10 Surprising Features of Microsoft Teams You Probably Didn't Know About
Microsoft Teams is a great collaboration tool that has grown in popularity over the past few years. With its extensive feature set, which includes file sharing, video conferencing, and chat, Microsoft Teams has emerged as a key resource for remote work. Additionally, Microsoft Teams has a ton of undiscovered features that may boost productivity and simplify daily tasks at work. This post will examine 10 unexpected Microsoft Teams features that you may not be aware of.
Microsoft Teams’ Immersive Reader is a feature that can help you read messages more effortlessly by removing distractions and customizing the text size, font, and background color. This feature is mainly useful for people with visual impairments or dyslexia, as it can make reading easier and more enjoyable. By customizing the settings to your liking, you can improve your reading experience and better focus on the text at hand.
2. Bookmarks: Keep Track of Important Messages
Have you ever lost an important message or file in Microsoft Teams? The Bookmark feature can help you avoid that problem. With Bookmarks, you can save messages or files that you want to revisit later, making it easy to keep track of important information. You can make bookmarks for individual chats, channels, or teams, and simply access them from the bookmarks tab on the left-hand menu. This feature can help you stay organized and on top of important tasks and information.
3. Priority Notifications: Stay Alerted on Urgent Messages
When you’re working on a critical project or task, it’s important to stay alert and informed about any updates or urgent messages. That’s where Priority Notifications come in. With this feature, you can receive alerts for urgent messages even when you’re not actively using Microsoft Teams. This feature can help ensure that you don’t miss any important updates, and can help you stay focused and on-task.
4. Breakout Rooms: Facilitate Group Discussions
Microsoft Teams’ Breakout Rooms feature lets you to split a large meeting into smaller groups, making it easier to collaborate and communicate effectively. Whether you’re conducting a brainstorming session or a small-group discussion, Breakout Rooms can help facilitate communication and ensure that everyone is heard. This feature can be especially useful for remote teams that need to collaborate regularly.
5. Custom Backgrounds: Add Some Fun to Your Video Calls
Let’s face it, video calls can get a bit monotonous after a while. However, Microsoft Teams’ Custom Backgrounds feature can help spice things up a bit. With Custom Backgrounds, you can select from a range of pre-set backgrounds or even upload your own image. Whether you want to show off your personality or add a bit of humor to your meetings, Custom Backgrounds can help you do just that.
6. Collaboration Bars: Quick Access to Favorite Apps
Microsoft Teams’ Collaboration Bars are an advanced feature that allows you to quickly access your favorite apps and tools without leaving the Teams app. By customizing the bar to include the apps and tools you use the most, you can collaborate more proficiently and save time. Whether you need to access your calendar, email, or other apps, Collaboration Bars can help you get to what you need quickly and easily.
7. Live Captions: Follow Along with Video Calls
Have you ever been on a video call and struggled to follow along with what was being said? Microsoft Teams’ Live Captions feature can help. This feature allows you to read the text of what’s being said in real-time during video calls. Live Captions can be particularly useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it can also be beneficial for anyone who wants to follow along more closely. With Live Captions, you can ensure that you don’t miss any important information and can fully participate in the conversation.
8. Whiteboard: Collaborate in Real-Time
The Whiteboard feature in Microsoft Teams allows you to collaborate with colleagues in real-time, just as if you were in the same room. With the Whiteboard, you can brainstorm, draw, and take notes, all while collaborating with others in your team. This feature can be particularly useful for creative teams that need to share ideas and visualize concepts.
9. Templates: Save Time on Repetitive Tasks
Microsoft Teams’ Templates feature can help you save time on repetitive tasks by providing pre-built templates for common projects and tasks. Whether you’re working on a new project or planning a team event, Templates can help you get started quickly and easily. With a range of templates to choose from, you can find the one that best fits your needs and customize it to your liking.
10. Personal App Space: Customize Your Workspace
Last but not least, Microsoft Teams’ Personal App Space allows you to customize your workspace with the apps and tools you use the most. With Personal App Space, you can pin your favorite apps and tools to the left-hand menu for quick access, making it easy to get to the tools you need when you need them. This feature can help you stay organized and efficient, and can improve your overall productivity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Microsoft Teams is a strong platform that provides a variety of capabilities to aid in more productive and efficient collaboration. While many of these capabilities are well-known, there are many other undiscovered features that can boost productivity and simplify daily tasks at work. These capabilities, which range from Immersive Reader to Personal App Space, may help you personalize your workspace, cut down on time spent on tedious chores, and work more efficiently with your team. You can maximize Microsoft Teams and improve your remote work experience by utilizing these capabilities.
