What’s new for Microsoft Teams – January 2025

Welcome to the first post of my new series dedicated to keeping you up-to-date with the latest developments in Microsoft Teams. As Teams continues to evolve, it can be challenging to stay informed about all the new features and updates. This month, we’re kicking off the year with some exciting announcements that are set to enhance your Teams experience.

In January 2025, Microsoft Teams introduced several noteworthy updates. One of the key highlights is the occupancy status on Teams panels, which now utilize signals from Teams Rooms devices or occupancy sensors to indicate when a room is in use, helping to avoid surprises when an available room is actually occupied. Additionally, there are required updates coming to Android-based Microsoft Teams devices. All certified Microsoft Teams Android devices will receive mandatory updates in February 2025, and admins must download the latest app updates from the Teams admin center. Devices not updated within five months will cease functioning.

Stay tuned for more updates about the latest features and enhancements for Microsoft Teams throughout the year.

What is new for SharePoint as a platform

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Occupancy status on Teams panels

Teams panels can now smartly utilize signals from Teams Rooms devices or occupancy sensors paired with panels to indicate when a room is in use (e.g. LED glow), so you’re not surprised to find an available room is actually occupied.

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Required Updates coming to Android-based Microsoft Teams devices

In February 2025, all certified Microsoft Teams Android devices will receive mandatory updates. Admins must download the latest app updates from the Teams admin center. Devices not updated within five months by June 2025 will cease functioning. The rollout will not affect end-user experience. Preparation for updates is advised.

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Microsoft Purview | Communication Compliance: Detect workplace safety concerns in user-reported Microsoft Teams messages

Microsoft Purview Communication Compliance now flags potential workplace safety issues in user-reported Teams messages, displaying severity and classifier name. Rollout began mid-November 2024 and completes by late December 2024. This update is automatic and adds a severity column and content safety classifiers banner. No admin action is required before the rollout.

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New transcription policies for town halls and webinars

New transcription policies for Microsoft Teams town halls and webinars will allow finer control and won’t follow the current Teams meeting transcription policies. They will be configurable in the Teams admin center or with PowerShell commands after mid-February 2025. Admins should prepare by updating policy values accordingly.

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SMS for calling plans

Microsoft Teams will introduce SMS chat in calling plans for U.S. and Canada customers, enabling them to send and receive SMS in Teams. This feature will be available on various Teams platforms and is expected to roll out in mid to late February 2025. Admins must enable SMS for users.

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New recording policies for town halls and webinars

Microsoft Teams is introducing new recording policies for town halls and webinars, allowing separate control of event behavior. This update, referenced by Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 473887, will roll out from mid to late February 2025. Organizations should prepare by updating recording policies using PowerShell commands.

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Ad-hoc individual desk booking in Teams

While previously able to reserve a spot within a desk pool, now you can book an individual desk when plugging into a shared desk peripheral. In addition, IT admins can get valuable individual desk utilization data in the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal making flexible work environments better for users and IT. This feature requires a Teams Premium license.

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Add a Loop workspace tab to standard channels

Microsoft Teams will soon allow adding a Loop workspace tab to standard channels for real-time collaboration. This feature, part of Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 472022, will roll out from late January to late February 2025. It will be available by default to all users with Loop enabled in Teams.

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New “Tag mentions” filter for the Activity feed

Microsoft Teams is introducing a new “Tag mentions” filter in the Activity feed to help users see their tag mentions. This feature will start rolling out in early February 2025 and be available by default with no admin action required.

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Enable transcription policy by default

Microsoft Teams is updating its default policy settings for transcription, which will be enabled by default for new tenants starting early February 2025. Existing tenants without customized policies will also be affected. This change aims to streamline transcription adoption and align with recording policies. No admin action is required before the rollout.

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JAN

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Filter between active and archived teams in Shifts app schedules

The Shifts app in Microsoft Teams will soon introduce a filter to toggle between active and archived teams, aiming to streamline focus on current schedules. This update, part of Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 422814, will roll out in early February 2025 and requires no admin action.

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Enhanced confidentiality in voicemail greetings

Microsoft Teams has increased voicemail greeting privacy, now omitting recipient names for external calls. This feature is available now and requires no admin action post-rollout. Users should be informed of this change, which also affects Skype for Business.

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Edit your display name in meetings

Participants in Microsoft Teams meetings will soon be able to edit their display name temporarily during the meeting. This feature is optional and controlled by meeting organizers. Rollouts begin in February 2025 and continue through April 2025, depending on the release schedule. Admins can enable this feature in the Teams admin center.

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iPad Multi-window support

Teams now supports multiple windows on iPad. With this ‘multi-window’ feature, users can easily manage different Teams windows side-by-side, increasing productivity and flexibility. 

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Adding “Service level” to real-time metrics for the Queues app

Coming soon to In the Queues app, we will include Service levelin the real-time metrics. Authorized users will be able to review the Service level metric and adjust staffing accordingly. This message applies to the Queues app for Microsoft Teams on Windows desktop.

