The official availability of Windows 11 version 23H2 introduces a lot of new features for Teams free, which replaces the Chat app in the OS.
Earlier today, we covered all the new features that Microsoft added to Teams during the month of October 2023. However, that changelog encompassed the paid version of the software that targets businesses. The Redmond tech firm also offers a free variant of the tool for personal use, and today, it has outlined all the recent capabilities added to this SKU.
First up, we have the new Teams free app to replace the Chat app in Windows 11 version 23H2 today. It hosts a compact "mini" view so that you can place it anywhere on your desktop as you multi-task. There's also an updated People experience that surfaces people who are already on Teams so that you can connect with them quicker.
If you leverage Phone Link to connect your Android handset to your Windows PC, you'll be able to access your SMS messages directly through Teams and even send video call links. Apart from integrating Teams closely with your phone's cellular capabilities, Microsoft is also looking to couple it tightly with your gaming experience. To that end, it has announced a Teams Play Together widget on the Game Bar in Windows 11, through which you can communicate with your friends online over Teams free.
The Redmond tech firm has lots of features in tow for users who leverage Communities in Teams. These customers can now take advantage of dedicated Channels inside Communities, a granular notification experience, and shareable events. New badges to indicate roles and the ability to set nicknames is also arriving on Android and iOS today, but desktop and web availability is scheduled for later.
Microsoft has specifically emphasized that it has a lot more capabilities planned for Communities in Teams free, so if you like this particular aspect of the online communication utility, do check out the detailed blog post here.
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Usama is a freelance writer at XDA who has a decade of experience in covering technology news across a variety of topics, with the primary area of focus being anything related to Microsoft.
He also has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and loves to play video games and read books in his free time.