Confused about these two similar services?
In this article, I will explain the main differences between Microsoft Bookings and Bookings with me and how to use the newer service.
Let’s get started.
What is Bookings with me?
Are you familiar with apps that allow people to book a meeting with you?
Bookings with me is a web-based personal scheduling page where people can book appointments or meetings.
It’s a new feature from Outlook and can only be accessed (for now) through the web app version of Outlook.
What is the difference between Bookings with me and Microsoft Bookings?
Bookings with me differ from Microsoft Bookings — although both services are related (since you can access Bookings from the Bookings with me page).
There are three main differences between the two:
- Bookings with me is an Outlook feature
- Bookings with me is only for 1:1 meetings
- Bookings with me does not create a new mailbox
Note: How to Add a Shared Mailbox in Outlook 365 (Easy Guide)
It’s more appropriate to think of Bookings with me as a personalized version of Microsoft Bookings as it was intended.
On the other hand, Microsoft Bookings is more about managing the scheduling for a team (though people can still book a meeting through it).
Both apps share the same licensing requirements which are:
- Microsoft 365 license
- Enabled calendar FreeBusy Anonymous sharing
- Assigned Microsoft Bookings app
When a user has the right Microsoft Bookings license, Bookings with me is enabled by default as long as the settings pass the other requirements.
Be that as it may, tenant admins can always disable a user’s service plan on the app, which denies the user access to the app.
When to use Bookings with me?
The purpose of Bookings with me overlaps with that of Microsoft Bookings.
But I always recommend using Bookings with me for personal meetings and appointments that don’t need to involve your team.
Here are examples of using Bookings with me:
- Scheduling customer and client meetings
- Scheduling interviews with external candidates
- Scheduling 1:1 meetings with other people
- Scheduling tech support
- Scheduling mentoring appointments
How to use Bookings with me
In case you decide to use Bookings with me, I will show you the basics of setting it up:
Step #1: Go to Outlook web
As I wrote earlier, the Bookings with me app can only be accessed (for now) through the web-based version of Outlook.
Once there:
- Go to the calendar tab
- Click create bookings page
In my example below, the link becomes edit bookings page since I already created a page previously:
Step #2: Create bookings with me page
After clicking the link, you will arrive at a page that looks like this:
Click the plus button on either the public or private option.
It wouldn’t matter at this point since you can always change the meeting type on the next screen.
All you have to do now is fill out the details of the meeting:
Click the save button above the box once you’re done with the details.
The main difference between public and private meetings is that people can book with you on your booking page when set to public.
Besides this, all the required information is self-explanatory.
Step #3: Publish and share your bookings with me page
After clicking the save button, you will go back to the main page of the app. This time, your meeting will appear under the category it belongs to.
Your page this time isn’t live yet.
Click the publish button so you can share your booking page with others.
To share your Bookings with me page:
- Click the three dots on the booking card
- Select the method of how your want to share your page
Copy link and copy single-use link will automatically copy the Bookings with me page link so you can paste it anywhere you like.
When you hit the share button, it will open a small window where you can copy the link, make the link one time, or email the link:
Are you still confused between Bookings with me and Bookings? If so, kindly share your thoughts/questions below.
For business inquiries, you can reach me through the contact form here. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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