January 2024
Set a nickname in your communities
You can set a nickname to make it easier for other community members to know who you are. Nicknames are specific to a community, so they'll only appear where you set the nickname. To change your nickname, right-click the community name and select Manage community. Then, select Set nickname next to your account name. To learn more, see What are Communities and Channels in Microsoft Teams (free)?.
Find contacts by email address
Quickly create a Teams chat with anyone by typing their email address in the search box at the top of the screen. A new chat will be created with this contact and they'll be notified via email. To learn more, see Find your contacts in Microsoft Teams (free).
November 2023
Add custom backgrounds in Teams (free) on Windows 11
Make yourself stand out in Teams meetings and calls by adding your own images as backgrounds. Choose from your favorite photos, a scenic view, or a family picture, and make your virtual interactions more personal and engaging. To set a custom background, simply join a meeting, select More ..., choose Background effects, and upload the image you want to use. To learn more, see Customize your background during a Microsoft Teams (free) meeting.
October 2023
Keep Teams in sight with the mini Teams window
Open the mini Teams window on your desktop to keep tabs on conversations while you multitask in other apps. You can also search for specific chats, start and join calls, and launch the full Teams app. To learn more, see Get started with Microsoft Teams (free) in Windows 11.
Send and receive texts in Teams
New SMS capability in Teams lets you text right in Teams without ever needing your phone. Text Teams video call links to give the recipient quick access to Teams calls anywhere, anytime. To learn more, see How to chat via SMS on Microsoft Teams (free).
Game like you’re together in the same room
Feel like your friends are gaming right next to you with the Teams Play Together widget. Chat with your friends and see their videos overlaid on your game screen while you play! To learn more, see Use Play Together to chat and play with friends in Microsoft Teams (free).
Create channels in communities
Add channels in your communities to connect members with the content and conversation threads they need. Use channels to organize multiple conversation topics within a community. To learn more, see Create a community and channel in Microsoft Teams (free).
Badges for community owners
Now community owners will have badges that distinguish their role and make their posts easier to find.
Give yourself a nickname
Instead of using your Microsoft account name, customize your nickname using Teams for iOS or Android to choose how you're known in each community. Desktop and web support coming later.
Share community events
Expand your outreach with shareable community events. Now any member of a community can share a link or QR code that shows event details. To learn more, see Learn about community calendars and events in Microsoft Teams (free).
September 2023
Change notification settings for a specific community
Change notification settings to see all activity, new posts only, or turn off notifications from that community. Just right-click the community name, select Notifications, and choose the notifications you want to see. Then select Save.
Make someone a community owner or member
Change owner and member roles in a community. Right-click the community name, select Manage community, and find the person whose role you want to change. Under Role, select Member or Owner from the dropdown menu. These changes are saved automatically and will take effect right away. To learn more, see Make someone a community owner in Microsoft Teams (free).
August 2023
Communities now available on more platforms
Communities (beta) is now completely rolled out on Windows 10, macOS, and web. Find and join a community to participate in discussions. For more features, use the Teams mobile app on Android or iOS. To learn more, see Getting started with Communities (beta) in Microsoft Teams (free) for desktop.
Know what’s happening in your communities
Select Community from the left menu in Teams to see your communities. Select one from the list to see its posts and conversations.
Start conversations in your community
Get a discussion going by posting in your community. Just select Post or Announcement above a community’s existing conversations. Bring more attention to an announcement by adding a background color to the header and a subheading. To learn more, see How to post to a community in Microsoft Teams (free).
Share a link to your community
Make it easy for people to join your community by sharing a link to it. Just select Communities, select the community you want to share, and select Share join link. To learn more, see Share and join a community in Microsoft Teams (free).
July 2023
Easily update and manage communities (Windows 11)
Quickly change your community details and manage member join requests in Teams free for Windows 10 and 11. Just right-click your community name or select the options menu (…) and choose Edit community to change community details or Manage community to accept or decline requests. To learn more, see Update community settings in Microsoft Teams (free).
Post and reply in style with Microsoft Designer
You can now use Microsoft Designer to post and reply in communities and chat. Add and generate images to customize banners for your announcements or explore ideas for inspiration. To learn more, see Create a community announcement banner with Designer in Microsoft Teams (free).
More supported platforms for communities (beta)
Communities (beta) is rolling out on Teams on Windows 10, macOS, and web. Some features might not be available yet on these platforms. To learn more, see Getting started with Communities (beta) in Microsoft Teams (free) for desktop.
