Microsoft has launched the personal version of Microsoft Teams in a preview. The new features will offer one central hub for individuals, groups, and families to collaborate, stay connected and stay organised.
The company is not competing with other chat apps but rather it is repositioning the app with features that might appeal to a wider audience who are looking to do more things than just to chat.
The launch was initially a preview for iOS and Android, Microsoft Teams for personal use will offer the basics of text chat and video calling, combined with shared lists, documents, calendars and location sharing. There’s even a neat dashboard of events, locations, tasks and images that everyone in a group has shared. The company has basically taken all the best features of Microsoft Teams for work and made them relevant for when you might need them at home.
Microsoft Teams mobile versions for iOS and Android will be updated to allow anyone to log into the apps with a personal Microsoft Account, users will be able to switch within apps from a work account to a home account and also use the personal version alongside other Office apps.
Microsoft is also building a Safe feature into Teams for personal use, which will allow groups to store and share information directly within the Teams app using two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption.
Microsoft is planning to release additional features in the mobile preview based on feedback before expanding to the desktop and web versions of Teams with a launch later this year.