 home page

  1. Go to your Microsoft 365 home page and sign in with your work or school account.
  2. Select the app launcher at the top of the browser window.
  3. Choose the Planner tile in the app launcher.

Tip: If you don't see the Planner option, select More apps, and then All apps to find it.

Access Planner through your MS Teams apps

For Teams, access Planner through the left navigation bar and get started by creating a new plan or using one of the pre-built templates.

Can I use Planner on a Mac?

Yes, you can use Microsoft Planner on a Mac. While there isn't a dedicated desktop app for Planner on Mac, you can access it through the web browser or the Microsoft Planner app for iOS. You can simply open Planner in your web browser (like Safari, Chrome, or Firefox) by going to Planner website and signing in with your work or school account.

Which browsers work with Planner ?

Use the most recent versions of the following browsers.

  • Windows 10/11: Edge, Firefox, or Chrome
  • MacOS: Edge, Safari 10 and higher, or Chrome
  • Linux: Edge, Firefox or Chrome on Linux, but some features may not be available.

Where are the files kept in Planner?

Planner plans are associated with Microsoft 365 Groups, and the files for Microsoft 365 Groups are stored in an associated SharePoint document library. To find your Planner files, select the three dots to the right of the plan name (...), then select Files.

Is my data in Planner secure and private?

Information you share in Planner is stored in Dataverse and Azure (The Microsoft cloud computing platform). If you also have tasks in To Do or Outlook, your information is stored in Exchange. The safekeeping of your data in these services adheres to Microsoft's standards for data security and privacy.

Additionally, you can control your personal settings for security and privacy in your Account.

Known issues with Planner

Creating Microsoft 365 Groups in Planner

  • I want to create a group to share My Plan with others people but I receive the following warning message:

This behavior is expected. Currently, The CERN Global Admin has disabled the ability to create Office 365 groups, which prevents you from adding individual members to private plans. To solve the problem, please open a SNOW Ticket explaining your issue.

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