June 2023
Join a meeting with a meeting ID and passcode
When you're signed into Teams with your personal Microsoft account, you can now join a meeting with a meeting ID and passcode. From your Teams calendar, select # Join with an ID, then type in the meeting ID and passcode you received in the meeting invite. If you don't have the Teams app installed on your computer, join the meeting on the web with an ID and passcode at Microsoft Teams Meeting by ID. To learn more, see Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams (free).
Use Microsoft Designer for community announcements (Windows 11)
Make community announcements stand out from other community content with Microsoft Designer. You can now quickly create a gorgeous banner image for the announcement. To learn more, see Create a community announcement banner with Designer in Microsoft Teams (free).
May 2023
Create a community (Windows 11)
Create a new community from scratch in Teams (free). Just fill out the community details like the name, description, and community picture, and adjust your community guidelines as needed. After you create a community, invite new membersor change further community details using mobile. To learn more, see Update community settings.
Invite members to your community (Windows 11)
It's easy to invite people to your communities in Teams (free). Invite contacts already using Teams (free) and for those who aren't yet on Teams, use their email address or phone number. To learn more, see Invite and manage community members.
Create community events and view community calendars (Windows 11)
Community events are a core feature in communities, and now you can create them and view community calendars in Teams (free) on Windows 11. Communities created on Windows 11 are visible on mobile and vice versa, making it easy to join the community event when it starts. To learn more, see Learn about community calendars and events in Microsoft Teams (free).
Notify community members via email (Windows 11)
Reach your community members with new posts, even when they're not in Teams. When creating a community post, you can now notify community members about the post via an email that links back to the original post. To learn more, see How to post to a community in Microsoft Teams (free).
Use Microsoft Designer for community announcements (Windows 11)
Community announcements already stand out from other content, and now you can quickly create even more unique posts using Microsoft Designer to customize banner images for the announcement. To learn more, see Create a community announcement banner with Designer in Microsoft Teams (free).
April 2023
Join a community (Windows 11)
Previously only available on mobile, now you can join communities on the Teams (free) desktop app for Windows 11. When you're invited to a community, simply choose whether to accept or decline the invite.
Improved access options for communities (Windows 11)
As a community owner, you can now limit access to your community to only those who are approved by community admins. If you set your community to "closed", new community members won't join your community right away, but instead, will need to be vetted and approved.
Polls in communities and meeting chats (Windows 11)
Create and respond to polls in communities and meeting chats, just like in regular chats. To learn more, see Create a poll in Microsoft Teams (free).
No more missed meetings (Windows 11)
When there's a meeting on your calendar, you'll now get notified when the first participant joins and the meeting starts. To learn more, see Create a meeting in Microsoft Teams (free).
Share meeting links (Chat in Windows 11)
When you create a new meeting using Chat in Windows 11, a meeting link is generated in a list for you to conveniently share with others.
March 2023
Text to invite people to meetings
When scheduling a new meeting in Teams (free) on Windows 11, enter a phone number as a recipient, and they'll receive a meeting invite via SMS, including a meeting link to join the meeting. To learn more, see Create a meeting in Microsoft Teams (free).
Hi, little red dot
Bring FOMO to more manageable levels with an improved way to get notified of new content in Chat in Windows 11 and Teams (free). When you see the little red dot on your taskbar, there's something new to check out in the app. It might even be information about new features in the What's new and more menu at the top right corner of Chat in Windows 11.
Try the animated high five
Using the (highfive) emoji is already fun, and now it's become truly expressive. Send a high five and if someone sends a high five directly after, then the animation will play. To learn more, see View all available emojis in Microsoft Teams (free).
Now playing: shared videos in communities
When somebody shares a video in a community, it now plays inline within the community for everyone to watch.
February 2023
Schedule a meeting with Teams for work or school account users
Microsoft Teams (free) users can now invite a Teams for work or school account user to a meeting. Learn more about Create a meeting in Microsoft Teams (free).
Get more when you sync your Google contacts
When you have Teams connected to your Google account, synced contacts now include people that you have interacted with on Google. You can now schedule a meeting or chat with them easier. Learn more about how to Sync your contacts in Microsoft Teams (free)
January 2023
Communities in Teams: available on Windows 11 PCs
We’re excited to announce communities in Microsoft Teams is now available on Windows 11 PCs. People can use Communities from wherever they are. Learn more about Getting started with Communities (beta) in Teams for desktop.
