In a rare moment of sincerity, Microsoft admitted that Teams offers a sub-par experience in comparison with the competition, and decided to remove some key features, which were obsolete and no longer helped users in any way.
The process of decluttering the app from all the features that aren’t useful is an important step toward turning Teams into an actual contender in the communication app space.
The next step would be to continue to iterate on already existing features and make them as easy to use as possible. In a recent blog post, Microsoft announced a new chat experience is coming to all platforms Teams is now available on, including desktop, mobile, iOS, and Android.
The new chat experience features mobile-specific settings, such as the option to choose between viewing messages organized by sections or by most recent. Since the new experience has been specifically designed for different screen sizes, it will make it easier for mobile users to read and respond to messages while on the go.
Teams has new filters | Image credit: Microsoft
More importantly, Microsoft has decided to bring chats, teams, and channels into one place under Chat. This will allow users to navigate and prioritize all their conversations without having to switch contexts.
Those who preferred the previous layout can keep chat and channels separate during the onboarding process that pops up when Teams is launched for the first time after the update. This can also be done at any time later.
Another useful feature added to Teams is the addition of new filters like “Unread,” “Chat,” “Channels,” “Meetings,” and “Muted.” Now, whenever you’re looking for a specific type of conversation, like channels, you’ll be able to select the relevant filter to further narrow your search and locate the most relevant results.
Teams has a new chat experience on mobile | Screenshot credit: Microsoft
Also, the new chat and channels experience includes a new favorites section, which is available for everyone by default. You’ll find all your pinned chats and channels from previous experience in this section.
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Besides that, Teams takes advantage of new custom sections where users can group together all their relevant conversations on a certain topic, be it in chats, channels, meetings, Teams bots or AI agents. You can have up to 50 sections and 50 items per section in Teams.
According to Microsoft, the new chat and channels experience is coming to public preview in November to desktop, mobile, iOS, and Android, so keep an eye out for a consistent update next month.
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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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