Enhance Your Microsoft Teams Experience with New Layouts in the View-Only Mode

Microsoft Teams has become an indispensable tool for remote work and collaboration. To make the platform even more user-friendly, Microsoft has introduced new layouts for the view-only experience, making it easier for attendees who join after the meeting capacity has been reached. In this blog post, we will explore these new layouts, their impact on users, and how they will affect your organization.

New Layouts for the View-Only Experience: Microsoft Teams has expanded the layouts for attendees who join meetings using the view-only experience, as well as those utilizing the Custom Streaming app or Workplace Live app. These new layouts include:

1. A 3x3 grid, showcasing up to 9 videos on stage simultaneously when no content is being shared.
2. A side-by-side layout when content is shared, displaying up to 7 videos alongside the shared content.

Rollout Timeline: Microsoft will start rolling out these new layouts in late April and plans to complete the process by early May.

Impact on Your Organization: The updated layouts will be available to attendees joining after the meeting capacity has been reached, as well as those viewing a feed created by the Custom Streaming app or Workplace Live app. This enhancement will provide a more engaging and interactive experience for view-only attendees.

Understanding the View-Only Experience: Microsoft Teams supports up to 10,000 attendees in a single meeting. Once the main meeting capacity of 1,000 users is reached, additional attendees join with a view-only experience. These attendees can access the meeting via desktop, web, and Teams mobile (Android and iOS).

Factors Affecting User Experience: A user's experience depends on several factors, including:

1. Administrator settings for the Teams view-only experience.
2. The attendee's ability to bypass the lobby based on lobby policies or options.

Meeting organizers and presenters will be informed when new attendees join as view-only attendees. If space becomes available in the main meeting, users can join the main meeting until capacity is reached again.

Limitations for Presenters and Organizers: There are certain limitations for meeting presenters and organizers in view-only mode, such as:

1. No information about view-only attendees is available, and E-discovery is not supported.
2. Users in the main meeting cannot see view-only attendees.
3. View-only attendees cannot be removed from the meeting.

Experience for View-Only Attendees: The Teams view-only experience enables attendees to:

1. Listen to participants in the main Teams meeting.
2. View the active speaker's video feed (if shared).
3. See content shared using the share desktop or screen functionality.

However, view-only attendees cannot access certain features, such as meeting chat, raising their hand, or interacting with third-party apps.

Conclusion: Microsoft Teams' new layouts for the view-only experience will enhance user engagement and improve the overall meeting experience for attendees who join after the main meeting capacity has been reached. Keep an eye out for these updates in the coming weeks and make the most of your Microsoft Teams meetings.