One of the most irritating small flaws in Microsoft Teams should soon be fixed thanks to a new update.
The video conferencing service has long enabled users to “raise their hand” during a call if they wish to interject, or offer something to the conversation, without interrupting the person speaking.
However, if not properly addressed, “Raised Hands” on a Microsoft Teams call will remain raised until the end of the meeting, proving a potential nightmare for those looking to keep track of who spoke when, and who is still waiting their turn.
Microsoft Teams raise hands
Now though, those of us who like their Microsoft Teams meetings orderly can relax, as the company is working on a new feature that will automatically lower a user's raised hand after they have spoken.
Going forward, the program will be able to suggest to users that they should lower their raised hand after Teams detects they spoke during the meeting.
If the user doesn't take any action on the suggestion notification, Teams will automatically lower their hand after a period. They will also be able to choose to keep their hand raised, for example if they have a follow-up question.
In its update on the official Microsoft 365 roadmap (opens in new tab), Microsoft says the move will cut down on the number of “stale” raised hands in meetings, noting that it, “should ensure smoother meeting facilitation for organizers and presenters.”
The update is still listed as being “in development” for the time being, with an expected availability date of March 2023, so users won't have too long to wait. When released, the feature will initially be available for Mac and Windows desktop users alike.
The news could be particularly useful for those on calls with large numbers of participants, particularly given that Microsoft Teams recently revealed it is working on an “Interactive Large Gallery” upgrade that will mean your calls will now include feeds from even more people – letting users view up to 49 video participants at once.
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