Upcoming Changes in Teams (Q1-Q2 2025)

While it can be challenging to stay up to date with the latest changes and feature enhancements coming in Microsoft Teams, it is often even more frustrating for end-users who are focused on their work over learning how their tools are changing. IT Professionals make it a point to stay current on the latest trends and updates, but how do we bridge the gap and facilitate work processes for our coworkers in other departments?

I created a new Team . . . What happened to the General Channel?

We have become so accustomed to the new Teams site creation process – Decide on a name and Description, follow organizational rules (governance around privacy and security), and you have a new Teams site. The default General channel is ready for use, and in many cases, we simply add folders within the General channel to organize our data instead of creating new Channels. In fall of 2024, Microsoft rolled out the change so that a user is asked to “Name the first channel” – and no, it cannot be “General” (we tried!)

This is a great nudge for business users to plan out the structure (information architecture) of their Teams site, from the start!

• Use Channels for segmenting work. Think about who needs to communicate about what tasks, and create channels based off that. Private Channels can be to control access to a subset of the team.

• Use Folders for grouping documents, but keep in mind that navigating through multiple layers of folders can be cumbersome for teammates.

• Use Columns or Metadata to tag your files with relevant data to sort, group and categorize information.

The Files tab is Changing?

Expected April 2025 – Microsoft will be changing the “Files” tab within a Teams channel to “Shared”. This aligns with recent changes made to the Teams Chat interface, and should improve the overall user experience. The Shared tab will soon provide access to all files and links Team members have shared within a channel, including through channel posts within that Team. Current Display within a Teams Channel: This only shows files that have been uploaded to this Teams site (None). Current Display within a Teams Chat: Shows all files, links, and attachments shared with this person.

Can you hear me?

We have all heard it . . . and said it. The age-old problem of asking others if they can hear you should be slightly less common once Microsoft releases this new feature – expected March 2025. The Teams meeting interface will soon display a Mic Volume Indicator which will show real-time visual feedback on audio levels. Similar to a mic test feature through your computer, but this will be displayed on the user bar so you can always see the audio indications! We do not take a one-size-fits-all approach to change management and user adoption. Contact us to learn more about the latest ways of working within the Microsoft ecosystem, and how to ease the transitions with methods and input tailored to your specific needs.