Microsoft Teams gained all of these features in August 2021
Another month is over, which means several features have rolled out to Microsoft Teams.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
Microsoft Teams is one of the company’s most actively developed apps. We cover many of its features as they roll out but at the end of each monthMicrosoft rounds upeverything that’s new in a convenient post. Here’s the complete list of new features and capabilities in Teams from Microsoft.
Meetings & webinars
The new reporter mode is the standout feature for Teams meetings and webinars this month. The feature cuts the background out behind a presenter and places content next to them. As the name suggests, this setup looks like someone presenting news on TV.
Here’s everything that’s new for meetings and webinars:
Calling
Only one new feature rolled out related to calling for Teams. It lets Citrix Workspace users be admitted to a meeting with the Teams dial pad.
Devices
Quite a bit came out for Teams devices this month. Videos should look better now since the majority of Teams Rooms devices now support 1080p resolution for outgoing video.
Here’s every update related to Teams Rooms devices:
Power Platform and custom development
The only feature that shipped related to power platform and custom development is Together Mode Extensibility. This lets developers create custom scenes for Together Mode.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Management
Teams also only gained a single feature related to management. Global admins can now delegate admin roles to specific members for the device management section of the Teams Admin Center.
Teams for Education
Teams for Education gained a handful of features. The biggest addition is the Reading Progress feature, which lets students practice reading. Educators can review the recorded practice of students within the Assignments section of Teams.
Here’s everything that rolled out for Teams for Education in August 2021:
Government
Some of these features, such as native Windows notifications, were available for other versions of Teams and are now rolling out to government customers. Other features, like the option to start live captions and a recording simultaneously, are rolling out to government customers at the same time as other versions of Teams.
Here is everything that shipped to US Government Community Cloud (GCC), US Government Community Cloud High (GCC-High), and United States Department of Defense (DoD) customers:
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
