Showing how you really feel about your latest Microsoft Teams calls is set to finally be a lot more inclusive thanks to a new update.
The video conferencing service has revealed it is working on a change that will give users the option to select their preferred skin tone for Microsoft Teams reactions.
Although only a minor tweak to the platform itself, the change is an important signal from Microsoft Teams as it looks to offer a more inclusive environment for workers everywhere.
Microsoft Teams reactions
First introduced in January 2021, Microsoft Teams reactions give users a quick and easy way to show their approval (or not) to chat messages and on calls, covering a range of emojis and symbols such as a thumbs up, frowning face or even a love heart.
Previously, only a single skin tone option has been available, however Microsoft's new update will now change all that.
In an entry on the official Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company notes, "This preference will be applied to all emojis and reactions in chats, channels, and desktop/web meetings, allowing users to express themselves more authentically in conversations."
The feature is currently listed as being "in development", which a scheduled rollout start date of June 2024. It is set to be available for users across the world, on all platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
The update is the latest in a series of changes recently released for Microsoft Teams allowing users to show a little more personality in their calls and chats.
This includes a "unified fun picker" which brings together stickers, GIFs and more into a single location, hopefully making it a lot quicker to bring some joy to your Microsoft Teams calls and meetings, meaning you will no longer need to search around for the best reaction or emoji to brighten up a meeting.
Microsoft Teams has also launched virtual avatars, offering users more customization options while also livening up the look and feel of calls, alongside new visual effects including animated frames and video hue altering, on top of existing tools that allow users to blur backgrounds and soften the video feed to mask and obscure blemishes.
