Technology has significantly transformed how communities interact, bridging gaps between people regardless of their physical location. Today, we can collaborate on projects, share ideas, and combine resources with greater ease. However, even in a hybrid world, our fundamental need for human connection and community remains unchanged.
In December 2022, Microsoft introduced communities in the free version of Microsoft Teams, expanding on existing features that allow users to host and join meetings, chat, make calls, and participate in events. Communities in Teams enable people to come together, connect, share, and collaborate. Since then, hundreds of thousands of communities have been created worldwide.
Your feedback has shown that communities in Teams provide a secure digital space for your groups to stay connected before, during, and after gatherings. You also shared valuable insights on areas for improvement, including new features, enhanced accessibility, bug fixes, and more.
New features in the free version of Microsoft Teams
You can now collaborate with communities in Teams on Windows 11 devices, in addition to iOS and Android. On Windows 11, community owners can build communities from the ground up, invite and manage members, organize and host events, moderate content using essential trust and safety tools, and receive notifications about important activities. Support for communities in Teams on Windows 10, macOS, and the web will be available soon.
Microsoft is thrilled to introduce support for Microsoft Designer (Preview) in Teams on Windows 11. Powered by generative AI, Designer makes it easy to create unique and personalized designs. Whether you describe your vision in words or upload an image, you can generate stunning, one-of-a-kind visuals. You can even design custom banners by creating an announcement post in communities.
The latest update also includes new camera features. Community members can now record videos on their mobile devices using Microsoft’s enhanced capture experience, which offers updated filters and markup tools. Additionally, starting on iOS, community owners can scan and invite multiple emails or phone numbers from any list—whether from an online document, paper directory, or other sources—using their mobile camera.
Discover communities to join and explore new features for community owners
You will soon be able to explore and join featured communities in Teams. Rolling out over the next few days, starting with Windows 11, iOS, and Android, you can join communities centered around topics such as parenting, gaming, gardening, technology, remote work, and more. Community owners on iOS and Android will also have the option to make their community visible, allowing it to be discovered by others on Teams.
Based on your feedback, we’re enhancing other community owner controls as well. Owners can now approve or reject membership requests and delegate ownership responsibilities to others in the community. We’ve added the ability to share posts via email, making it easier for owners to reach members who aren’t using Teams regularly. Additionally, community owners can now easily gather feedback from members using Polls, powered by MSForms.
Discover how others are utilizing Teams to build and connect their communities
Microsoft is excited to announce new organizations adopting communities in Teams (free), alongside existing ones like the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), AISECT, and IIT Madras. New adopters include Bevy Labs CMX, Cofolios, Pilani Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Society (PIEDS) BITS Pilani, ProductLed, StartupGrind, USA Water Polo, and VOICE & AI Conference.
PIEDS BITS Pilani, which supports entrepreneurs and technology startups in India, is leveraging communities in Teams to connect with startups, offer mentorship to founders, and promote accelerator programs. ProductLed, a network for product-led founders, is using Teams to streamline communication with their core audience and create a secure space for product-led growth professionals to connect, learn, and advance.
StartupGrind, the world’s largest startup community with over 500 chapters, is engaging its network of founders through Teams by facilitating discussions on key trends, sharing photos, and organizing events. USA Water Polo is incorporating Teams into its Olympic Development Program (ODP) to help coaches, athletes, and parents connect, share best practices, collaborate, and receive feedback.
Responding to feedback from these organizations and others, we’re introducing new features for community owners and members nearly every week. Some updates simplify the process of inviting people to Teams, such as the new ability to sync Google contacts. Other features enhance interaction, including the option for community members to translate messages into their preferred language and a new selection of meeting backgrounds to make calls more enjoyable and engaging. Stay tuned for more exciting updates!
Microsoft Teams calling in GroupMe
Lastly, Microsoft is excited to announce an update to GroupMe, a Microsoft service used by millions daily. GroupMe helps connect various groups, from small gatherings to large communities, and is particularly popular among student and university groups on campuses. Over the past year, Microsoft has significantly improved the app with a completely new design, Topic chats for managing large group conversations, and an enhanced group discovery experience. Today, Microsoft is adding even more value to the GroupMe community by integrating Microsoft Teams calls directly into the app. You can now initiate a group call from any of your chats and join a video call powered by Microsoft Teams without leaving GroupMe.
No matter what your collaboration needs are, Microsoft Teams lets you create various spaces and organize groups for meetings, chats, sharing, and planning—together. Give Microsoft Teams a try today.
Learn more here.