🚀 10 Underrated Features in Microsoft 365 You Should Be Using in 2025 🌐

In today’s competitive business landscape, maximizing your productivity tools is essential for staying ahead. While most users are familiar with the basic applications in Microsoft 365, many overlook powerful features that could transform their workflow. These underrated features in Microsoft 365 offer significant benefits that many businesses fail to leverage.

At EvolvingDesk, we’ve helped countless clients unlock the full potential of their Microsoft 365 subscriptions. We’re excited to share these hidden gems that can boost your productivity and streamline your operations!

Why Most Users Miss These Powerful Features

Despite paying for full Microsoft 365 licenses, many organizations use only a fraction of the available capabilities. Common challenges include:

• Feature Overwhelm: With regular updates adding new functionality, keeping track of all available tools becomes difficult.
• Limited Training: Many teams receive minimal training on Microsoft 365, focusing only on basic functions.
• Habit-Based Usage: Users often stick to familiar workflows instead of exploring more efficient alternatives.

These missed opportunities translate to unrealized productivity gains and reduced return on investment. Let’s change that by exploring these underrated features in Microsoft 365 that deserve your attention in 2025.

10 Underrated Features in Microsoft 365 You Should Start Using Today

1. Power Automate: Workflow Automation Made Simple

Power Automate (formerly Flow) lets you create automated workflows between your favorite apps and services. You can set up automatic notifications, synchronize files, collect data, and more—all without coding knowledge. This powerful tool saves hours on repetitive tasks by automating processes that would otherwise require manual intervention.

2. Editor in Microsoft Word: Beyond Basic Spell Check

The Editor feature offers advanced writing assistance beyond traditional spelling and grammar checks. It provides suggestions for clarity, conciseness, formality, and inclusive language. This AI-powered tool helps create more professional and polished documents with minimal effort.

3. Excel Power Query: Data Transformation Simplified

Power Query allows you to import, transform, and combine data from multiple sources with just a few clicks. This feature streamlines data preparation tasks that would typically require complex formulas or separate data processing tools. Once set up, these queries can be refreshed automatically, saving hours of manual data manipulation.

4. Microsoft Lists: Organized Task Management

Microsoft Lists offers a versatile way to track information and organize work. Whether managing inventory, tracking issues, or coordinating events, Lists provides customizable templates and views that adapt to your specific needs, all while integrating seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps.

5. SharePoint Syntex: Document Understanding and Processing

SharePoint Syntex applies AI to recognize and process information in your documents automatically. It can extract specific data points, classify documents, and apply metadata—turning unstructured content into organized, searchable knowledge.

6. OneNote Linked Notes: Connected Documentation

Linked Notes in OneNote allows you to take notes while linking them directly to specific documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. When reviewing your notes later, you can instantly access the source material, creating a powerful connection between your thoughts and reference materials.

7. Outlook’s Focus Inbox: Intelligent Email Management

Focus Inbox automatically separates your inbox into two tabs—Focused and Other—prioritizing your most important emails. This intelligent filtering helps manage email overload by ensuring critical messages receive immediate attention while less important ones are set aside for later review.

8. Teams Breakout Rooms: Enhanced Collaboration

Teams Breakout Rooms allow meeting organizers to split participants into smaller groups for focused discussions, brainstorming, or training exercises. This feature transforms large virtual meetings into more productive collaborative sessions, mimicking the natural small-group dynamics of in-person events.

9. MyAnalytics: Personal Productivity Insights

MyAnalytics provides personalized insights about your work patterns, helping you understand how you spend your time. With data on meeting hours, email habits, and focus time, you can make informed decisions to improve your productivity and work-life balance.

10. Microsoft Forms: Quick Data Collection and Analysis

Microsoft Forms makes it easy to create surveys, quizzes, and polls with automatic analysis of the responses. Beyond basic surveys, Forms can be integrated with other Microsoft 365 applications to trigger workflows based on responses, making it a versatile tool for data-driven decision making.

The Impact of Leveraging Underrated Features in Microsoft 365

Implementing these underrated features can transform your business operations in measurable ways:

• Time Savings: Businesses report saving up to 25% of time on routine tasks through automation features.
• Improved Collaboration: Teams using advanced sharing and co-authoring features see a 30% increase in project completion rates.
• Enhanced Decision Making: Organizations leveraging data analysis tools make informed decisions 3x faster.
• Reduced Email Overload: Focus Inbox and Teams integration reduce internal email volume by up to 40%.

These statistics demonstrate how underrated features in Microsoft 365 deliver substantial value that directly impacts your bottom line.