Dealing with unwanted Microsoft Teams meetings could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new update that changes how the service handles calls.
The video conferencing platform has revealed it is working on an upgrade that looks to offer call delegation for the first time, allowing users to choose someone to handle Microsoft Teams calls on their behalf.
In theory, the move should mean users are no longer bombarded with calls and meeting invitations - but could also open the door for more opportunistic users to hide themselves from Microsoft Teams calls for good.
Microsoft Teams call delegation
In its entry on the official Microsoft 365 roadmap, the update, simply named " Call delegation feature enhancements", details how a new shared line appearance will let a user choose a delegate to answer or handle calls on their behalf.
The new simplified experience is designed for users who have set up call delegation, with a new UI allowing delegates to easily switch between the different delegator lines they manage and view call history for the delegator’s line.
The company adds that delegators will be able to view and join active calls handled by the delegate, and grant delegates permission to join active calls.
The update will be available on the Microsoft Teams desktop app and Teams phone devices, although the latter will only apply to the Android app for the time being. Although listed as being "in development" at the time of writing, it has a scheduled rollout start date of August 2023, so users won't have too long to wait.
Analysis - a major time-saver?
For most of us, the ability to delegate or screen Microsoft Teams calls would be a huge boon, and many will be keen for this update to roll out sooner.
This is the latest in a series of recent Microsoft Teams updates aimed at making the service less intrusive for users of all levels.
This includes the ability to share a link for a specific message in a Microsoft Teams group chat, giving users a much simpler way to get the information they need, meaning users will no longer need to sift through reams of text hunting for the message they want.
However the platform also unveiled the ability for chat participants to mention everyone in a group all at once - a move which could definitely cause more problems than it solves.
Overall, as always, it will all depend on exactly how you want to use Microsoft Teams as a whole - one of the platform's biggest advantages is the ability to tailor it to your specific needs.
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