Microsoft is testing a new Microsoft Teams 2.0 for desktop computers. The latest edition has quite a few new features.
Microsoft Teams 2.0 is now entirely based on Edge WebView2 and uses the Chromium rendering engine. The latest iteration of the desktop client is present in the Preview Builds of Windows 11 but only for personal accounts.
Microsoft is testing redesigned Microsoft Teams 2.0 inside Windows 11 Preview Builds:
Windows 11 and Microsoft Teams are proving to be the next big evolution. Microsoft has previously indicated that it wants Teams to be the central communications and collaboration platform for Windows OS users.
The latest Preview Builds of Windows 11 currently rolling out to Windows Insider Program participants has an entirely new and redesigned Microsoft Teams. The company is calling the platform Microsoft Teams 2.0.
Microsoft Testing Teams 2.0 With New Messaging Feature on Windows 11 https://t.co/3y60kXhQqB #MSFT #Microsoft #Teams #MicrosoftTeams #MicrosoftTeams2 #Windows11
— The Data Pros (@TheDataPros) August 18, 2021
Unlike the current iteration of Microsoft Teams, the new iteration is based entirely on the Microsoft Edge WebView2 platform. Additionally, it uses a Chromium rendering engine. Microsoft Edge WebView is also powering the one-to-one and group audio and video calling feature.
Microsoft Teams 2.0 has also adopted several new, powerful, and efficient web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Essentially, Microsoft has dumped the Angular and Electron framework. Moving ahead, the communications platform will rely on the open-source front-end JavaScript library React.js.
Microsoft Teams 2.0 will improve messaging experience on Windows 11 https://t.co/NJWWRA8wy3
— BbcTechUpdate (@BbcTechUpdate1) August 17, 2021
The redesigned Teams 2.0 platform also has advanced features and general improvements. While using the new version, users can start calls directly from the taskbar.
Microsoft deploys “Quote Reply” and other features in Teams 2.0:
Microsoft is also reportedly testing a new messaging feature called “quoted replies”. As the name suggests, the feature allows users to reply to specific messages.
Users can also quote their own messages using the Quoted Replies feature. Needless to mention, nearly every communication or chatting platform has had the feature for quite some time.
Microsoft Teams could soon have the option to quote messages on its desktop apps. You can quote us on this; it's a very handy feature. https://t.co/HnHs9iagAJ
— Windows Central (@windowscentral) August 10, 2021
To use Quoted Replies, users have to right-click on any message. Even clicking on the three dots menu brings up the Reply option.
In the new Teams 2.0 application, users can easily toggle their microphone and camera on or off. Additionally, users can manage the meeting settings like preferred speakers, mic, and camera.
"Microsoft is abandoning it for Teams, with the new 2.0 release expected to use 50% of the resources." https://t.co/oDH575vlNr
— h. KITAGO (@hkitago) August 17, 2021
Moving ahead, the collaboration platform will have better support for screen sharing, a new roaster menu for participants, the ability to admit meeting participants, gallery view, and more.
For reasons yet unknown, the Microsoft Teams 2.0 desktop-grade application is available only to personal accounts. The new version will auto-update from a Microsoft server, but users can easily search and grab the update from Microsoft Store on Windows 11/10.