Microsoft Teams picks up handful of new features and interface tweaks

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Microsoft is giving Teams, its Slack competitor, another boost with a handful of small — but handy — features and interface tweaks. In its latest update, Microsoft Teams will let you easily share a link to a channel or team from the "more" icon next to the channel or team name. The Markdown syntax is also now supported is Wiki, and there are a few new buttons and indicators to check out.

Here's a look at what's new in Teams, from the release notes (opens in new tab):

  • Wiki supports Markdown: Now you can use Markdown in Wiki. Use the same Markdown syntax that applies to chats and messaging to format Wiki sections on the fly. If Markdown isn't your thing, you'll still be able access all the same formatting options from your toolbar.
  • Link to a channel or team: Now, you can grab a shareable link to a channel or team just by clicking the more icon next to the channel or team name. Copy and paste the link in a message or email to give someone a quick and easy entry point to key conversations, files, and contacts.
  • A better viewing experience: We made some performance improvements to your Files view in channels. Now, when you're navigating to your Files, the view will load even faster.
  • New refresh button: We added a refresh button at the top corner of the Files tab in each channel. You now have an easy way to check for new files or any other changes that might have happened since you last looked.
  • New upload indicator: Now, when you upload a file to the Files view or OneDrive in a channel, you'll see an indicator letting you know your upload is in progress. From there, you can track your progress or cancel uploads for multiple files at a time.

These updates come just a couple of days after Microsoft added integration with popular workflow management service Trello as it continues on its journey to challenge Slack. If you're a Microsoft Teams user, you should be able to check out all of the latest tweaks now with the latest version of the service.

Download Microsoft Teams for Windows 10 Mobile (opens in new tab)

Download Microsoft Teams for desktop (opens in new tab)

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. 

7 Comments
  • Article isn't clear whether this applies to desktop or the mobile app? The pic is mobile but sounds like its part of the desktop/web app from the text?
  • Looks like its for both judging by the download links
  • I just wish they would open it up to people with Office 365 Home and Personal. I understand that Microsoft has Office 365 Enterprise for a reason, but that makes the barrier of entry too high for a lot of smaller organizations; and it's driving them directly to Slack.
  • Well, that's a good point.
  • There is no external access to Teams today (publically said coming in June). And you can purchase the cheapest of the O365 Business (12.50 pre month - so yes more expensive) and get access to Teams today. But my guess is, once external access comes, you will see some sort of play to move this down ever further into the market.
  • Yep, the thing is that many freelancers like me use Slack for networking when tackling bigger projects. We are all on Office 365 Personal plans...and bounded to keep using Slack.
    I mean that's more or less the same to me and I'm fine with Slack, though having a wider choice we would have like to try out Teams and who knows maybe switch.
    I do not get the commercial strategy that is holding Teams only to certain range of the Office Subscription. It's kind of odd and feels like a missed opportunity for business growth for Microsoft. It's like having a competing service, but purposefully gift a good slice of the user base to you competitor because of what?
    Oh whatever...Microsoft business strategies lately have been "cryptic"..at best... XD
  • The desktop version has broken login using ADFS V3