There is a wide variety of workplace tools out there that can help streamline and improve your experience on the job. However, sometimes, these features can be excessive and not required for the task.
If you have had such an experience then this article is for you. We shall go over how to turn off Microsoft Viva to ensure that you do not have extra costs and distractions associated with your business!
Table of Contents
What is Microsoft Viva?
In 2021, Microsoft unveiled a brand-new platform for managing employee experiences called Microsoft Viva. It combines engagement, learning, and communication features into one cohesive package that is connected with Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Viva seeks to assist businesses in enhancing the employee experience and fostering a more collaborative and effective workplace.
Employees may interact with coworkers and teams while also accessing a number of tools and services with Microsoft Viva, including a tailored learning experience, internal messaging, and business news.
Additionally, it has capabilities like Microsoft Viva Topics, which gives users access to a company’s own knowledge and expertise, and Microsoft Viva Insights, which offers information and insights on employee engagement and well-being.
With the aid of Microsoft Viva, businesses of all sizes may establish a cutting-edge, networked environment where staff members can flourish professionally.
Why would you want to turn off Microsoft Viva?
There are a series of reasons why someone might want to turn off Microsoft Viva.
#1. Privacy
Microsoft Viva collects and aggregates data about employees and their work patterns, including information about their activity and communication within Teams.
Some users may feel that this amount of data collection is intrusive or goes beyond what they are comfortable with sharing. Turning off Microsoft Viva may help alleviate these privacy concerns.
#2. Excess Features
Microsoft Viva provides a range of features and tools, including personalized learning experiences, internal communications, and access to company news.
Some users may find that these features are not relevant to their work or are too distracting. Turning off Microsoft Viva may help simplify the user experience and reduce distractions.
#3. Integration Complications
Like any software, Microsoft Viva may have technical issues or compatibility problems with other software that users are working with. This could include slow performance, difficulty accessing certain features, or issues with the integration between Microsoft Viva and Teams. Turning off Microsoft Viva may help resolve these technical issues.
#4. Cost
Microsoft Viva is a paid service, and some organizations may find that the cost of the platform is not justified given their needs and use cases. In these cases, turning off Microsoft Viva may help reduce costs and minimize unnecessary spending.
The following Microsoft chart compares the sprawling family of Viva features and services. It shows what’s available as part of Office 365/M365 plans plus paid add-ons. You can check Microsoft Viva pricing on this page.
You can download the comparison chart directly from this URL.
How to turn off Microsoft Viva?
To turn off Microsoft Viva, you will need to access the Microsoft 365 admin center. This is the central portal where administrators can manage the configuration and settings for Microsoft 365 and its associated services, including Microsoft Teams.
To access the Microsoft 365 admin center, you will need to sign in using your Microsoft account credentials and have administrative privileges. If you do not have the necessary credentials or permissions, you will need to work with your IT administrator to gain access.
Once you have access to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to Setup using the left menu and then select Microsoft Viva.
Under the Microsft Viva page, select Viva Insights as shown in the figure below.
Next, select Manage settings for Viva Insights and then turn off which Viva Insights elements should users have access to, and then click Save.
Next, you need to select Manage availability in the Microsoft Teams admin center. This is the platform where administrators can manage the settings and configuration for Microsoft Teams, including Microsoft Viva.
You can find the Microsoft Teams admin center by selecting the “Teams” option from the navigation menu in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Within the Microsoft Teams admin center, find the Microsoft Viva app. This will typically involve navigating to the Teams apps > Manage apps page in the Microsoft Teams admin center left menu.
Under the Manage apps page, search for Viva and then select which Viva service you want to turn off.
You can Allow or Block the following 6 Viva services:
- Viva Connections.
- Viva Engage.
- Viva Goals.
- Viva Insights.
- Viva Learning.
- Viva Sales.
Please note that Viva Learning is enabled by default for all Microsoft Teams users in your organization.
To allow or block specific users in your organization from using Viva Learning, make sure Viva Learning is turned on for your organization on the Manage apps page in the Microsoft Teams admin center. Then create a custom app permission policy and assign it to those users. Please see the Manage app permission policies in Teams.
Once you have found the Microsoft Viva settings, select the option to turn off the platform. You may need to follow additional prompts or enter additional information to confirm the change. After turning off Microsoft Viva, it’s important to check that all associated features and services have been turned off and that there are no unintended consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions about turning off Microsoft Viva
The following are a series of common questions that may turn up before you go ahead and finally turn off Microsoft Viva for your workspace.
Who can turn off Microsoft Viva?
Turning off Viva typically requires administrative privileges and access to the Microsoft 365 admin center. This means that you will need to be an administrator of your organization’s Microsoft 365 environment in order to turn off the platform.
For full administration capabilities using these two toolsets, you should make sure that you’re assigned one of the following roles:
- Global Administrator (not recommended).
- Teams Administrator (recommended).
These are the two roles that span Microsoft Viva apps. If you do not have the necessary privileges, you will need to work with your IT administrator or Microsoft support team to gain access.
Can I turn Microsoft Viva back on after turning it off?
Yes, it is possible to turn Microsoft Viva back on after turning it off. However, the exact steps to do so will depend on your organization’s specific setup and the level of access you have to your Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 administrative portals.
What happens to data stored in Microsoft Viva when it is turned off?
The impact on data stored in Microsoft Viva when it is turned off will depend on the specific setup and configuration of your organization’s Microsoft 365 environment. Some data may be lost or inaccessible when Microsoft Viva is turned off, while other data may be retained or stored in other parts of your Microsoft 365 environment.
It’s important to understand the impact of turning off Microsoft Viva on your data and to take appropriate steps to preserve and protect important information. You may need to work with the Microsoft support team to understand the available options and determine the best approach for preserving and protecting your data.
Conclusion
Assuming you have the right administrator privileges and have backed up all the essential data, turning off Microsoft Viva is a relatively straightforward process.
Doing so will not only provide you with a more elegant workplace experience but also help reduce the extra overhead your business might be facing due to its subscription to Microsoft Viva.
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Thank you for reading my blog.
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-Charbel Nemnom-
