Microsoft Teams on mobile is finally getting this key feature

Using Microsoft Teams on your smartphone could be about to get a lot more useful thanks to the latest update to the software.

Microsoft has revealed its users will be able to access apps for its video conferencing service in meetings on iOS and Android devices.

Previously, the apps had only been limited to desktop users of Microsoft Teams, meaning users can now participate in meetings when out of the office or travelling.

Mobile apps on Teams

Microsoft first announced apps in meetings for Teams on desktop in November 2020, with the aim of allowing users more customization when using the platform “before, during, and after a meeting.”

“With the realities of hybrid work in front of us, we’ll be navigating through new experiences where we’ll need to accommodate the needs of workers who will re-enter the office and those who will remain remote,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post announcing the news

“Effective collaboration will be more critical than ever with hybrid work models – evidencing the need for collaborative apps that provide the flexibility to work from anywhere, on any device. And so we’re excited to share that Microsoft Teams apps built for meetings are now also supported on mobile with iOS and Android.”

The company added that adding support on mobile allows users to “stay in the flow of work”, using services such as polls, with notifications displayed as a banner at the top of your screen. When clicked on, these can allow users to interact with content whilst staying engaged with the meeting.

Microsoft says that third-party apps can also be configured to fit with the new mobile experiences, noting that this means not all apps will be available across all platforms immediately.

The updates follow a range of releases from Microsoft as it looks to make Teams a more pleasant experience for mobile users, especially as many workers around the world begin returning to the office.

This includes a recent update for Teams for Android and iOS that allows the platform to read chats and posts out loud on your device. The Immersive Reader function will only apply to content within Microsoft Teams, and may even allow users to focus on a specific chat or message, which they can currently do in the desktop version of Teams.

Source: https://www.zdnet.com