Suppose you use Microsoft Teams for work, school, and at home to communicate and collaborate with friends and family. In that case, you’ll welcome the latest update from the software giant: you no longer have to use separate apps for your personal and professional accounts. From now on, you only need to access a single app to use all your Teams accounts across the collaboration platform.
Ending the Hassles of Juggling Multiple Apps
Companies that subscribe to Microsoft Office 365 rely on Teams as a videoconferencing tool and workplace chat application, thanks to its integration with other productivity tools and project management software. At the product’s introduction, it was possible to use one Microsoft Teams login to access both work and home accounts. Still, personal Team accounts became a separate application somewhere along the way.
This created some challenges for users. In addition to requiring users to download two separate applications and switch between them, accessing the correct app wasn’t always easy. Typing "Teams” on the Windows start menu might bring up only one version or both, forcing users to search for the correct app.
Ultimately, many people opted to use other team communication tools for personal communication, reserving Teams for work. With so many different options at their disposal, the confusion that downloading two versions of Microsoft Teams created wasn’t worth the hassle for many people.
Using the New Version of Teams
The new unified version of Teams is available for Windows 10, Windows 11, and Mac users. The update should occur automatically on desktop versions of Windows, and the new version comes pre-installed on Windows 11, version 24H2. You can also download the combined app from the Microsoft website.
In addition to merging work and home accounts for a more streamlined experience, the updated version of Microsoft Teams includes additional improvements meant to enhance teamwork integration. In addition to simultaneously signing in to multiple work, school, or personal accounts, you can select a profile, including the option to join as a guest, depending on which account you’re using when joining virtual meetings.
For those juggling many career and home responsibilities, the updated app allows you to view your work and home Teams accounts simultaneously in side-by-side windows. This allows you to easily monitor the family chat while you attend a workplace brainstorming session. Personal accounts also come with a new Community Chat feature for group conversations.
Many users feel this change is long overdue and a welcome upgrade. It’s one of many recent changes, one of which is the ability for administrators to block users from workspaces and organizations permanently. Companies can now stop former employees or others with nefarious intent from accessing and misusing the platform.
Ultimately, the move to unify different versions of the Microsoft Teams collaboration platform improves the user experience and eliminates one of the biggest complaints among those using it at work and home. Take advantage of this new update today.
