Microsoft Teams users who had to use different versions of this app for different accounts can finally use a single app for all types of accounts. The separate versions for private use or ‘work and school’ have finally been put to pasture.
Microsoft had already announced that the separate versions of the collaboration and video conferencing software would disappear. Since last March, participants in the Insiders Canary and Dev channel programs have been able to familiarize themselves with the new version.
The new app was also rolled out in clean installs of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 and later builds.
First to owners of Copilot+ PCs
Starting with the new Windows 11 24H2 update, the ‘unified’ version of MS Teams will be available to all users. However, like all other 24H2 updates, it will first come to Copilot+ PC owners. Later this year, it will come to the poor folk without such a brand-new desktop, according to Windows Central.
Windows 11 24H2 is chock-full of new features anyway. Some of these are only available on Copilot+ PCs, being largely dependent on AI, such as the much-discussed Recall feature. This appears to be getting a release after all.
Tip: Controversial Windows feature Recall postponed at the last minute
Microsoft announced in a blog post that the one-Teams-for-all is coming to Windows 11, Windows 10, and Teams for Mac. The app is free for all users, provided they sign in with a personal email address (as opposed to a work email address). When logged into Teams, users can click their profile picture to add or switch additional accounts.
Jumble of accounts and account types
The different accounts in use can be accessed simultaneously in different side-by-side windows. So, while this still makes users seem tied to account types for private work or school use, they no longer need separate apps.
The terminology used can be a bit tricky because, as mentioned above, there are account types, while at the same time, many users also have different accounts (as in profiles with a linked email address) with which they log into MS Teams. Microsoft promises that with each video call, users can now choose which account to use to participate or opt for ‘guest’ status.
Also read: Microsoft further tweaks Teams for transition to new client