Announced by Microsoft on Monday, Microsoft says personal features will help users connect more easily in the service they already use. It uses a lot of the same functions as the business side of Teams and will offer several easy-to-access communication options, including the ability to video call and create group chats similar to the work chats you may already use on the program. The new options are available for free, and the company hopes that people who already use Teams for work will find it easy to invite their friends, family, and other contacts into the app. On top of offering video calls and chat groups, Teams’ personal version will allow you to make plans, create polls, and share to-do lists. You then can assign certain users to those tasks, making it easier to keep track of things like chores, trip planning, and more. “Let’s face it, organizing plans with friends and family—even something simple—can often be a giant pain. You have to coordinate across multiple apps to manage everyone’s calendars, track tasks, share relevant documents, and so on,” Liat Ben-Zur, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of modern life, search, and devices, wrote in the announcement. “Teams makes all of that easier because you can now manage tasks both big and small without ever leaving your chats.” Personal features are available worldwide starting May 17, though some features like SMS chat will roll out slowly to different parts of the world over time. Microsoft also has announced that it is removing some of the free limitations on video and group calls, allowing up to 300 participants to talk for 24 hours without having to worry about any interruptions.
