Employees and business leaders have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new version of Microsoft Teams since it was announced at Enterprise Connect in March. Teams 2.0 promises users an experience that’s faster, simpler, and more flexible than the previous Teams solution.
According to Microsoft, the company has made exceptional strides in improving usability and performance over years of development. The new client has been “rebuilt” from the ground up, using new technologies and a brand-new framework.
If you’ve been waiting to test the functionality yourself, you’re in luck. On October 5th, 2023, The new version of Microsoft Teams is now available for Windows and Mac. It’s also available for education customers, and there’s a public preview for government and VID users, too.
Here’s how you can enable and start using the new version of Teams.
What is the New Version of Microsoft Teams?
Before we cover how to enable the new version of Microsoft Teams, let’s start with a recap. The latest Teams app, “Teams 2.0,” isn’t just an upgrade to the previous Teams service. Microsoft calls it a reimagining of the Teams experience, rebuilt from the ground up.
The new version of Microsoft Teams is built on Microsoft’s Edge WebView Technology for enhanced performance. This means the app can consume 50% less memory and 70% less disk space. Plus, it should have a reduced impact on battery life for laptops and mobile devices.
The new Microsoft Teams experience has a more streamlined user interface and a host of personalization options for users. It can automatically switch to light or dark mode based on your settings and offers a range of themes. Plus, it allows comprehensive control over notification activity, with features like “Mark all as read.”
New Features for Microsoft Teams 2.0
Some of the biggest features included with the new version of Microsoft Teams include:
- Multi-tenant account management: Multi-tenant and multi-account options empower users to collaborate dynamically across organizations and sign into multiple accounts simultaneously. You can also join meetings hosted in any Microsoft cloud without signing out of your account in your home tenant.
- Refined interface: The Teams 2.0 interface has been updated to boost productivity. You can now control exactly what you’re notified about and when and where you receive notifications. Teams will also automatically update your presence as your availability changes.
- People management: You can manage all of your contacts across different environments in one place with the new version of Microsoft Teams. Click “More Apps” then “People” to manage, edit, and add contacts.
- Meeting avatars: Using Microsoft’s metaverse technology, users can create avatars to represent them in meetings. You can adjust your avatar’s appearance to suit your needs and use it when your video stream is switched off.
- Channel changes: You can now choose whether posts show at the top or bottom of a channel when they’re posted. This adds to the user-friendly experience Microsoft hopes to offer its users.
The New Version of Microsoft Teams and Copilot
Alongside two times faster channel load times, multi-tenant support, and immersive features like 3D environments and avatars, Teams 2.0 will align with Microsoft’s AI investments. Users can access Copilot’s new features, Copilot for Teams Chat and Teams Phone, in Teams 2.0.
The functionalities offered by Copilot promise to help companies improve productivity by summarizing meetings, creating content instantly, and more. Microsoft Graph allows Copilot to identify, extract, and utilize data across documents, chats, presentations, notes, and emails.
Of course, you will need an eligible Microsoft subscription to access Copilot on the new version of Microsoft Teams. You’ll also need to pay for Copilot, which costs $30 per monthly user.
Pre-Requisites for the New Version of Microsoft Teams
To enable the new version of Microsoft Teams, you’ll need to adhere to a few pre-requisites. As mentioned above, Teams 2.0 is currently available for Mac and Windows users on standard Microsoft 365 plans. It’s only available in preview mode for VDI and government users for now.
Administrators enabling the new version of Teams will need to ensure:
- Operating systems are up to date: You need Windows 10 version 10.0.19041 or higher for the Windows version of the application.
- Teams update policies are configured: On Mac and Windows, ensure the Teams admin setting for “Use New Teams client” is set to “enabled.” Microsoft recommends using “New Teams as Default” or “Microsoft Controlled” for an easier experience.
- The Teams app is updated: You’ll need Teams Version 1.6.00.4472 or above on Windows or 1.6.00.12303 on MAC to see the “Try new Teams” option. Users can update their app by selecting the “…” menu, “Check for Updates,” then “Update.”
- GPO policies are configured: On Windows, ensure GPO policies that prevent non-admins from installing Windows apps are not configured. On Mac, users will need admin privileges for their computer.
- Webview 2 is updated: For Windows devices, automatic Webview 2 updates need to be enabled.
Microsoft also recommends ensuring IT software such as Anti-Virus, App Locker, and Network Port don’t block QoS in Teams.
How to Enable the New Version of Microsoft Teams: Options
There are a few ways for admins to enable access to the new version of Microsoft Teams. If you have set the Teams Update policy “Use new Teams client” to “Microsoft controlled” or “Microsoft Choice,” users will automatically see the toggle for “Try new Teams” on their app as it rolls out.
