6 new features in Microsoft Teams for Spring 2024

Mike Tholfsen

1 Apr 202404:57

Summary

TLDRDiscover the latest updates in Microsoft Teams, featuring the return of custom images for posts and announcements, a revamped post UI, message forwarding capabilities, enhanced audio and video controls in meetings, improved annotation tools, and the ability to set your status directly from the taskbar. These new features aim to streamline communication and enhance user experience, particularly benefiting educators and those in team collaborations.

Takeaways

🎨 Custom images are now available again for posts in Microsoft Teams, providing a more personalized experience, especially popular among educators.
🚀 An updated post UI simplifies the user interface, reducing options to only essentials like emojis and GIFs, and moving additional features behind a '+' button for a cleaner look.
💬 The ability to forward messages in chat has been introduced, allowing users to easily share important information with others outside the current chat group.
🎥 Enhanced audio and video controls in Teams meetings make it simpler for users to manage their settings, with options like spatial audio, noise suppression, and camera switching.
🖌️ Improved annotation tools in meetings include the addition of a laser pointer and more pen options, facilitating better interaction and collaboration during presentations.
📌 The option to set your team status directly from the taskbar allows for quick status updates without needing to open the full Teams application.
🌐 Microsoft Teams is continuously updating with new features to improve user experience and collaboration, emphasizing the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest releases.
🎓 The integration of AI-powered image creation for Teams Premium and Co-Pilot users demonstrates Microsoft's commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced user capabilities.
🔄 The return of custom images and the introduction of forwarding messages show Microsoft Teams' dedication to user feedback and the evolution of the platform based on community needs.
📢 Subscribing to Microsoft Teams-related channels can keep users informed about the latest tips, tricks, and updates, ensuring they get the most out of the platform.

Q & A

What are the six new features introduced in Microsoft Teams?
-The six new features are the return of custom images for posts, improvements to announcements, message forwarding, meeting enhancements, audio and video controls, and annotation improvements in meetings.
How have custom images been reintroduced in Microsoft Teams?
-Custom images have returned for posts in Microsoft Teams, allowing users to upload a custom image for their announcements, a feature especially popular with educators.
What is the new interface for starting a post in Teams?
-The new interface for starting a post in Teams has been simplified, with fewer options at the bottom and a plus button to access additional features like attaching files and setting high priority.
What is the new feature for forwarding messages in Teams?
-Users can now forward messages to others directly from the chat by using the three-dot menu and entering a name, email, or group.
How have audio and video controls been improved in Teams meetings?
-Audio and video controls now include dropdown arrows that provide easy access to settings like speaker, microphone, spatial audio, noise suppression, and camera switching.
What new annotation tool has been added in Teams meetings?
-A laser pointer has been added as a new annotation tool, allowing users to highlight and trace around different elements during a meeting.
How can users set their team status directly from the taskbar?
-Users can right-click on the Teams icon in the taskbar and select their desired status, such as 'Do Not Disturb,' from the available options.
What is the benefit of using the new simplified post UI in Teams?
-The new simplified post UI reduces overwhelming options and buttons, allowing users to quickly and easily create posts without being overwhelmed by choices.
How do the improved annotation features enhance collaboration in Teams meetings?
-The improved annotation features, including the new laser pointer and different pen options, enhance collaboration by providing more interactive and visual ways to communicate and highlight information during meetings.
What is the significance of the message forwarding feature for team communication in Microsoft Teams?
-The message forwarding feature streamlines communication within teams by enabling quick and direct sharing of important messages with specific individuals or groups, improving information flow and efficiency.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Custom Images and Post UI Updates in Microsoft Teams

This paragraph highlights the return of custom images for posts in Microsoft Teams, a feature that was temporarily unavailable during the transition to the new Teams platform. The speaker demonstrates how to convert a regular post into an announcement by uploading a custom image, a feature particularly appreciated by educators. It is mentioned that users with Teams Premium or Co-Pilot have access to Microsoft Designer, which provides AI-powered image creation. The basic image upload process is shown, and the paragraph also touches on the new options available with the designer feature. Following this, an update to the post user interface (UI) in Teams is discussed, emphasizing the simplified layout with fewer options at the bottom of the screen, focusing on emojis, gifts, and loop components, while other functionalities are accessible through the 'plus' icon. This design aims to reduce user overwhelm and simplify the posting experience.

💬 Message Forwarding and Audio/Video Controls Enhancements

The second paragraph discusses the new feature of message forwarding in Microsoft Teams. The speaker shows how to forward a message from one chat to another by using the three-dot menu and selecting the 'forward' option. This action creates a new chat with the forwarded message, highlighted to indicate its origin. Additionally, improvements to audio and video controls in Teams meetings are presented. The speaker explains that the camera and microphone icons now have dropdown menus, allowing users to easily access and modify settings such as speaker, microphone, spatial audio, noise suppression, and more. The camera dropdown offers options to switch cameras, adjust brightness, and select backgrounds. These enhancements are designed to improve the user experience during virtual meetings.

