Microsoft Lists for Consumers Comes to Mobile in Preview

Consumers can now use Microsoft Lists in preview form on iPhone and Android, a feature previously available only to businesses. The mobile apps also support multiple accounts for those who need both.

“We’re pleased to announce support for the Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview within Microsoft Lists for iOS and Android [is] now available,” Microsoft’s Garima_Wadhera writes in the announcement post. “You can sign into Microsoft Lists with multiple accounts for Microsoft 365 work and school and a single Microsoft account (MSA).”

This has been a long time coming: Microsoft launched Lists over three years ago in May 2020, but only for Microsoft 365 business users, across web, mobile, and integration with Teams. And then it offered a preview version of Lists on the web for consumers back in January 2022: At that time, there was no support for mobile (or in Teams).

It’s also a bit confusing as a product. Contrary to one’s natural assumption, Microsoft Lists is not a to-do app per se. Instead, it was created as a way for businesses to track issues, inventory, and other information, and it was originally a front-end to a SharePoint feature called, wait for it, Lists. Flash forward a few years, and the consumer version of Lists is only vaguely different from a to-do app in that it lets you create lists of information—for groceries, expenses, medical bills, books, favorite restaurants, and so on—that you can share with others.

Anyway, those who like to use different apps for to-dos and lists and are in the Microsoft space may find this useful and interesting. (I personally don’t see the need for either type of app and create and manage shareable to-dos and lists in Notion instead.)

You can learn more about Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview on the Microsoft 365 website.