Teams: Microsoft may be working on an ‘improved’ version of Teams app: What’s new, launch date and more

Microsoft is working on a new version of its Teams app that will come with improved capabilities, a report has claimed, adding that the business communication platform has been under development for ‘years’.
When will new Teams platform launch
The Verge reports that Microsoft is preparing to launch a new version of Microsoft Teams next month. With the tests being underway, the company plans to roll out a preview to users in March. The app is also said to include a toggle to switch back to the existing app.
What’s new in Microsoft Teams
Citing sources familiar with the company’s plans, The Verge reports that Microsoft has rebuilt the ‘new’ Teams software from ground up. This version is claimed to have a significantly improved system resource usage on PCs as well as on laptops. The report says that the app should use 50% less memory, relieve the pressure from CPU and result in better battery life on laptops.
The new app, known as Microsoft Teams 2.0 or 2.1 internally, has been under development for years. Furthermore, the Windows maker has reportedly started testing this new Teams client broadly recently.

The report notes that the new app will also have more changes when it comes to the technology it is based on. Teams is said to move away from Electron and to Microsoft’s Edge Webview2 technology, to React, a Javascript library. The effect of this shift is reported to be seen in terms of further UI improvements for Teams in the coming months.
How it will help users
These reported improvements are expected to help customers, especially with older laptops, a lot. With less load on PC resources, Microsoft Teams will likely open a lot faster and feel more responsive in terms of presenting in a meeting or responding to messages.
Furthermore, since the new Teams app is claimed to reduce power consumption, employees who are often on virtual meetings are more likely to get extended minutes/ hours from their machines.

In 2021, former head of Microsoft Teams engineering Rish Tandon said in a Twitter thread that Microsoft’s new architecture will be key for future Teams improvements.
“This architecture will help us add support for multiple accounts, work life scenarios, release predictability, and scale up for the client. It will be a journey but with Windows 11 we have taken key first steps,” said Tandon.