Today, Microsoft has put an end to the clutter of Microsoft Teams that has been troubling Windows users for years. The company today announced that going forward there will be only one Microsoft Teams app for Windows.
One could say that Microsoft has come full circle in this case. When it first launched Teams, it allowed for all types of accounts. This meant that personal Microsoft customers as well as work or education customers could use the same client to communicate.
Someone at Microsoft had the brilliant idea to create a separate version of Teams for personal use. This led to confusion and made life a nightmare for users who had to use one or both versions of Teams.
Typing Teams in the Windows Start menu could open either or both apps. This would often open the wrong Teams app, leaving users frustrated. It didn't help that a Microsoft Teams ad caused Windows 11 systems to hang in 2021.
According to Microsoft, the new unified Teams app is now available (again). The new app is available for users on Windows 10, Windows 11, and Mac devices.
Microsoft says Teams should update automatically on Windows. The app is also available for Windows. download on the Microsoft website.
The new Teams app comes with the following improvements:
- The ability to sign-in to multiple personal, work, or education accounts.
- Multiple accounts will open in “side-by-side windows from a single Teams app.”
- Use the account chooser when joining a Teams meeting.
- Option to join as guest..
- New community feature for individual users.
Microsoft unveiled the new unified Teams app in March and has been testing it since then. The new app comes pre-installed in Windows 11, version 24H2.
Microsoft did not say whether it is necessary to manually remove an application from Windows devices.
Closing words
It took Microsoft a long time to realize that splitting Teams into two apps was a mistake. This error is now being fixed and should significantly improve the usability of Teams for users.
Ultimately, users will only have one version of Teams to choose from on their Windows devices. This doesn't mean there isn't a way to use another version of Teams. One option here is to install the PWA version of Teams to better separate accounts.
Now you can: Do you use Microsoft Teams? What is your opinion about this move? Feel free to write a comment below.
Thanks for reading..
