Microsoft Teams has been taking the world by storm in the last couple of years, as the ultimate solution for collaboration and business communication. One of the things that make the service so compelling to business leaders is its versatility. Employees can enjoy a consistent collaborative experience with Microsoft Teams on virtually any device.
Recently, the Teams segment of Microsoft announced a selection of new enhancements specifically designed to make meeting moments better on Android Rooms. For Android users, the new Teams update includes an enhanced calendar view, a new touch console experience, and more.
New Calendar and Console
The first update in the new release is the introduction of a new calendar experience on the Android home screen, so users can see and join future and current meetings. All of the familiar controls customers are used to will be located next to the calendar for a sleeker look.
Microsoft also introduced a new Touch Console experience. The former solution was similar to a physical remote, where users would access directional keys to move around the UI. The new offering allows customers to directly connect with the console UI, similar to the Teams Rooms experience on Windows. You can check with your manufacturer to see if your device supports this experience.
The new touch console offers calendar functionality, where you can see upcoming and current meetings, as well as calling and meeting functionality. When you join a meeting, you can take advantage of call functions, toggle between gallery views, see raised hands, and access features like pinning or live captions.
The touch console is an optional extra for Teams Rooms on Android, and you can still use the service without this console. However, once you pair the touch console, the front-of-room controls will be hidden.
Further Enhancements to Teams Rooms in Personal Mode
For users looking to bring the Rooms experience to their home office, there are also some handy updates. If you’re logged into a Teams Room on Android with your personal account, you can blur or change your backgrounds, and the background will remain across all meetings. This feature is available in the ellipses menu in the menu bar.
Recordings are also available as an important way to help people keep track of meeting information if they couldn’t attend the conversation. You can find the “start recording” option in the menu and starting and stopping recordings is currently available only for personal accounts.
Whiteboard functionality is also getting an update. Before now, users could access Microsoft Whiteboards as part of their Teams meeting, but they couldn’t begin a session. The ability to begin sessions from your device is now available within the ellipses menu.
