Microsoft Teams will add a free all-day video and voice calling option to take on platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. The free offering will help users connect with around 300 participants for as long as 24 hours. Microsoft made the announcement a few days after Teams rival Zoom announced that it will temporarily lift the 40-minute meeting limit on Thanksgiving Day. Along with free all-day calling, Microsoft Teams will get updated with the ability to create a group chat with around 250 people and see around 49 members simultaneously during virtual conversations.
A report by The Verge states that Microsoft Teams is ready to attract Zoom users by starting the new all-day video calling option. The company confirmed the development through a blog post. The company said that to help people stay connected in the coming months, users will be able to meet for 24 hours with around 300 participants until specified further.
Users can also join a virtual call on Microsoft Teams without the need of a Microsoft account or the Teams app. A host at Microsoft Teams can invite individuals through a link that can be accessed directly from a Web browser. This also works same like Zoom, Google Meet and other similar video conferencing platforms.
Microsoft will also update teams with the ability to start communicating with a group of around 250 people at once. The app will also get seamless sync of existing chats between phone and computer.
To make the experience look the same like Zoom which shows 49 members in a single window, Microsoft Teams desktop and Web apps will also add support to see around 49 friends or family members in a gallery view or through Together Mode feature that was launched in June to decrease fatigue.
Microsoft is also bringing support to upload ans share photos and videos directly from a computer in any personal or group chat. Also, the Teams desktop and Web apps will get an option to let professionals add their personal account and chat with or call their friends and family.
Along with the changes planned for desktop users, Microsoft will also update the Teams mobile app with a feature to let users communicate with contacts who don’t have it installed on their phones. The recipients will receive messages via SMS. They will also be able to respond to those messages like a regular text message. SMS participants will also get a link to download the Teams app on their phones.
Initially, Microsoft is bringing SMS support to the Teams app in preview for its users at US and Canada. The app will also get an option to add group events from chats to the calendar of the device, receive task and location update in activity feed and add photos to personal Safe.
The Teams app for Android and iOS will also get the option to let the loved ones of users receive automatic location alerts when they leave or arrive at a designated location. The app has also added a location sharing feature earlier this year.
CEO Satya Nadella announced in the month of October that Microsoft Teams surpassed the mark of 115 million daily active users. The platform was at first designed as a solution of communication in terms of business. Since we all are staying indoors because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Redmond company is transforming Microsoft Teams as a one-stop solution for end consumers along a compelling option for enterprise customers.