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Viva Engage: New reply and reaction notifications in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Viva Engage will introduce new reply and reaction notifications in Microsoft Teams, starting mid-January 2025. This feature will be on by default and users can adjust settings in Teams. No admin action is required, but sharing this update and adjusting documentation is advised. The feature is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 474126.

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Live Event scheduling is now available in the new Teams client

Teams Live Event scheduling is now natively available in the new Teams client. Previously, event organizers were redirected to a web-based scheduling flow, which has now been brought into the New Teams client. This allows organizers to create, edit, and manage event resources all within the newest Teams experience. This is available across desktop, Mac, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), and Cloud Video Interop (CVI).

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Quick sharing of files in Teams

Share a file from a chat conversation, Shared tab or a channel post to 1:1 chats, group chats, or channels with fewer clicks. When files are shared, their permissions are maintained, ensuring that recipients have the appropriate access rights. You can add additional information to your message and @mention recipients for greater clarity and alignment.

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Microsoft Teams on iOS: New meeting interface and navigate messages hands-free in CarPlay

Microsoft Teams for iOS will soon update with Apple CarPlay support, allowing hands-free navigation and Siri integration for messaging and meetings. Rollout begins late February 2025, with no admin action required. iOS 16.0 or later is needed for this update. Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 470998.

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Post and reply to questions as an organizer

Town hall and webinar organizers now have the ability to post and reply to questions using the title “organizer” in the Q&A experience, instead of their individual names. This feature allows instance organizers to present a unified and official voice when responding to attendee questions.

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Adding and editing external contacts

With this feature, users will now be able to add and edit external contacts from Teams phone devices.

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Native Bluetooth call controls over Hands-Free Protocol for multiple peripheral devices

When you have several peripheral devices connected to Teams, the one you use to answer a call will temporarily become the main device that will be syncing with Teams when using its buttons. After the call, the original device selected in Teams settings will take over again. You can now use multiple native Bluetooth devices and be confident that call controls will function correctly with all of them.

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Webinars in DoD

Teams Webinars are now available for the DoD community. DoD users can now schedule webinar instances with internal audiences, and leverage capabilities such as creation of an event page, attendee registration, automated emails, and more.

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Speed dial customization on line keys for touch phones

This feature allows you to configure custom contacts and speed dial on the line key of touch phone devices certified for Microsoft Teams. It enables you to swiftly access frequently dialed numbers and contacts, incorporating one-touch/press dialing and effortless management of contact lists on touch devices.

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Allow presenters to moderate Q&A

Microsoft Teams will soon allow organizers to assign presenters as Q&A moderators during town halls and webinars. This feature, available to all users with Microsoft Azure Active Directory IDs, will roll out from late February to early March 2025, with no admin action required for the update.

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New file path in Microsoft SharePoint for email attachments

Microsoft Teams is updating the storage path for email attachments sent to a channel, storing them in SharePoint under “Documents > Apps > Microsoft Teams Mailhook > [Channel Name].” This change, already rolling out, will be completed by late January 2025 and requires no admin action before completion. Users should be informed of this update.

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Updates to make meeting transcripts more accurate and reliable

Microsoft Teams is introducing updates to enhance transcript accuracy and reliability, with rollout starting mid-February 2025 and completing by late March 2025. New features include setting the spoken language upfront, limiting language change permissions, simplifying language settings, and identifying language mismatches. No admin action is required for this update.

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Updates to iPad Calendar week views

Microsoft Teams for iOS will update the iPad Calendar week views starting early February 2025, with new features like a default five-day view, color sync, and improved meeting management. Organizations using iPads should inform users and update documentation; no admin action is required.

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Microsoft Teams admin center: App Management Unification Impact report

The new App Management Unification Impact report helps administrators preview changes to app and tenant settings before the unified management of Microsoft Teams apps is implemented. It will be available in February 2025 for tenants with Microsoft App Centric management, allowing admins to adjust settings accordingly.

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Microsoft Clipchamp: Reduced file sizes for Microsoft Teams meeting recordings exported from Clipchamp

Clipchamp now compresses Microsoft Teams meeting recordings for smaller file sizes without quality loss. This feature is globally available since mid-January 2025 and is enabled by default, requiring no admin action but may necessitate user notification and documentation updates.

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More predictable recording experience with Who keeps recording

Microsoft Teams is adding a feature to show the recording owner’s information, ensuring participants can contact the correct person. It rolls out in March 2025. Recordings save to the organizer’s OneDrive by default, with fallback logic for recording ownership if needed. Users should ensure the -MeetingRecordingOwnership setting is correct.

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Additional work information in people search results

Microsoft Teams will enable MTO users to see additional work information in people search results, including company and department names. This feature will roll out in February 2025 and can be toggled on or off by tenant admins in the Teams admin center. Admins must complete cross-tenant synchronization to use this feature.

