🔰 Microsoft Viva Engage Infographic : How to disable File Access in a Viva Engage Community ?

New features are coming fast on Microsoft 365 and you have trouble following the official roadmap ?

👀 Every month, I publish a new infographic presenting a tip, a new feature on Microsoft teams / Microsoft Viva / Microsoft Loop / Microsoft 365 solutions that you can use today on your platform. Today is about disable file access in a viva engage community.

What is the best method to disable file access and the files tab in a Viva Engage community to ensure that users are not distracted by file collaboration and can focus on meaningful interactions ?

In the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, users often confuse a team in Microsoft Teams with a community in Viva Engage. While both platforms facilitate collaboration, they serve different purposes.

Teams are designed for real-time collaboration and project management, whereas Viva Engage communities are more about fostering connections and sharing knowledge.

let’s review a small comparison together

Feature/Aspect	Viva Engage Community	Team in Microsoft Teams
Community Building	Designed to create communities based on shared interests, fostering a sense of belonging	Focuses more on team collaboration rather than broader community building
Communication	Facilitates open communication across the entire organization	Primarily supports communication within specific teams or projects
Real-Time Collaboration	Less emphasis on real-time file collaboration	Allows for real-time collaboration on files with co-authoring, version history, and comments
Structure	Type of posts	Various channels
File Collaboration	Supports file collaboration but with fewer real-time features	Enhanced file collaboration with integrated tools for seamless teamwork

Using files in a Viva Engage community can lead to confusion and inefficiencies.

Disabling file access in a Viva Engage community can streamline communication, reduce clutter, and ensure that users focus on discussions and knowledge sharing rather than file management.

To disable the files tab and resources community in a Viva Engage community, follow these steps:

🖐 step 1- Choose the community where you want to disable the files tab

🖐 step 2- Click on the settings icon and navigate to the community settings

🖐 step 3- Scroll down to locate the visibility toggles for Community resources and Enable Files tab

🖐 step 4- Switch off Community resources toggle to hide the box ‘community resources (SharePoint Library, SharePoint Site, OneNote, Planner)’ located in the right-hand sidebar of the community

🖐 step 5- Switch off Enable Files toggle to hide the Files tab located below the community header

Once these two settings are disabled, these two spaces will no longer appear in the community interface.

By following these steps, you ensure then that your Viva Engage community remains focused on its primary purpose.

If you liked this tip and infographic on Viva Engage and think it will be useful to others as well, feel free to share it.