Microsoft Teams is the hub for teamwork in Microsoft 365, where you can chat, meet, call, and collaborate with your colleagues and partners. Microsoft Teams is constantly evolving to meet the needs and expectations of its users, and to provide them with the best tools and experiences for their work. In this blog post, we will highlight some of the new and improved features that are coming soon to Microsoft Teams, and how they can help you boost your productivity and creativity.

Files App Updating to OneDrive App Experience (December 2023)

One of the most used features in Microsoft Teams is the Files app, which allows you to access, share, and manage your files from the left side of the Teams desktop client. The Files app is getting a major update in December 2023, as it will be replaced by the OneDrive app experience. This means that you will be able to enjoy the same features and functionalities that you have in OneDrive, such as:

Performance improvements: The OneDrive app experience will load faster and smoother than the current Files app, and will support larger file sizes and more file types.

More views: You will be able to switch between different views of your files, such as list, tiles, and photos, and sort and filter them by name, date, size, and type.

Latest features: You will be able to access the latest features of OneDrive, such as sync, sharing, version history, recycle bin, and more.

The OneDrive app experience will be available for both classic and new Teams, and will work with all the files that you have in Teams, such as your personal files, team files, and files from other cloud storage providers. You will also be able to pin your favorite files and folders to the left side of the Teams desktop client for quick access.

Updates to Gallery View (December 2023)

Another popular feature in Microsoft Teams is the Gallery View, which allows you to see the video and audio of the participants in a meeting. The Gallery View is getting some updates in December 2023, which will enhance the visual and interactive aspects of your meetings. Some of the updates include:

Equal size tiles: The Gallery View will place everyone in tiles of equal size by default (16:9 ratio) whether their video is on or off. This will create a more consistent and inclusive experience for all the participants, and will also optimize the use of screen space.

Gallery size options: You will be able to easily change the size of the gallery according to your preference and the number of participants. You can choose between small, medium, large, and extra large sizes, and also adjust the number of rows and columns of the tiles.

Video-on prioritization: You will be able to choose to prioritize the tiles with video-on over the tiles with video-off. This will help you focus on the active speakers and the visual cues in the meeting, and also reduce the visual clutter of the gallery.

Self-tile removal: You will be able to remove your own tile from the main gallery if you don’t want to see yourself in the meeting. This will free up some space in the gallery for other participants, and also help you avoid self-consciousness and distraction.

Teams Room optimization: When a Microsoft Teams Room joins the meeting, the video will be optimized by enlarging the size by default. This will help you see the participants more clearly and comfortably on the big screen. You can also re-size the video via the contextual menu if you want to adjust it.

These updates will be available only in the new Microsoft Teams experience, which you can enable by going to Settings > General > Turn on new meeting experience.

Forward Messages in Teams Chats (January 2024)

One of the new features that will be coming to Microsoft Teams in January 2024 is the forward message feature, which will allow you to send chat messages from one chat to another. This will be useful when you want to share information, feedback, or ideas with other people or groups, without having to copy and paste the message or take a screenshot. You will be able to forward messages to 1:1 chats, group chats, and meeting chats. You will also be able to add additional content to the message in order to provide context and clarity to the recipient. For example, you can forward a message from a customer to your manager and add a comment about the issue or the solution. The forwarded message will show the original sender, the date and time, and the chat name. The recipient will be able to reply to the forwarded message or the original message. This feature will be rolling out across Microsoft Teams Desktop, Web, and Mobile.

Co-organizer updates in Webinars (February 2024)

Webinars are a great way to host online events, such as product launches, training sessions, or panel discussions, with Microsoft Teams. Webinars allow you to create and manage events with up to 1,000 attendees, with features such as registration, reporting, and live reactions. One of the roles that you can assign to your webinar team is the co-organizer, who can help you with the event planning and execution. Currently, co-organizers are able to set up event theming, manage registration and meeting options, view reports, and more, but they are not able to edit event details like title, date/time, description, event group; nor publish or cancel the event. With the update coming in February 2024, co-organizers will be able to edit event details, publish, and cancel the event like the organizer can. This will give co-organizers more flexibility and control over the event, and will also reduce the workload and dependency on the organizer.

These are some of the new and improved features that are coming soon to Microsoft Teams, and we hope that they will help you enhance your communications and collaborations with your colleagues and partners. To learn more about Microsoft Teams and how to use it, you can visit the [official Microsoft Teams website] or the [Microsoft Teams help and learning center]. You can also join us for the [Microsoft Business Applications Launch event] on October 25, where you can get a first look at the latest innovations and features for Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365. Stay tuned for more updates and announcements from Microsoft 365, and thank you for choosing Microsoft Teams as your teamwork hub.

The upcoming enhancements to Microsoft Teams showcase a commitment to delivering cutting-edge features that enhance your work experience. As Microsoft Gold Partner, Ctelecoms stands at the forefront of this evolution, ready to empower you with seamless integration and expert guidance. Trust in Ctelecoms as your Microsoft Gold Partner, and let us guide you through these transformative upgrades, ensuring that you unlock the full potential of Microsoft Teams for unparalleled productivity and collaboration.

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