Microsoft Teams update to improve Together mode and reduce bandwidth usage

Microsoft Teams is getting new features and improvements on desktop and mobile. For desktop users, Microsoft is introducing a new feature that will enhance the existing “Together Mode”. On the other hand, mobile users will get a new low data usage mode that will optimize network data transfer in video calls.

In an update to the roadmap, Microsoft recently confirmed that it is working on a new ‘View Switcher’ for the Teams top bar. This allows users to change the way content is displayed on the screen when switching between Together, Focus, Gallery on top, and Full screen modes.

The Together mode allows you to place participants on top of a shared background and it’s good for a brainstorming or roundtable discussion, but there’s a catch: users can’t easily present the content.

Microsoft Teams Together mode

As seen in the screenshot above, Microsoft is testing a split layout with the presentation appearing on the left side of the app and the participants on the right.

Microsoft Teams update reduces bandwidth usage

A new update is coming on Android and iOS that will optimize your network usage when making video calls. According to the Admin Center portal, the new bandwidth saver mode should be generally available in the Microsoft Teams app for Android and iOS by mid-March.

The new low data mode should be optional and users should be able to enable it in the Settings. With the feature enabled, Microsoft tries to reduce internet data usage while still providing the “best quality experience”.

The impact of low data usage mode depends on the number of participants in a video meeting, the performance of your Internet connection, and when your data connection is limited to 500 kbps on average.

Source: tech bout