What you need to know
- Microsoft shipped a lengthy list of features to Teams in January 2023.
- It's now easier to view participants within a meeting and swap between different viewing modes.
- Search within Teams chats also improved by adding the ability to view a message within context.
Microsoft Teams receives a lengthy list of new features each month. The communication platform consistently gains options for meetings, calls, and personalization. New Teams devices also reach the market every few weeks. With so much new Teams-related content rolling out, Microsoft publishes a monthly blog post breaking everything down. Here's everything new for Teams from January 2023, as outlined by Microsoft. The bullet points are from Microsoft and the text following each set is added context.
Meetings
- View video recordings and attendance reports inside LMS
- Paging on Video Gallery
- Meeting Toolbar Usability Improvements
- Live stream Teams meetings and webinars to Meta Workplace Live
Since meetings are a core part of Teams, they usually receive the most new features. In January Microsoft added support for pages in Gallery view to make it easier to see more participants. The Meeting toolbar was also upgraded with dedicated buttons for different actions, such as switching view modes and raising a hand.
It's now possible to stream Teams meetings and webinars directly to Meta Workplace Live through a new app integration.
Webinars
- Enhanced webinar management experience with customized options
When using a webinar template, users will now see more options to customize settings for an event. Microsoft expanded the options for setup, registration, and reports.
Those managing webinars can now designate co-organizers, share a presenter's bio, and add a theme to an event. Registration now supports custom questions for gathering information for up to 1,000 participants.
Reports and analytics now sit in a central location, making them easier to find.
Calling
- Federated group calling
Just a single feature rolled out for calling within Teams in January. The platform now supports creating group calls from a chat with federated colleagues from outside an organization.
Teams Rooms and Devices
- Start Whiteboard from a Teams meeting for Teams Rooms on Windows
- Meeting chat on Gallery, Large gallery, and Together mode for Teams Rooms on Windows
- In-meeting notification improvement for Teams Rooms on Windows
Teams Rooms on Windows now supports starting a Microsoft Whiteboard in Teams session through a meeting room console. Managers can control access to whiteboard sessions to make sure that only certain users can view and contribute.
Consoles can now be used to show or hide chats on a front-of-room display as well. They can also swap between different viewing modes, such as Gallery View and Together mode.
Certified Devices+
- Poly CCX350 Value and durability in a versatile IP desk phone
Just a single Teams Certified Device rolled out in January. The Poly CCX350 is a desk phone that integrates with Teams. It's resistant to debris and other types of damage and can be used with gloves, making it an option in several sectors.
Chat and collaboration
- View the full chat conversation thread after clicking on search message results
Chatting also received just one feature in Teams. The app now shows the full context of a message when you search for something rather than just a snippet.
Management
- Edit and delete events support for messages in user: bot chats
- Upload files to your approval request via Power Automate portal
- Notification granularity
Government
- Teams calendar now includes scheduling form pop-outs for GCC-High and DoD
- View attendance report on Microsoft Teams for Android and iOS for Government clouds
- Express yourself in Teams meeting for DoD
- Disable or Enable all Attendees' Video for DoD
- Automatically view up to 49 videos (7x7) in Teams meeting for GCC-High and DoD
- Manage attendee audio permissions for DoD
Teams features usually roll out to government environments later than other versions of Teams. The features listed above are now available for those in US Government Community Cloud (GCC), US Government Community Cloud High (GCC-High), and/or United States Department of Defense (DoD).
