Microsoft starts rolling out new Calling experience in Teams

Microsoft Teams is finally receiving the much-awaited enhanced Calling experience that has been in the works since last year. This update is currently rolling out to the desktop version of Teams, as spotted by MVP Paul Bloem.

The new Calling app has been designed to streamline the whole calling experience on Windows 10 and macOS, making it easier for users to initiate or return a call with a single click. After updating the Teams desktop app, users will see a calling layout showing all important features, including contacts, calling history, voicemail, and speed dial, in a dedicated tab. This app will work with Apple CarPlay, a new capability that Microsoft announced back in December 2020.

The long anticipated #MicrosoftTeams Calling layout is here! So much simpler, everything you need without jumping to different tabs. Call forwarding options set from the same pane, no more multiple clicking to expose the Calls option buried in settings. Well worth the wait! pic.twitter.com/BK5XWxvtly

— Paul Bloem (@PaulB_NZ) May 11, 2021

As is usually the case with Teams feature rollouts, this one too seems to be rolling out gradually, and it’s not available for everyone just yet. As for the general availability, the deployment of this update is expected to be complete by the end of this month.

In case you missed it, Microsoft has announced that the Teams collaboration service is getting support for interactive webinars for up to 1,000 attendees and PowerPoint Live this week. In addition to Webinars, Presenter mode will also roll out to Teams users later this month.