Microsoft enhances Together mode experience in Teams

Kevin Okemwa

Together Mode

Together Mode is a Microsoft Teams feature designed to reimagine how people collaborate. It virtually places participants in a shared background to make it feel like you are sitting in the same room with all other meeting participants.

With Together Mode, Microsoft aims to make your video meetings more engaging by helping you focus on the faces and body language of other attendees so that you can pick up the nonverbal cues that are vital for human interaction.

Microsoft has disclosed that there are plans underway to improve the Together Mode experience in Teams further. According to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, participants’ videos in Together Mode will now feature name labels. What’s more, the name labels will also support status icons that indicate microphone, active speaker, spotlight, or pin within the meeting.

Additionally, your video in the gallery will be removed while Together Mode is still running. In turn, this will prevent duplication of the self-preview.

And finally, for better interaction and engagement while in a meeting, Together Mode will now feature raised hands and reactions within the view.

These usability improvements are tagged 122127 in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap and are expected to start rolling out in June 2023.