What you need to know
- Microsoft is reportedly working on a new version of Teams that has been rebuilt from the ground up.
- The new Teams is said to use 50 percent less memory, less CPU power, and deliver better battery life than the current version of Teams.
- Preview testing for the new Teams will roll out in March 2023, according to the report.
Microsoft Teams will soon see a significant boost in performance, according to a report by The Verge. A preview of the revamped Teams will reportedly roll out in March and has been in internal testing with Microsoft for some time.
The new Teams, known internally as Microsoft Teams 2.0 or 2.1 according to The Verge, has been in the works for years. It's a complete rebuild from the ground up that uses 50 percent less memory than the current version of Teams. It also reportedly uses CPU power and consumes less power.
Microsoft decided to switch Teams from Electron to its own Webview2 tech. Team 2.0/2.1 also uses React rather than JavaScript. All of those changes should result in significantly better performance plus some UI improvements.
The Verge's Tom Warren highlighted that some of the work Microsoft has done on Teams already shipped with the built-in version of Teams on Windows 11.
When Microsoft ships the preview version of the new Teams in March, it will reportedly provide the option to toggle back to the old version if desired. Businesses make up a massive portion of Teams users, so Microsoft needs to ensure that the transition to the new Teams goes smoothly.
In addition to its reported switch to Teams 2.0/2.1, Microsoft is also working on Teams Premium. The tech giant plans to incorporate AI features into the app, such as generating meeting notes, recommended tasks, and personalized highlights.
Windows Central take
Microsoft Teams is used by hundreds of millions of people, but it has received its fair share of criticism surrounding performance. Many I've spoken with view Teams as "good enough" or "worth it because it comes with Microsoft 365." That's colloquial, but I think the sentiment that Teams needs to improve on the performance side of things is a common thought.
Improving Teams could go a long way in retaining current users while possibly converting those that have stuck with other platforms.
