Instead of the Chat feature integrated into Windows 11, Microsoft is concentrating on a free standalone Teams app.
Nearly two years after the first announcement of the integration, Microsoft is getting ready to remove the built-in Microsoft Teams client from Windows 11. The more adaptable free version of Microsoft Teams, which is also accessible as a Windows 10 app, will replace the Chat capability. Microsoft revealed the improvements this week in a fresh Windows 11 test build.
Removal of Chat
According to a blog post by Microsoft’s senior program manager Brandon LeBlanc, “Starting with his build, Chat is now Microsoft Teams – Free.” “Microsoft Teams – Free is pinned to the taskbar by default and can be unpinned like other apps on the taskbar.” Microsoft was contacted for comment regarding the removal of Chat, but the business didn’t provide one in time for publication.
The operating system was tightly integrated with the first Teams integration in Windows 11, known as Chat. The Chat app was pinned to the taskbar by default and has to be disabled by navigating to Settings. Microsoft Teams’ chat feature gives users a method to connect with their friends and family. However, however, it was only available to consumers, rendering it worthless for the great majority of Microsoft Teams customers who utilize the enterprise version of the service. Additionally, users of Windows 11 risk having two confused versions of Teams installed to manage both business and personal calls.
Video Calling Features
Up until today, Microsoft had been continually adding new features to Chat inside Windows 11, with improved video calling features in October and Discord-like communities and an AI art tool earlier this month. The built-in Chat functionality in Windows 11 was based on the Microsoft Teams 2.0 client, which served as the foundation for the new Microsoft Teams app that’s rolling out to businesses at the moment.
Just a few days ago, Microsoft announced intentions to discontinue support for Cortana on Windows 11 later this year. Now, the company has decided to do the same with the built-in Teams client in Windows 11. Nearing the start of a new fiscal year, Microsoft is obviously concentrating its attention on brand-new Windows projects, such as its AI-powered Windows Copilot application. When speaking at CES earlier this year, Windows CEO Panos Panay hinted at the significance of AI for Windows, saying that “AI is going to reinvent how you do everything on Windows.” Undoubtedly, AI will be a significant component in Windows 10 as well.
Additionally, Microsoft apparently agreed to discontinue bundling Teams with Office only a few months prior to the modifications to Teams. In an effort to placate EU regulators, Microsoft has decided to stop requiring Office customers to install Teams on their devices in April, according to The Financial Times. After competitor Slack complained about Microsoft’s bundling of Teams in 2020, the European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation on Microsoft’s practices.