The public preview and targeted release program versions of the app are already available. People using the “current channel” app update and “Monthly Enterprise” channel should also have instant access. Similarly, organizations using the default policy will update users to the new Teams version according to Microsoft’s schedule.
The “Current Channel” rollout starts in late October. For the Monthly Enterprise Channel, the rollout will begin in 2024. You can find the dates for all channel options listed here.
Starting now, the new version of Microsoft Teams will also begin to automatically install with new and existing installations of Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows. Admins who want to disable this update can opt-out using this web page.
Admin Managed Upgrades for Teams 2.0
If you don’t want to leave Microsoft to update your Teams instance automatically, there are two methods admins can use to configure the new service. The first (and easiest option) is to configure access to the new version of Microsoft Teams using the Teams admin center.
Log into the Teams admin center as an administrator, and select “Teams” followed by “Teams Update Policies.” Next, click “Add New” to create a new policy.
Or select an existing policy to open the update menu. Name your policy, and add a description, then select a setting for “Use new Teams client”:
Choosing the “Microsoft Controlled” default setting will automatically update Teams clients when the new version is available. You can also require users to access Classic Teams or New Teams as the default application.
Once you’ve defined your policy, you can assign it to specific user groups by selecting the policy name, followed by “Assign users” and “Manage users.”
Controlling Settings Via Teams PowerShell
The slightly more complicated alternative, if you want to enable the new version of Microsoft Teams, is to control configuration via PowerShell. You’ll need to import the latest Teams PowerShell cmdlets following the instructions listed here.
- To connect using an admin account, use the Connect-MicrosoftTeams command
- Once connected, explore a range of commands using CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy
- Change the existing update management policy to allow users to see the “use new Teams” toggle with the following command: Set-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -identity <new_policy_name> -UseNewTeamsClient UserChoice.
Remember that updating your policies on PowerShell won’t lead to an immediate change. Microsoft recommends allowing up to 24 hours for the changes to take effect. After users opt-ion, they may need to restart the Teams client to see the new toggle.
If this all seems too complex, you can also allow users to download the new version of Microsoft Teams via this page.
How to Use the New Version of Microsoft Teams
Once administrators have configured the update settings for Teams with the steps above, users can experiment with the app. To begin using the new version of Microsoft Teams, you only need to flip the toggle next to “Try the new Teams.”
The toggle should be located next to the logo in the top left of the traditional Teams app. After hitting the toggle switch, users will see a pop-up dialogue box. Click “Get it Now,” and the new Teams version will start installing.
Notably, the Teams app will reboot before opening the new Teams experience. From there, any actions users take will happen in the new Teams environment by default, such as joining a meeting from Outlook. When using the latest version of Microsoft Teams, users can turn their notifications on or off by selecting “Settings and More” at the top of the page.
Click on “Settings,” then “Notifications,” followed by “Open Windows notification settings.” Thanks to multi-tenant multi-account (MTMA) support in the latest version of Teams, you can also sign into multiple accounts simultaneously.
All of your accounts will receive real-time notifications. Plus, you can set your status for each account individually. You can even participate in meetings, chats, calls, and conversations across multiple accounts without switching accounts.
Select your profile picture at the top right of the new Teams screen to add an account, then click “Add another account.” Your account should appear automatically if you’re a guest in another organization.
How to Switch Back to Classic Teams
While the new version of Microsoft Teams offers many great features, it may not be suitable for everyone. Teams 2.0 has complete feature parity for most features, including custom line-of-business apps, breakout rooms, third-party apps, PSTN calling, and contextual search.
It also supports cross-posting for channel conversations and 7×7 video. However, the app is still in progress. It’s missing features like the option to add channel calendars and Loop components. Microsoft will be adding new functionality in the future, but you can switch back to Microsoft Teams “classic” whenever you like.
Just hit the toggle for “New Teams” at the top left of the Teams app to return to the previous version. When you switch, the version of Teams you’re using will close, and the app will then re-open with your preferred version.
Additionally, administrators can run an elevated command prompt to remove the new version of Teams from a user’s computer. The Remove-AppxPackage cmdlet on PowerShell will remove all new Teams instances from users on the machine.
Using the Latest Version of Microsoft Teams
The new version of Microsoft Teams promises to be a significant upgrade for businesses and individual users. Offering major upgrades to UI experiences and performance, this version of Teams could make employees more productive and efficient.
If you want to try the new Teams 2.0 experience for yourself, getting started is pretty simple. You can follow the steps above or wait for the service to update. Just remember that the latest Teams version is not available to all Teams users yet.
You can learn more about the new Teams app on the Microsoft microsite here.
