Teams features and handy tips

Microsoft staff have been working hard this year to improve existing Teams features and deliver some handy new ones.  As always, they have big plans, so do check the Teams roadmap if you want to know more about what’s coming next. In the meantime, here are some of the things we hope you’ll find useful.

Features now available

• Add the Q&A app to your Teams meeting or webinar and hold a moderated or unmoderated question and answer session.  
• Improvements for presenters include: 
  • Hands up order – easily see who put their hand up first - go to ‘show participants’ to use this feature.  
  • Switching off video mirroring when you are in a Teams meeting – this could be particularly handy if you are teaching.  
  • Changes to presenter modes - including resizing stand out mode, flexible arrangement of where you appear etc. - these are now available to external presenters as well.  
• Schedule your out of office using Teams - your Outlook calendar and automatic replies will be updated too.

• Send a Loop component so everyone in your chat can edit it and see changes instantly. Excellent for collaboration. 

• Pin messages to the top of a chat – click on the three dots (next to the emojis) to access this feature. 
• Use tags to quickly reach a group of people all at once.
• A new search experience in Teams is making finding messages, people, answers, and files faster and more intuitive.
• And for fun, don't forget you can use 'Together mode'! 

Coming soon

• Restore tags you deleted, find out who's managing them and who set them up originally. 
• Co-organiser role - assign a colleague help you to organise/manage meetings – they will be able to access all the features that you can for that event.  

• ‘Chat with Self’ - a handy option for writing drafts and reminders. 

• Folder names syncing between SharePoint back-end site and Teams. 
• Additional facilitation features for Whiteboard participants in Teams and on the Web will make it easier to see who added content to the board. 
• Several enhancements for breakout room presenters are planned for roll out very soon. 
• Before joining a meeting, you will be able to use video filters to subtly adjust lighting levels and smooth out facial features to customise your appearance.

Contribute your ideas 

Oxford’s users have already influenced the development of a number of Teams features - why not have your say too? You can contribute via Microsoft's user forum - here's the Teams community - get involved!

Teams training, help and advice 

Our instructor-led or LinkedIn Learning courses are a great way to enhance your skills. Just search for 'Teams' in the course listing on our IT Skills website and choose the course that best meets your needs.  

If your question is about good practice for teaching with Teams, check the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) website which has lots of useful information.   

And last but not least, our Teams pages on the IT Help website have answers to lots of popular Teams questions - take a look and see what’s there. 

Nexus365 User Group (NUG)

We hope you have joined the active Nexus365 User Group and explored the various channels available including the new and upcoming channel which includes enhancements and features.  You'll also find tips, tricks, quick start guides and more. Any member of Oxford University can join - the joining code is LNJVOFR.

Top tip!

Tags are great! The ability to tag chat posts or users and then use that tag in any other chats and channels is extremely powerful. Find out how to use this excellent feature - Using tags in Teams