Unmute from Windows Taskbar
Microsoft has added a new mute button to the taskbar that allows Windows users to mute their microphone for Teams meetings even without opening the Teams window. The new feature was released in the recent Windows 11 Build 22000.526 (KB5010414) for Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels.
Manage breakout rooms better
Microsoft Teams allows users to create breakout rooms to divide meetings into sub-groups to aid brainstorming or close-quartered discussions. It has now added new support which enables organizers to extend the management of breakout rooms to up to 10 presenters during a meeting. However, only one manager can take control at one particular time. The designated breakout room manager will be able to perform several in-meeting functions such as:
- Assigning users to rooms
- Adding/deleting rooms
- Opening/closing rooms
- Reassigning users to rooms
- Sending announcements
- Re-creating rooms
- Setting timers
- Adjusting other breakout room settings
- Joining open rooms
- Sending announcements
Less power, more energy
Microsoft Teams has now been optimised to reduce the power consumption by up to 50% for energy-intensive scenarios such as having over 10 users in a meeting when everyone has their video turned on. “Teams meetings are as energy efficient as possible, regardless of setup. This involved measuring power consumption, evaluating processes, and identifying opportunities to optimize the efficiency of each,” the company says.
Limit disruptions with in-meeting controls
Teams users can now easily mute participants and manually disable their camera and/or microphone during meetings to limit disruptions. This new feature is especially useful if you want to completely avoid distractions coming from someone’s audio or video throughout your entire meeting.
