Behavior for Office app launching inside of Viva Connections on the iPad

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Posted on by LisaChoi

Hi,

I wanted to ask the community if you are experiencing this behavior. I have tied Teams sites to the Dashboard cards on our Viva Connections.

The intention is so our users can access SharePoint files - such as Excel worksheets to add/edit.

If I just as the SharePoint library as a link, the Office app -Excel or Word opens up to a blank page. (I have tried many different ways to get this to unblock and just open up in the app. Caching, restarting, updating...I've left no stone unturned)

The work around I have found is to add the SharePoint library to a webpage. This works...sortof. The app gets added to the library, however, the user needs to click again to access the file.

What would be better user experience is to have the Office app launch in the app and then you can rename/etc.

Any advise on how to get unstuck?

Also, is there a Viva community out there, like what we have in the Power Platform community?

Jung Un Choi

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wolenberg_ 1,013 Moderator on at

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Behavior for Office app launching inside of Viva Connections on the iPad

Hi there, there is a few suggestions to workaround this situation, let me know if didn`t understand some point.

Workarounds and Better UX Options

1. Link to Specific Files Instead of Library Root

• Instead of linking to the library, link to a specific Excel or Word file.
• Use the SharePoint “Copy Link” option and ensure it’s set to “People in your organization with the link”.
• This opens the file directly in the Office web app, and users can rename/edit as expected.

2. Use SharePoint Document Web Part

• Embed the library using a Document Library web part inside a SharePoint page.
• Then link the Viva Connections card to that page.
• This gives users a familiar interface and avoids the double-click issue.

3. Use Teams Tabs Instead

• Add the SharePoint library or specific file as a tab in a Teams channel.
• Then link the Viva card to that Teams tab.
• This ensures smoother rendering and better Office integration.

4. Consider File Viewer Cards

• Viva Connections supports Adaptive Cards and Quick View cards.
• You can build a custom card that previews the file and includes a “Open in Excel” button with a direct link.

If you're using Viva Connections for mobile, behavior may differ from desktop. Always test across platforms to ensure consistency.

If this answer helped or could help others in the community, feel free to give it a like or kudo — it helps surface useful solutions for everyone!

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