Navigating between different types and kinds of Microsoft Teams apps will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new update.
The video conferencing service has announced it will be bringing together "every type of Teams account" into a single desktop app, negating the current need for multiple versions for different use cases.
Going forward, this should mean that users, whether on a work, school or personal Microsoft Teams account, will be able to log in to and enjoy the full functionality of the Teams desktop app.
Microsoft Teams desktop app
In a typically brief entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company gave away absolutely nothing in terms of its motivation behind the change, or why it is happening now.
As mentioned, the change will bring work, school and personal Microsoft Teams accounts into a single desktop app, which will be available across Windows and Mac.
The update is currently listed as being "in development", with a scheduled rollout start date of April 2024, so users won't have too long to wait.
We would imagine that many users won't see too much disruption from the move, which will essentially combine the two existing Teams apps into a single entity.
Currently, users have to choose between a "Teams for home" and a "Teams for work or school" offering (or install both, raising possible confusion). Although both these apps are free, there is also the option to upgrade to Microsoft Teams Essentials, which costs $4/£3.30 per user per month, with extra functions such as unlimited group meetings, 10GB of cloud storage, and up to 300 participants per meeting.
However a newly-combined Microsoft Teams app should probably have the ability to navigate between different accounts, keeping you safe from any embarrassing slip-ups or mistakes between personal and work profiles.
It will almost certainly also include the company's latest AI-enabled tools and tricks, such as the ability to cut down on background noise when you're on a Microsoft Teams call, filtering out the user profiles it recognizes so that you don't get distracted by other voices.
The new "Decorate your background" tool will also let users decorate their virtual backgrounds using AI-generated effects - generating a look that Microsoft says can "decorate and enhance their real-world room", for example by cleaning up clutter or adding plants to a wall.
