Microsoft Teams will soon gain a feature that makes it easier to keep track of messages while sharing your screen. The addition will allow a presenter to view a meeting chat while sharing their screen without showing attendees the chat window.
The feature is expected to start rolling out in May, though that date is subject to change.
Microsoft updated the rollout timeline for the feature recently. The Microsoft 365 Message Center Archive lists the following message from Microsoft:
"Microsoft Teams will soon add a control to the meeting presenter toolbar, allowing presenters to access the meeting chat while sharing a screen. The rollout for Windows and Mac desktops will start mid-May 2025 for Targeted Release and early June 2025 for General Availability. No admin action is required."
This small addition will help meeting hosts stay engaged with attendees without interrupting a presentation. Teams already supports messaging while sharing your screen, but the current setup shows the meeting chat while you have that window open.
Because meeting chat is already visible to attendees, this update is designed to improve usability rather than enhance privacy. The feature allows a shared screen to remain the focus of the meeting.
The updated experience also simplifies the process of jumping into the chat by placing a shortcut in the presenter toolbar.
As illustrated by Microsoft in the image above, the chat window only appears for the presenter. If you look at the lower-right corner of the image, you can see the shared screen without the chat window, just as it appears to other meeting attendees.
The feature should ship to Microsoft Teams desktop clients in the near future, including Windows and macOS.
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