Chat in Windows 11 with ease
Get faster, easier access to your conversations in Chat. Now you can navigate between conversations with Chat in Windows 11 all in one window. Learn more about getting the conversation started in Teams for Windows 11.
January 2024
Set a nickname in your communities
You can set a nickname to make it easier for other community members to know who you are. Nicknames are specific to a community and only appear where you set the nickname. To change your nickname, tap the community name. Then, tap your profile picture and choose Set nickname. To learn more, see What are Communities and Channels in Microsoft Teams (free)?.
On-the-go access to community channels
Access community channels easily on your mobile device. Just open a community and tap Channels to see the channels in that community. If there are more than three channels in that community, tap See all channels for the full list. To learn more, see Create a community and channel in Microsoft Teams (free).
Customize your community with banners
View and customize community banners on Teams for mobile. Community owners can change or add a banner image by opening a community, tapping Edit 
September 2023
Change notification settings for a specific community
Change notification settings for a community by tapping the community name at the top of your screen to open that community's settings. Then, tap the notifications icon in the corner and choose the notifications you want to see.
Make someone a community owner or member
Change owner and member roles in a community. Tap the community name, then tap someone's name to choose their new role. In large communities you can select Manage above the member list to see the full list of members. These changes are saved automatically and will take effect right away. To learn more, see Make someone a community owner in Microsoft Teams (free).
August 2023
Create a community
Bring people together by creating your own communities on your mobile device. When you create a community on your iOS device, that community will show up in Teams free on Windows 10, macOS, and web. To learn more, see Create a community and start a channel in Microsoft Teams (free).
July 2023
Extend the invite to your community events
Share your community events with your contacts using the share options you’re used to on your mobile device. To learn more, see Learn about community calendars and events in Microsoft Teams (free).
June 2023
Join a meeting with a meeting ID and passcode
When you're signed into the Teams mobile app with your personal Microsoft account, you can now join a meeting with a meeting ID and passcode. Tap your profile picture, then go to Calendar>Meet>Join with meeting ID, then type in the meeting ID and passcode you received in the meeting invite. If you aren't signed in to the Teams mobile app but have it installed, open the Teams mobile app and tap Join a meeting, then enter your name, meeting ID, and passcode. To learn more, see Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams (free).
May 2023
Notify community members via email
Reach your community members with new posts, even when they're not in Teams. When creating a community post, you can now notify community members about the post via an email that links back to the original post. To learn more, see How to post to a community in Microsoft Teams (free).
Block users from your community
Community owners can now block people from their communities. Remove a community member and block them from joining the community again by selecting them from the member list and selecting Remove from community. This will give you options to Remove and Remove & Block. To learn more, see Invite and manage community members.
Invite community members using your camera
Quickly grow your community with the new bulk invite option on iOS. Take a picture of a list of email addresses and phone numbers using your mobile camera, which then will be validated and matched against the current member list of the community. You can update the list as needed and when ready, send invites to up to 50 persons in one go. To learn more, see Invite and manage community members.
April 2023
Improved access options for communities
As a community owner, you can now limit access to your community to only those who are approved by community admins. If you set your community to "closed", new community members won't join your community right away, but instead, will need to be vetted and approved.
Polls in communities and meeting chats
Create and respond to polls in communities and meeting chats, just like in regular chats. To learn more, see Create a poll in Microsoft Teams (free).
Introducing RSVP options for community events
RSVP with new options to help community owners track attendance and better plan for their community events. You can change your RSVP status any time. Not sure what's happening with a community event? When community owners update or cancel a community event, check out the related community event posts to see those changes reflected dynamically, so you'll always have the latest details. See Learn about community calendars and events.
March 2023
Safeguards in communities
Keep your communities free of potentially harmful or malicious content. This type of content will be automatically removed, and you'll see a message indicating that the content was removed.
Easily share to your communities
For those times when you want to share something to several communities, your recent communities are displayed natively on your mobile device. Just pick the ones you'd like to share the same content to, and you're good to go.
Accept community invites
When a community owner invites you to their community, you'll see the invite in the Teams (free) mobile app. Accept (or decline) the invite right from there.
