Code in chat, custom emojis, Places app coming: Microsoft's new Teams features

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Several new functions for MS Teams were on display at this year's Build: Among other things, Microsoft showed that users will be able to call up further commands with a / in every text input in future. One example is opening the active chat in a separate window, but this can also be used to set your own status or start a video recording. The aim is to save time for the user, while the respective features remain available in the graphical user interface as usual.

Code in chat

Furthermore, code can soon be edited together in the chat by integrating it as a loop component. Microsoft originally launched the latter as a kind of digital canvas, but they are now generally used to link content across MS Teams. Previously, developers had to send blocks of code back and forth if they wanted to share them directly with colleagues in the Teams chat. In the Loop component, they can edit it in one place, just like in a Word document.

Another practical feature for developers is that they can send a permalink to Azure DevOps in the chat and MS Teams will then display a preview of the code stored there. This means users no longer have to switch between applications.

Customized emojis

In future, users will be able to use their own emojis in the chat, which they can upload themselves. They can then be used by all colleagues in the same tenant. However, administrators can specify whether all or only certain users can store their own emojis - or deactivate the function completely.

Calls in group chats will be called Meet Now and can be started with just one click in future. Group members will then see that an active meeting is taking place in a group and who is already taking part.

In video conferences, the AI-generated summaries will also be available in future if only transcription is activated. However, there are restrictions here: As the software is not allowed to make video recordings, certain markings relating to speakers and content are omitted. A prerequisite for accessing the summary is also licenses for Teams Premium and Copilot for Microsoft 365 - otherwise users will be denied access.

Planned conferences also receive Intelligent Recap, i.e. the AI-generated meeting summary including markers for speakers. When creating a video conference, you can specify in more detail who is allowed to start recordings. Another new feature is that administrators can centrally prevent users from sharing content in externally hosted Teams meetings. Alternatively, a list of trusted organizations can be created.

Who is where and when?

Microsoft has been working on Places for almost two years and the app is now in a public preview. The program summarizes information about the workplace and colleagues so that users can keep an overview. For example, a calendar shows who is working where and when. Maps bring people together in one place, and users can also use them to book a conference room directly. To ensure Places receives the correct data, users will be able to set their exact location in all 365 applications in future. In MS Teams, all colleagues in the vicinity can be tagged with @nearby.

Microsoft summarizes all new features for MS Teams from the otherwise AI-dominated build on a separate overview page, together with the new features for May 2024. The latter include sharing contact information in chat, saving meetings and their content, including interactive annotations as a whiteboard and the centralized suppression of screen sharing in conferences.

(fo)