Microsoft Will Block Key Teams Free Features Until You Verify Your Age

Teams Free age verification is coming for some users, with Microsoft warning that people may need to confirm their age to keep access to all features.

Microsoft says the change will help Teams Free comply with local age-related regulations. Affected users will see a prompt directing them to verify their age through their Microsoft account.

Teams Free users may need to verify their age

Microsoft says some Teams Free users will soon need to verify their age to retain access to the full experience.

Once users complete verification, Teams may take up to 24 hours to update the account and restore the appropriate features.

Users who skip verification can still use Teams Free, but Microsoft will limit some functionality.

Unverified users will lose access to some features

Microsoft says unverified accounts may lose access to several Teams Free features, including meeting and call recording, Copilot and other AI features, and Community features.

The restrictions remain in place until the account meets Microsoft’s age verification requirements.

The change also arrives as Microsoft develops a Windows 11 API that can provide apps with a user’s age range without exposing an exact birthday.

Minors face stricter Teams Free restrictions

Children can use Teams Free when their Microsoft account has the required parental consent, but Microsoft places additional limits on younger users.

Other users generally cannot find minors using their phone number or email address. Microsoft also prevents minors from creating or joining Communities.

Parents can impose additional restrictions through Microsoft account parental controls.

Age requirements vary by country

Microsoft says statutory age limits differ depending on local regulations.

Its documentation lists an age threshold of 18 in India and 13 in both the United States and United Kingdom.

As a result, verification requirements and the restrictions applied to accounts can differ between regions.

Microsoft has several other Teams changes in development. Teams is getting a new web domain, requiring administrators to migrate to the new setup.

Teams will also gain an option to temporarily silence all notifications, while Microsoft plans to hide QR codes from external senders to reduce phishing risks.

Via Neowin