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The new Microsoft Teams desktop client

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Microsoft Teams

Tip

Ready to deploy the new Teams? Step by step instructions are here: Deploy the new Teams using policies.

Looking for tips on using the new Teams? See Try the new Microsoft Teams.

Visit our new Teams microsite to learn more and see a more detailed list of upcoming features.

What is the new Teams?

The new Teams desktop client for Windows has been reimagined from the ground up with performance in mind, providing a faster, simpler, and more flexible experience. The new Teams client installs and loads faster, letting you launch the app and join meetings more quickly, giving you more time to focus on the business tasks.

The new Teams ensures more efficient use of device resources. You can lower memory and disk usage with a Teams app optimized for your device. Whether you have users on multiple accounts or tenants, the new Teams can help eliminate the silos and bring them together in one place, giving them more extensibility and scale.

Note

Ready to deploy? Follow these step by step instructions: Deploy the new Teams using policies

Is the new Teams available for my organization?

The new Teams client is not yet available for the following customers but is planned for release later in this calendar year:

Platforms: Mac, VDI, Web
Customer segments:
- Government clouds: GCC, GCC High, DoD
- Special cloud: Air-gapped, Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet in China
- Consumer
- Desktop running a Windows 10 version earlier than 10.0.19041

New Teams rollout schedule for Windows clients

Note

*This rollout schedule is only for Windows clients. We will be updating this schedule as other platform support, such as Mac, is available.

Important

These schedules only apply if your organization has set the Teams Update policy "Use new Teams Client" to either:

  • Microsoft controlled (the value in the Teams Admin Center) or
  • Microsoft choice (if you are using PowerShell)

Learn more about Teams Admin policies.

When will all users see the "Try the new Teams" toggle?

Licenses
License Rollout begins
Business Licenses and Teams Essentials Available
Enterprise and other Licenses See the schedule listed in this article.
Update channels

Tip

Learn more about update channels, including how to make changes here:

If the update channel isn't listed, then the Monthly Enterprise Channel schedule is followed.

Update channel Date
Public preview program Available
Targeted release program Available
Current Channel Late September 2023
Monthly Enterprise Channel Late October 2023
Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) October 2023
Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, Semi-annual Extended, LTSC and remaining channels January 2024

Note

  • Teams for Government includes GCC, GCCH, DoD and other special clouds follow the schedule for the Semi-Annual channels
  • New Teams is not currently available on VDI and Mac OS but is planned for release later in this calendar year

When will the new Teams become the default client?

Existing Teams users are updated to the new Teams based on two factors:

Users are switched once to the new Teams. Afterward, users can switch back to classic Teams if they wish.

Licenses
License Date
Business Licenses and Teams Essentials October 2023
Enterprise and other Licenses See the schedule listed in this article.
Update channels

If the update channel isn't listed, then the Monthly Enterprise Channel schedule is followed.

Tip

Learn more about update channels, including how to make changes here: Update channels for Microsoft 365 apps.

Update channel Date
Teams Public Preview September 2023
Targeted Release Channel October 2023
Current Channel Late October 2023
Monthly Enterprise Channel January 2024
Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) November 2023
Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, Semi-annual Extended, LTSC, and remaining channels March 2024

Note

  • Teams for Government includes GCC, GCCH, DoD and other special clouds will follow the schedule for the Semi-Annual channels.
  • New Teams is not currently available on VDI and Mac OS but is planned for release later in this calendar year.

What features are still missing?

Most of the features you're familiar with in classic Teams are already in new Teams, however a few are still being worked on.

Follow Microsoft Adoption for the latest information on upcoming features for the new Teams..

What features are changing?

As we improve the client, the experience has been improved to align with similar features. Here are some of the changes you see.

Classic Teams New Teams
Purple toast notifications You'll no longer see the purple "toast" notifications, and the taskbar icon will behave a little different. Notifications are via Windows native notifications to provide a consistent experience.
Adding a Wiki to a channel tab You'll no longer see a Wiki app. Instead, select the Notes app.
Adding third party cloud storage service from Files app and Files tab in channels You'll no longer see the "Add cloud storage" in the Files app on Teams' left navigation bar and within the Files tab in Teams channels. Now you can add the third party storage app directly from the Teams App Store.
Look up an organizational chart while in a 1:1 chat Select a user’s avatar or profile photo anywhere in Teams and navigate to the organizational chart within the profile card.
Look up LinkedIn while in a 1:1 chat Select a user’s avatar or profile photo anywhere in Teams and navigate to the LinkedIn tab within the profile card.
Adding a document library (DocLib) app to a tab in channels Use the Sharepoint app instead. Then add the document library from there as a tab to the channel. Existing document libraries will automatically convert to a SharePoint document library on first use.
Activity tab in chat No longer available.
Ability to save messages and files in Teams No longer available. Will be replaced later this year by a similar feature.
Allow users to follow another user's presence, then notify them of availability Select a user’s avatar or profile photo anywhere in new Teams to quickly get an overview of their online status, next available calendar slot in Outlook, work hours, local time, and work location (remote or office).
Ability to sign out from the notification area at the far right of the taskbar (system tray). No longer available.
Settings dialog Settings is now an app accessed from the More options menu (...) in the title bar.
About links in the More options menu (...) About links are now in the Settings app under the About Teams category.
Help in the app bar The Help entrypoint, including Help links and Give Feedback is now located under the More options menu (...) in the title bar.
Ability to build Teams personal apps usings Adaptive cards No longer available.
General appearance changes Colors, tooltip styles, and general appearance have been updated.
Ability to use tags in the "Add member" dialog. There's now an advanced flow for tags.
Organization chart is a tab in chat The organization chart is now located in the live persona card (LPC).