Microsoft Teams has added QR codes and shortened URLs to make it quicker and easier for users to join Teams meetings.
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QR codes will be displayed on Teams Room home screens, which users can scan using their mobile cameras. This will take you to Teams mobile companion mode that will enable you to participate in meetings or launch an impromptu session.
Sharing meeting links has also become simpler by shortening them and, therefore, making them easier to remember and input.
The online platform, MSPowerUser, which shares the latest Microsoft news, published information about both of these new capabilities. Introducing QR code meeting links, it wrote: “Starting in April 2024, Microsoft Teams users will have a new, touchless way to join meetings and share content in Teams Rooms.
“The upcoming update introduces QR code support, allowing users to easily join meetings or start ad-hoc sessions by scanning a code using their mobile camera.”
QR Code Meeting Links
The major benefit of QR code meeting links is the enablement of touchless joining by removing the need for meeting details to be entered manually or searching for the relevant meeting via the Teams Room console.
It will also enhance guest experiences as it means they will be able to join meetings without needing special permissions or access.
Not only will users be able to use QR codes as meeting links from their mobile phones, they will also be able to send content from their phones to the Teams Rooms display.
For users that do not have the Teams mobile app already installed, they will be directed to download it when they scan the QR code.
This QR code functionality was first added to Microsoft’s roadmap on February 6th, 2024, and will be generally available on Teams Rooms for Windows, as well as the Teams mobile app for Android and iOS in April this year.
Short Meeting URLs
As a result of easing the meeting link sharing process, it may also increase meeting participation numbers.
Microsoft kept its description of the URL shortening feature appropriately brief on its roadmap: “We are making meeting URL shorter and removing unnecessary symbols/info from the to make it more convenient for sharing”.
As with QR code meeting links, the shortened URL capability will begin rolling out in April 2024 and it will be available across Mac, iOS, Desktop, Android, Teams, and Surface Devices.
Meeting Demand
There was evidently a demand for using QR codes as a means of accessing meetings as back in 2020 one Microsoft Tech Community contributor wrote:
“Hi to anyone that can help. As a business we use Teams and I’m looking to see if we can activate a screen call simply by someone scanning a QR code.
“This will then automatically take them into a conference call. Is this something that is out there and am I behind the times?”.
On the contrary, it seems like this user was ahead of the times! The answer supplied in this thread was to use a freeware tool that lets you generate your own QR codes.
There was a workaround before Microsoft’s official QR feature just as shortening meeting links is not new technology either. Google Calendar launched similar functionality in 2022 that enabled users to customise the length of meeting links.
That being said, by bringing these capabilities to the fore it not only makes them easier to make use of, but it will also bring the concepts themselves to awareness for everyday users.
