Microsoft Teams Meetings Boosted with New Zoom Controls for Improved Screen Sharing

Microsoft has introduced a new feature for Microsoft Teams that enhances screen sharing capabilities by providing zoom controls. This update enables participants in Teams meetings and calls to zoom in and out while viewing shared content.

Previously, Microsoft Teams allowed meeting attendees to use pinch-to-zoom gestures on trackpads or other shortcuts to view content like Excel Spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations. The addition of zoom controls will particularly benefit individuals with low vision or visual impairments.

According to the Office Insider team, users in a Teams call or meeting will now have access to new buttons for zooming in, zooming out, and restoring the original size of the shared screen. This significant enhancement will greatly improve the viewing experience for users.

To utilize the zoom controls, IT admins are required to enroll in the Microsoft Teams public preview program and configure an update policy within the Microsoft Teams admin center. However, it is important to note that meeting participants using the watermarking feature during Teams meetings will not be able to access the zoom controls.

At present, the zoom controls feature is only available on the Microsoft Teams app for Windows, macOS, and web. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft intends to incorporate zoom controls into the Teams mobile clients.

In related news, Microsoft is preparing to make the new Teams 2.0 client the default experience on Windows later this year. Anupam Pattnaik, Microsoft Product Lead for Teams 2.0, confirmed in the initial episode of Petri's UnplugIT podcast that the app will also be released in preview for macOS, web, and other platforms later this year.

Microsoft Teams 2.0 was introduced to the public in March 2023 and has been rebuilt from scratch to enhance performance and reduce power consumption on Windows devices.