February 2023
Community events, on repeat
Create a series of events to connect at a regular frequency with your community. Host weekly workshops, monthly celebrations, or daily check-ins. Just select the repeat option when creating a community event, and the series will show in the community event list and in personal view in your Teams (free) calendar. To learn more, see Learn about community calendars and events.
January 2024
Set a nickname in your communities
You can set a nickname to make it easier for other community members to know who you are. Nicknames are specific to a community and only appear where you set the nickname. To change your nickname, tap the community name. Then, tap your profile picture and choose Set nickname. To learn more, see What are Communities and Channels in Microsoft Teams (free)?.
On-the-go access to community channels
Access community channels easily on your mobile device. Just open a community and tap Channels to see the channels in that community. If there are more than three channels in that community, tap See all channels for the full list. To learn more, see Create a community and channel in Microsoft Teams (free).
Customize your community with banners
View and customize community banners on Teams for mobile. Community owners can change or add a banner image by opening a community, tapping Edit
October 2023
Send and receive text messages from your PC
Stay connected with your contacts without switching devices. Link your Android phone to Teams on Windows to send and receive text messages, all without touching your phone. Easily share Teams video call links to quickly connect with others, even if they don't have Teams. To learn more, see Link your Android in Microsoft Teams (free).
September 2023
Change notification settings for a specific community
Change notification settings for a community by tapping the community name at the top of your screen to open that community's settings. Then, tap the notifications icon in the corner and choose the notifications you want to see.
Make someone a community owner or member
Change owner and member roles in a community. Tap the community name, then tap the name of the person to choose their new role. In large communities you can select Manage above the member list to see the full list of members. These changes are saved automatically and will take effect right away. To learn more, see Make someone a community owner in Microsoft Teams (free).
August 2023
Create a community
Bring people together by creating your own communities on your mobile device. When you create a community on your Android device, that community will show up in Teams free on Windows 10, macOS, and web. To learn more, see Create a community and start a channel in Microsoft Teams (free).
July 2023
Extend the invite to your community events
Share your community events with your contacts using the share options you’re used to on your mobile device. To learn more, see Learn about community calendars and events in Microsoft Teams (free).
June 2023
Join a meeting with a meeting ID and passcode
When you're signed into the Teams mobile app with your personal Microsoft account, you can now join a meeting with a meeting ID and passcode. Tap your profile picture, then go to Calendar>Meet>Join with meeting ID, then type in the meeting ID and passcode you received in the meeting invite. If you aren't signed in to the Teams mobile app but have it installed, open the Teams mobile app and tap Join a meeting, then enter your name, meeting ID, and passcode. To learn more, see Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams (free).
May 2023
Notify community members via email
Reach your community members with new posts, even when they're not in Teams. When creating a community post, you can now notify community members about the post via an email that links back to the original post. To learn more, see How to post to a community in Microsoft Teams (free).
Block users from your community
Community owners can now block people from their communities. Remove a community member and block them from joining the community again by selecting them from the member list and selecting Remove from community. This will give you options to Remove and Remove & Block. To learn more, see Invite and manage community members.
April 2023
Improved access options for communities
As a community owner, you can now limit access to your community to only those who are approved by community admins. If you set your community to "closed", new community members won't join your community right away, but instead, will need to be vetted and approved.
Polls in communities and meeting chats
Create and respond to polls in communities and meeting chats, just like in regular chats. To learn more, see Create a poll in Microsoft Teams (free).
Introducing RSVP options for community events
RSVP with new options, to help community owners track attendance and better plan for their community events. You can change your RSVP status any time. Not sure what's happening with a community event? When community owners update or cancel a community event, check out the related community event posts to see those changes reflected dynamically, so you'll always have the latest details. See Learn about community calendars and events.
March 2023
Safeguards in communities
Keep your communities free of potentially harmful or malicious content. This type of content will be automatically removed, and you'll see a message indicating that the content was removed.
Easily share to your communities
For those times when you want to share something to several communities, your recent communities are displayed natively on your mobile device. Just pick the ones you'd like to share the same content to, and you're good to go.
Accept community invites
When a community owner invites you to their community, you'll see the invite in the Teams (free) mobile app. Accept (or decline) the invite right from there.
February 2023
Community events, on repeat
Create a series of events to connect at a regular frequency with your community. Host weekly workshops, monthly celebrations, or daily check-ins. Just select the repeat option when creating a community event, and the series will show in the community event list and in personal view in your Teams (free) calendar. To learn more, see Learn about community calendars and events.