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‘Add emoji’ updated keyboard shortcut

Insert emojis directly from your keyboard without any distractions. Use colons (e.g. :smile:) in the compose box to add any emoji, even your custom ones, making it quicker to express yourself.

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Add CVI Coordinates to Townhall and webinar invites

With CVI coordinates in invites, now non-Teams users—such as external customers or partners—can easily join Teams Townhall and webinar meetings using a third-party teleconferencing device.

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Townhall Attendee/Presenter email dial in details.

With the release of this feature, the Townhall attendee and presenter invites will have dial in details available in the body of the email.

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Wired headset support for Walkie Talkie on iOS.

This feature adds the wired support to Walkie Talkie on iOS. It adds support for both specialized PTT headsets and generic headsets.

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Ability to separate out the Townhall attendee invites

This backend change will now address the ‘separation of attendee’ invites from the events crew. This feature allows the organizers of Townhalls to maintain separate invites for attendees.

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Introducing the SCO Setting in Walkie Talkie app for Enhanced Battery Life on older Bluetooth headsets

This feature introduces SCO (Synchronous Connection-Oriented) user setting in the Walkie Talkie app. This feature is designed to manage the Bluetooth headset connection to optimize battery life. When a Bluetooth headset is connected to the Walkie Talkie app, the SCO setting controls whether the microphone remains constantly connected or disconnects after a period of inactivity.

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Enhanced compliance and security in voicemail messages

Microsoft Teams voicemail messages in Exchange will see compliance and security enhancements, including updated ‘From’ fields to meet RFC 6854 standards and labels for external or unverified calls. Rollout begins December 2024, with no admin action required. Users should be informed of these changes.

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Teams client health dashboards in Teams Admin Center

IT Administrators can view and monitor the health of Teams desktop clients on both Windows and Mac platforms. This feature offers comprehensive admin actionable insights into client health metrics, including client crashes and launch failures. Administrators are equipped with detailed information on issues, insights, and mitigation tools to promptly and effectively address any potential client health problems.

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Policy to disable in-product messages relating to periodic What’s New and Conferences updates

Some in-product messages in Microsoft Teams can now be controlled with the New-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy command. Using this control, tenant admins can limit in-product messages relating to periodic What’s New and Conferences updates.

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Ad-hoc individual desk booking in Teams

Before this rollout, the Microsoft Teams bookable desk capabilities supported booking at a desk pool level (also known as workspaces in Microsoft Exchange). After this rollout, users can book individual desks when they plug in to a shared desk peripheral. This rollout will also support other scenarios for individual desks, such as confirming a reservation if a user has booked in advance and notifying a user that a space is reserved for someone else.

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New microphone volume indicator for users

Coming soon for A new Mic volume indicator on the user bar in Teams meetings. This feature will provide users with real-time visual feedback on their audio levels in the meeting, eliminating the need to ask, “Can you hear me?” This feature is designed to minimize interruptions as well as enhance user confidence and meeting effectiveness.

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Monitor Teams client updates in Teams Admin center

IT Administrators can now monitor Teams client version update adoption and access detailed adoption information. This feature enables administrators to proactively understand version adoption, assess version health, and access granular details about devices and users who are on the latest client versions. Additionally, it provides visibility on recency of client versions. Administrators can now proactively view insights and address issues preventing users from automatically updating to the latest and most secure version of the Teams client.

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Facilitator agent real-time notes in meetings

The Facilitator agent in Microsoft 365 takes real-time notes during your meetings, allowing everyone to co-author and collaborate seamlessly. This frees everyone up to focus and engage deeply in meetings. To enable real-time notes in meetings, users can toggle the ‘AI-generated notes’ setting on when scheduling the meeting in the Teams calendar or toggle it on during the meeting through the Notes button in the toolbar. To access the real-time notes, select Notes in the toolbar to open the notes pane where everyone can see live notes being generated every few minutes as the conversation happens. The notes are organized by topics and follow-up tasks.

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Third-party chat and meeting keyboard shortcut support

Users familiar with keyboard shortcuts from third-party chat and meeting applications can use those same shortcuts in Microsoft Teams. To enable this, go to the Settings and more button in the upper right, access the keyboard shortcuts dialog, and select a communication or meeting layout. This allows users to apply the shortcuts they are used to from other applications.

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Native Bluetooth call controls using hands-free protocol for multiple peripheral devices

Coming soon for Microsoft Teams: When you have several peripheral devices connected to Teams, the one you use to answer a call will temporarily become the main device that will sync with Teams when using the device’s buttons. After the call, the original device selected in Teams settings will take over again as the main device. After this rollout, users can use multiple native Bluetooth devices can be confident that call controls will function correctly with all of them.

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New location sharing settings for emergency calls and other features

Microsoft Teams will soon have a new location sharing setting that will allow users to grant location access to specific features. This change will affect emergency dynamic policy and the network bandwidth policy.

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I've been working with Microsoft Technologies over the last ten years, mainly focused on creating collaboration and productivity solutions that drive the adoption of Microsoft Modern Workplace.