Microsoft Teams will be enhanced with Real-Time Texting in meetings and calls

Microsoft will enhance Teams with a peculiar feature, to say the least: Real-Time Text (RTT).

According to a recent entry to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, Real-Time Text (RTT) is a feature that lets people type during a meeting. Their text shows up instantly for everyone to see. At the same time, the spoken words of others in the meeting are written down automatically as subtitles.

Microsoft says this helps everyone communicate smoothly—whether someone prefers typing instead of talking, finds speaking hard, or wants to use text for any reason. It’s designed to make meetings easier and more inclusive for all.

Here’s the feature’s description:

Real-Time Text (RTT) lets participants type in the meeting while others’ speech is transcribed in real time. Whether for accessibility reasons or simply a preference to chime in via text, RTT ensures seamless, instant communication for everyone. It enables effective collaboration for all users, including those who prefer typing over speaking, and can be especially useful in situations where speaking is difficult or not possible.

The Redmond-based tech giant says the enhancement will be available in May. However, the company is not saying whether the new setting is optional, and it might unveil more when the feature is out.

Why is this important? Well, the description implies that the other users can see what you’re typing even though you haven’t sent the message, which means users will have to be extra careful when writing messages in Teams calls from now on.

What do you think about this?

In other news, Microsoft Teams will soon allow organizers to decide when to show shared content to attendees.