Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly: Teams introduces enhanced chat features for Town Hall events and more

We didn’t provide updates on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap website last week due to an unexpected event, as I found myself directly in the path of Hurricane Helene at the end of September. Thankfully, conditions are gradually returning to normal, so let’s explore the latest updates from the past week.

According to the roadmap, Microsoft Teams is set to introduce enhanced chat functionalities for Town Hall live events in November, compatible with desktop, iOS, and Android platforms:

In previous town hall meetings, only organizers and presenters were able to communicate via chat. However, the upcoming update will allow attendees to join in on the conversation with presenters and organizers through the new Event Chat feature. Presenters and organizers will retain the ability to engage in private chats during the event.

In December, Teams for desktop and Mac will receive enhancements for Microsoft Lists links:

Links to Microsoft Lists within Teams, such as list item and form links, will now expand when shared in Teams messages, facilitating easier accessibility and visibility in both messages and shared tabs in chats.

Furthermore, come December, Teams across all supported platforms will introduce new features for moderators:

This feature permits moderators to respond to inquiries from individual attendees without exposing the responses to the entire audience, which is particularly useful for delicate questions, personal concerns, or sensitive follow-ups that shouldn’t be widespread.

For users of the new Outlook for Windows, Microsoft is slated to implement enhancements to the people module in February 2025:

The updated people module in Outlook for Windows will feature a more efficient contacts interface that consolidates views for each individual, merging duplicate entries and enriching them with corporate profiles.

Additionally, Outlook for Windows and the web will also debut four new themes in November.

Lastly, the Edge browser is set to receive refinements to its settings in December:

Edge Settings will transition to WebUI2, enhancing page responsiveness, along with implementing minor visual and content updates to elevate overall usability and functionality.

This wraps up our weekly roundup of the Microsoft 365 Roadmap updates. Unless faced with another natural disaster, we’ll return next Sunday with more insights.

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