This month, Microsoft Teams has some exciting updates in the mix to empower greater collaboration while improving the overall Teams user experience. The new features hitting Teams this April focus on how users communicate on their desktop Teams applications—taking some of the hassle out of working from home.
Some of these capabilities are already available in the Microsoft Teams mobile app but will be brand new to the desktop version.
Here’s what you can look forward to with this new release:
1. Eliminate confusion with the Quote-and-Reply feature.
Spoiler alert! If you’re using Microsoft Teams on your smartphone then this is probably a feature you’ve explored on the mobile app already.
The Microsoft Teams desktop version is being updated with the ability to quote and reply to specific messages in both 1:1 chat and Teams channels. The functionality that’s been widely used on the mobile Teams app helps users in a busy, remote workplace clarify who and what they are responding to in their Teams message. While it sounds simple, this feature injects some much-needed context into dialogues that can help prevent confusion while eliminating wasted time on unnecessary calls, email threads, and other communications.
Once available on the desktop Teams application, later this month, here’s how to reply to a specific message on Microsoft Teams:
- Select the message you are addressing.
- Click the Format icon.
- Click the menu (those three dots).
- Select the Quote option.
- Type your reply.
2. Express yourself with an expanded emoji library.
Can you have too many emojis? (Exactly, no.) Microsoft is working on expanding its Teams emoji library from 85 different options to over 800 so quick IM conversations can be extra fun and expressive.
Microsoft is adding a skin-tone selector for inclusivity along with a category selector and shortcode picker for efficiency. So you can get the most out of messages while promoting more laughs and comradery.
3. Make approvals more efficient.
Lastly, the updates slated for this month include third-party digital signature support in the new Approvals App in Microsoft Teams. This a serious perk, enabling users to quickly create their e-signature approvals with popular third-party providers they’re using already like Adobe Sign and DocuSign natively and right in the Teams Approval app.
So, when will these updates roll? The Microsoft 365 roadmap listings have hinted strongly at a potential April 2021 release with these additions categorized under development. Microsoft timelines are always open to changes, but we are keeping our eyes peeled for these latest updates.
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