On December 21, 2023, Ithaca College will implement the latest version of Microsoft Teams, allowing all students, faculty, and staff to opt-in to the upgrade. This new version of Teams has been redesigned to enhance performance, offering a more rapid, straightforward, and adaptable user experience. It features quicker installation and loading times, enabling faster application launching and meeting access.
The new Teams version will be made the default on March 12, 2024, with Microsoft retiring the classic Teams version on March 31, 2024.
Notable Changes With the New Teams Version
- When you first open the application, your teams will be shown as tiles, but you will have the option to switch to a list view.
- New posts in channels will appear at the top of the channel, with an option to move them to the bottom.
- The Contacts feature within Chat has been replaced with the People App. Learn how to Manage your contacts with the People App (microsoft.com).
- The appearance of notifications may be updated with a new design.
- The application will respond more quickly and use fewer resources.
Other key enhancements in the new Microsoft Teams version include:
Refined Interface
- Improved Interface: The Teams interface has been updated to better support productivity. It now offers more detailed control over notifications, allowing users to specify when and where they receive them. Additionally, Teams will automatically update your availability status based on your current activities.
- Channel Changes: Users are provided with the option to customize how new posts appear in a channel. Posts can be set to show either at the top or the bottom, enhancing the channel's usability.
- Participant Shuffle for Breakout Rooms: A new feature, participant shuffle, enables the random assignment of participants to breakout rooms, streamlining group organization.
- Pop-Out Channel Messages: Users can now open a channel message in a new window, similar to the existing pop-out feature for Chats.
- Screen Sharing with Zoom Functionality: Users will have the ability to zoom in and out while sharing their screen, offering a more flexible presentation experience.
- Simplified Meeting Rescheduling: Rescheduling meetings has been made more intuitive. Users can now easily move a meeting to a new time by dragging and dropping it on their calendar.
File Access
The latest update introduces a significant change in the integration of the OneDrive app, replacing the Files app. Key enhancements include:
- Unified Interface: A single interface now presents Office documents, PDFs, Loops, Lists, meeting recordings, videos, and other files in a cohesive manner.
- 'For You' Section: Utilizing AI, the OneDrive app's 'For You' section offers personalized file recommendations, prioritizing the most relevant and time-sensitive content. It also displays a list of your recently accessed documents, including details like the last opened time, the owner, and recent activities.
- Shared Files Interface: The revamped Shared interface in OneDrive simplifies the process of locating files shared with you. It consolidates all shared files, irrespective of the original sharing source, whether shared internally or externally.
- People View: This feature organizes files based on your collaborations. It adapts to the context and displays files related to your work with specific colleagues. You can pin individuals for quick access, and preview their recent activities without opening the files.
- Meetings View: This view showcases all files related to your meetings, including chats, notes, Loops, and materials from both upcoming and past meetings. It even includes files from meetings you couldn’t attend.
Additional features include:
- Colored Folders: Customize folder appearances with different colors.
- Favorites: Mark files as favorites by clicking the star icon next to their names. Access these files easily in the Favorites view.
- File Shortcuts: Create shortcuts to files within your OneDrive folders, allowing for efficient organization and access.
People Management
The new version consolidates contact management across various platforms into one location. Users can manage, edit, and add contacts by navigating to the People app. If you do not see the app:
- In the left-side menu, click the ellipsis.
- In the Search for apps box, enter People and open the People app.
Multi-Tenant Account Management
Enhanced multi-tenant and multi-account capabilities facilitate seamless collaboration across different organizations. Users can log into multiple accounts concurrently and join meetings in any Microsoft cloud without needing to sign out from their primary tenant account. When you add accounts to your Teams desktop app, you can:
- Receive real-time notifications from all the accounts;
- Participate in chats, meetings, and calls across multiple accounts and organizations without dropping from a call or meeting to switch accounts; and
- Set your status for each account and organization individually.
To add another account:
- Select your profile picture at the top right of the app, then select Add another account.
If your account is a Guest in another organization, it will appear automatically.
How To Upgrade
To get started using the new Teams:
- Open the Teams desktop app.
- Select the Try the new Teams toggle in the upper-left corner of the classic Teams app.
- Select Get it now from the pop-out dialogue. The new Teams will start installing.
- Your Teams app will reboot to open the new Teams. Any subsequent actions you take will happen in the new Teams by default.
Further Information