Microsoft ditches Teams feature that put attendees into the same virtual room

Source: Engadget

Background

Microsoft added the Teams Together feature during the COVID‑19 pandemic in 2020 to help employees feel as if they were working together in the same space. The feature was introduced in a blog post about fighting video‑conferencing fatigue.

Why Microsoft is removing Together mode

Microsoft announced that it is discontinuing the feature and steering users toward Gallery mode. In its Insider Blog, the company explained that Together mode “increases cognitive load for users” and “adds implementation complexity across platforms.” It can also produce choppy video on mobile and other modest devices that lack processing power.

Gallery mode as the replacement

Gallery mode will provide “smoother video on modest devices” through adaptive video tile counts that prevent machine overload. Microsoft says the simplification will free resources for improvements such as super‑resolution, denoising, and improved color accuracy.

User sentiment

Teams has faced criticism for performance issues and perceived complexity, as noted in a Neowin opinion piece. Removing Together mode could address some of these concerns, assuming Microsoft redirects resources toward the promised “foundational video improvements.”