Preview Microsoft Teams 2.0 on Windows 11 rolls out

A few weeks ago I blogged about the new “Teams 2.0” client which is initially coming for Teams personal (consumer) bundled in with Windows 11.

This week Microsoft rolled out the Teams 2.0 client to select Windows 11 preview users (on the Windows Insider preview program). This is only for consumer accounts (e.g outlook.com type accounts, it’s referred to as “Microsoft Teams Personal”) and won’t allow sign in for Office 365 accounts). It’s Chat only right now, audio and video calling are yet to come in a later build “over the coming weeks”

This is interesting as it’s essentially a preview of what we might expect in a future enterprise version of Microsoft Teams.

What’s in the preview:

• New Chat flyout right off the taskbar
• WIN + C anywhere in Windows 11 to launch the chat flyout

• Notifications with inline replies

• Add contacts via an email address or phone number – If they don’t already have a teams consumer account they will be sent an email or SMS
• SMS Support allows mobile/cell users to actually join and interact with chat on SMS, (US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, India and Great Britain only) see details here:
• Sync previous Skype consumer or Outlook.com personal contacts into Teams (check box option you can choose to do or not)
• Teams client supports both light and dark Windows System modes/themes.

Preview limitations

• Experience is localized for English (US) only. Additional languages and locales will come later.

Interestingly the URL to download the client was leaked and it does install fine on Windows 10 too, but you don’t get the chat flyout or new Windows wide shortcuts. I expect this new Teams Personal client won’t be a Windows 11 exclusive, but Windows 11 will enable some exclusive abilities tightly tied into the OS.