Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update makes several changes to the operating system’s taskbar to help office workers get the best out of their time while attending a Teams video conference.
The update, released this week, allows anyone to control audio through the Windows taskbar while the Teams video conference runs in the background. Users can also share content from PowerPoint or Excel by clicking the app’s taskbar icon, bringing Teams back to the foreground.
Windows 11 comes with Teams pre-installed and offers some Teams features without a Microsoft 365 subscription. Raul Castanon, an analyst at 451 Research, says Microsoft has embedded Teams real-time communication into the operating system to reduce the chances of a user using a third-party product.
“Windows 11 is the larger framework in which everything happens,” says Castanon. “Embedding Groups in the Operating System… means that users may be more inclined to use native rather than [over-the-top] communications. “
Microsoft has integrated Teams into other products. The company added Teams-specific features to the Surface tablet running Windows 11 and the Outlook email client.
With the latest taskbar update, everyone will see an active microphone icon appear to the right of their taskbar during a video meeting. They can turn the sound on and off by clicking the icon without leaving the application or browser window open.
People who want to screen share an Excel or PowerPoint document can hover over the app icon on the taskbar and a preview window will appear asking if they’re ready to share content from the app directly.
Other recent changes to the taskbar include a widget that people can hover over with their pointer to see the weather, and a dual monitor feature that shows the clock and date on all screens. Figure.
Microsoft has released taskbar changes alongside running Android apps on Windows 11. More than 1,000 Android apps can be downloaded from the Amazon Appstore, including Audible’s audiobook app and games. like Subway Surfers. Amazon Appstore is not pre-installed on the operating system.
There are additional hardware requirements to run Android apps. The PC will need 8 GB of RAM, a solid-state drive, and at least an 8th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, an AMD Ryzen 3000 or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c.
Other recent Windows 11 changes include the replacement of the Microsoft Groove Music app with a music and video player that combines Media Player. The company also redesigned the Notepad interface with a new find and replace feature.
Maxim Tamarov is a mobile and end-user news writer. He previously wrote for Daily News in Jacksonville, NC, and Sun Transcript in Winthrop, Mass. He can be found on Twitter at @MaximTamarov.
