Microsoft Teams now lets everyone see up to 9 meeting participants at once

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

The feature's staged rollout began in April, but it should now be available for everyone.

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft Teams now lets you see up to nine people simultaneously in video calls..
  • Participants will be shown in a three-by-three grid on screen.
  • The app's new "raise hand" feature is also now available in calls.

Now you can view more participants at once in Microsoft Teams video calls. The video feeds from up to nine people can now appear on screen, up from the previous cap of four. When nine participants are on screen, you'll see them laid out in a three-by-three grid.

Microsoft first announced this feature in April, stating that it would begin rolling out by the end of the month. The increase has been gradually making its way to users as part of a staged rollout, but it should be available to all now.

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"This new experience optimizes for attendees who have enabled video and places the remaining audio-only participants below the meeting stage," Microsoft said in an April blog post. (opens in new tab) "To provide a high audio and video quality experience, the layout will adapt, based on the user bandwidth and alter the number of videos shown to provide the best meeting experience."

In the future, Microsoft says it is working to increase the number of participants you can view further, but there's no timeline available.

Beyond this increase to the number of people you can see at once, Microsoft also rolled out the new "raise hand" feature to Teams users. The feature allows you to virtually raise your hand in meetings, letting the organizer know that you have a question or something to say without interrupting.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

3 Comments
  • Would be nice to have the option to pin whoever is talking to where you wanted on the screen, namely close to the camera. 98% of participants are staring down so they can see who they are talking to.
  • Do they plan to add similar to Skype?
  • I used it yesterday with 17 participants. My RAM usage skyrocketed. Some users had their laptops frozen. Video feeds where not constant. Some where not available during the whole meeting. I have a decent laptop and my internet speed is more than good. This option is very welcomed but MS has some work to do if they want to be up to Zoom's standards.