Microsoft Teams’ “Together mode” can be enforced by meeting hosts on participants according to new upcoming updates.   

Teams was released in 2017, it came with a bang and became an instant hit due to its collaborative features. Being one a kind workspace, Microsoft added Teams to Office 365 Suite. Since then, Microsoft which is famous for SharePoint, made numerous changes to Teams features; adding a virtual background to video conferencing was appreciated by many, and let’s be honest during the pandemic we all appreciated virtual background more than ever. Nobody wants to show the messy room in the background, yeah, we all have been there. 

Taking this virtual background idea and adding another amazing twist can be a decent idea so, Microsoft decided to further enhance/modify it by adding “Together Mode” allowing meeting moderators to set up meeting displays as per their discretion. 

Expected to be in effect in May 2022, the company recently claimed that admins will be able to employ Together Mode”. I think this was done in an effort to render a sense of combined/real-time workspace among the participants. 

This mode was introduced in 2020 with the goal of “people getting a feeling of shared workspace”. Theoretically, it was a noble idea; as it was during the pandemic, and we all missed our office spaces. 

However practical application of such an option was challenging, Microsoft may seem to ignore the “human factor”. Humans don’t just sit straight in a similar position and same posture, neither they move in harmony, nor do they use the same length and space, lighting, or device for Teams. 

As a result, the “Together Mode” seemed a lot like differently sized and positioned “floating heads” giving scary/ cringeworthy vibes. Keeping in mind the motive behind all this was to create a sense of togetherness while being apart. 

Microsoft AI system made a tremendous effort in removing individual backgrounds and adding virtual backgrounds which should be lauded. However, not everyone will enjoy this feature as one would hope. 

The thing that doesn’t bode well with many other Teams users is that the meeting organizer will hold the power to “make everyone” use this feature. That being said, Microsoft’s efforts to reinvent and reshape virtual meeting styles are still appreciated similarly this feature will be both Hit for some and Miss for few.