Microsoft Teams meetings are set to get a new feature to make messaging during meetings easier.
“Microsoft Teams will soon add a control to the meeting presenter toolbar, allowing presenters to access the meeting chat while sharing a screen,”
Microsoft said in a blog post.
The new meeting feature aims to make it easier to keep track of messages while screen sharing.
Meetings Made Easy
Previously, managing meeting chats while presenting on Microsoft Teams was cumbersome for presenters.
While Teams already allowed messaging during screen sharing, the chat window was visible to all attendees when opened, which could distract from the presentation and compromise the focus on shared content.
Presenters had to choose between keeping the chat accessible—potentially revealing private messages—or prioritizing the shared screen, making it harder to track attendee questions or comments in real time.
This setup often forced presenters to rely on co-hosts or assistants to monitor the chat or awkwardly switch between windows, disrupting the flow of the meeting.
The lack of a streamlined way to access chats led to inefficiencies and reduced engagement during meetings.
However, this new update means a compact view of the meeting chat will only be visible to the presenter while they share their screen.
This allows the presenter to view a meeting chat while sharing their screen without showing attendees the chat window.
However, because meeting chat is already visible to attendees, this update is designed to improve usability rather than enhance privacy.
The feature instead allows a shared screen to remain the focus of the meeting.
The updated experience also simplifies the process of jumping into the chat by placing a shortcut in the presenter toolbar.
The feature is expected to start rolling out in May, with Microsoft saying: “The rollout for Windows and Mac desktops will start mid-May 2025 for Targeted Release and early June 2025 for General Availability.”
This update will happen automatically, as Microsoft states no admin action is required.
Microsoft’s May Bonanza
May is turning out to be a big month for Teams.
Already, Microsoft has announced a raft of updates to the platform due during the month.
Teams is set for an ultra-low latency update that will minimize delays when hosting presentations on Town Hall meetings.
Equally, other presentation augmentations will allow multiple users to control the slide control feature.
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