As the video conferencing business continues to surge, Microsoft Teams confirms that it is rolling out new features.
With the coronavirus pandemic still affect large parts of the globe, video conferencing has become a popular tool. Services like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet are now ramping up their platforms to cater to the influx of users.
Aside from platform improvements, these services are also introducing new features regularly. Although Zoom has been the surprise leader of this industry, other services are also closing the gap. Microsoft is releasing new features to its flagship video conferencing service in order to appeal to more users.
New features and upgrades
One of the biggest upgrades to Teams is arriving for the Android platform. Android users of the app can now directly upload images into their gallery. Moreover, a new integrated search feature also allows users to search directly inside chatrooms and channels.
The Android version of the app also has a new feature that allows users to generate links for free meetings. This means that users can now easily send or receive invites even to people who do not have an account. The new Safe Key setting also adds another layer of security into the service.
New features and upgrades are also coming to the iOS platform for iPhone users. Microsoft is rolling out version 2.0.19 for iOS alongside a handful of major upgrades.
Speaker attribution 🎤 and captions 📝help you follow along with meetings in #MicrosoftTeams. Check out all the details: https://t.co/YdFNmwtpWP pic.twitter.com/YmuOCfZrMy
— Microsoft Teams (@MicrosoftTeams) August 20, 2020
For iPhone users, the app now supports up to eight video participants in a 2×4 setup. On the other hand, the much bigger iPad now supports up to nine participants in a 3×3 setup. Additionally, iOS users can now view scheduled meetings, as well as edit and share it with their contacts.
Microsoft said that it is also optimizing the app in order to consume fewer data during video conferences. This is a nifty upgrade, especially when users are using the less reliable cell signal rather than Wi-Fi.
The updated version Microsoft Teams also supports the Cortana voice assistance. However, this particular feature is limited only to iOS users in the United States.
Beating the competition
Although Zoom is still well-ahead of the competition, services like Microsoft Teams are quickly catching up. One of the biggest updates to the platform is the ability to see up to 49 people on a single call.
With these updates, Microsoft Teams is easily becoming one of the biggest platforms when it comes to video conferencing. However, rivals like Google Meet are also ramping up their own platform.
Featured image courtesy of Mika Baumeister/Unsplash