Microsoft Teams is finally solving one of its biggest issues

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Sending messages using Microsoft Teams should be more effective than ever thanks to a new update coming to the platform.

The video conferencing service has announced a new feature that should mean you never again miss a private message sent during a Microsoft Teams call, giving the platform another weapon to take on the likes of Zoom and Google Meet.

Similar to the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, the new "chat bubbles" will display a floating notification on your screen, much like it would on a mobile device.

Microsoft Teams chat

Microsoft Teams is now bringing the feature to Windows 10 and Mac versions of Teams, with the chat bubbles set to launch before the end of June 2021.

In its Microsoft 365 roadmap entry detailing chat bubbles, the company says that the new feature will make "chat more central to the conversation", and that users can also simply switch off the alerts if they desire.

The news comes shortly after a similarly new feature to Microsoft Teams looked to give users the option of receiving notifications via Teams itself or the native Windows notification center when a message comes in.

Microsoft says that doing the latter can help users to avoid distracting notifications when they need to focus, and also integrating with Windows 10 action center to help users review your notifications in one place.

Since the start of the pandemic, plenty has been made of the effects of remote working on mental health. A large part of that conversation has to do with the always-on culture that has been cultivated at some businesses. With all forms of communication going digital, workers have also felt bombarded by a relentless stream of notifications.

By introducing greater controls over how and when Teams notifications are received, Microsoft will hope to alleviate some of these problems and create greater separation between work and personal activities, even if both are taking place in the same setting (or on the same device).

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Via WindowsLatest

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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.