🖌️ Enhanced Annotation Tools and Team Status Management

In this paragraph, the focus is on the enhancements made to annotation tools within Microsoft Teams meetings. The speaker shares their screen and accesses the annotation toolbar by clicking 'annotate', which appears after sharing. New to the toolbar is the laser pointer feature, which has been highly requested by users. The speaker demonstrates using the laser pointer and different pen options, including a highlighter, to interact with the shared content. Additionally, the speaker discusses the ability to set one's team status directly from the taskbar, allowing users to quickly switch their status to 'do not disturb' or other options without interrupting their workflow. This feature is particularly useful during important tasks, such as planning a TPS report strategy, as shown in the example.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that combines chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. In the video, it is the central focus, showcasing new features that enhance its functionality for users. The updates mentioned, such as custom images for posts and meeting improvements, aim to improve the user experience and productivity within Teams, indicating Microsoft's commitment to evolving the platform to meet the needs of its diverse user base.

💡Custom Images

Custom Images refer to the ability for users to upload personalized images into their posts or announcements within Microsoft Teams. This feature, highlighted as having returned after being temporarily unavailable during an update phase, is particularly emphasized for its popularity among educators. It enables more engaging and visually appealing communications, illustrating how Microsoft Teams accommodates user feedback and desires for customization in communication tools.

💡Announcements

Announcements in Microsoft Teams are posts made with the intention of reaching a wider audience with important or highlighted information. The script mentions the ability to transform a regular post into an announcement, potentially accompanied by custom images, to catch the attention of team members. This feature serves as a communication enhancer within Teams, allowing for significant messages to be distinguished from regular conversation flows.

💡Teams Premium

Teams Premium is a version of Microsoft Teams that offers advanced features, such as enhanced meeting capabilities and additional security. Mentioned in the context of accessing a full suite of Microsoft Designer and AI-powered image creation tools, Teams Premium represents the tiered service model Microsoft employs to cater to varying organizational needs, from basic communication to advanced collaborative functions.

💡Post UI

The Post User Interface (UI) in Microsoft Teams refers to the layout and design of the area where users create and interact with posts. The script notes an update to the Post UI that simplifies the interface, reducing the number of visible options to streamline user experience. This change reflects Microsoft's attention to usability and design, aiming to make digital collaboration as efficient and non-distracting as possible.

💡Forward Messages

Forward Messages is a feature allowing users to send a message they have received to another person or group within Microsoft Teams. This functionality enhances communication efficiency and information sharing within the platform, as demonstrated in the script by forwarding a message to a specific individual. It exemplifies Teams' capability to facilitate seamless collaboration and information dissemination among users.

💡Audio and Video Controls

Improvements to audio and video controls in Teams meetings are among the new features, offering users more intuitive and accessible options for managing their meeting settings. This includes adjustments for microphone, speaker, camera settings, and more, directly from the meeting interface. These enhancements aim to improve the quality and flexibility of remote meetings, catering to diverse user needs and technical setups.

💡Annotation

Annotation in Teams meetings refers to the ability to draw or mark up shared content in real-time during a meeting. The introduction of new tools like the laser pointer and highlighter enriches this functionality, enabling more interactive and engaging presentations. By allowing users to directly point out or emphasize information on shared screens, Teams enhances its role as a versatile platform for collaborative work and learning environments.

💡Taskbar Status

The ability to set your team status directly from the taskbar is a convenience feature allowing users to quickly change their availability indicator in Microsoft Teams without having to open the application. This functionality supports work efficiency by enabling users to manage their presence and availability signals seamlessly, reflecting Microsoft's focus on creating user-friendly interfaces that integrate well with overall system workflows.

💡Co-pilot

Co-pilot, mentioned in conjunction with Teams Premium, suggests an AI-powered assistant or feature set designed to enhance productivity and creative capabilities within Microsoft Teams. While not elaborated on in depth, its association with advanced image creation tools indicates Microsoft's investment in AI to support users in generating content and navigating the platform more effectively. This highlights the evolving nature of collaboration tools, integrating AI to automate and improve various tasks.

Highlights

Microsoft Teams has introduced six new features to enhance user experience and functionality.

Custom images are now available again for posts in Microsoft Teams, a feature that was temporarily unavailable during the transition to the new Teams.

The ability to turn a post into an announcement with a custom image is particularly popular among educators.

Microsoft Teams Premium and Co-Pilot users have access to full Microsoft Designer for AI-powered image creation.

The user interface for starting a post in Teams has been simplified, reducing clutter and making it more user-friendly.

Forwarding messages in chat is a new feature that allows users to easily share information with others outside the current chat group.

Audio and video controls in Teams meetings have been improved with the addition of dropdown menus for quick access to settings.

Users can now switch cameras, adjust brightness, and select backgrounds directly from the video settings in Teams meetings.

Annotation tools in Teams meetings have been improved with the addition of a laser pointer and other options.

The new feature to set your status directly from the taskbar allows users to quickly adjust their availability without interrupting their workflow.

The updated Teams platform includes a variety of new features aimed at improving communication and collaboration.

The introduction of the custom image feature enhances the visual appeal and personalization options for posts and announcements.

The streamlined post UI reduces user confusion and allows for a more straightforward interaction with the platform.

The message forwarding feature facilitates efficient information sharing and communication within and across different groups.

Enhanced audio and video controls during meetings provide users with greater flexibility and control over their presentation quality.

Improved annotation tools, including the new laser pointer, increase engagement and interactivity during presentations.

The ability to quickly change status directly from the taskbar reflects a focus on user productivity and minimizing disruptions.