I know I am not alone when it comes to neglecting to use the new Teams client. I had a bad experience a couple months ago with the new Teams client and decided to revert back to the old one. Because of this many of us are hesitant to upgrade be on the latest and greatest; however, after March 31, 2024, classic Teams is going to be deprecated forcing users to be automatically updated. The only exception to this is Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) users, with an end of support on June 30, 2024. Microsoft Teams Room (MTR) and Surface Hub devices will remain unaffected as of now.
The Recently launched new Teams promises enhanced performance, reliability, security, and IT Management. Users are encouraged to update before the deadline to access exclusive features and capabilities. The new Microsoft Teams will be governed by the Modern Lifecycle Policy, ensuring regular updates for increasing performance and security. This is kind of coincidental because Microsoft Teams recently had two outages in three days, and Microsoft was hacked by ‘Midnight Blizzard’.
Microsoft does recommend Admins begin the transition before it is forced. They can control the transition using IT policies, allowing a seamless update. No additional user training is required, and admins can use bulk update options for efficient deployment. The post details steps for admins to prepare, ensuring a smooth transition to the improved Teams experience.
Below is a complete list of features that are new, have been changed, or are no longer available for your reference.
| Feature | Classic Teams | New Teams | Status |
| Follow User’s Presence | Allow users to follow another user’s presence, then notify them of availability | Select a user’s avatar or profile photo in new Teams to get an overview of their online status, calendar, work hours, etc. | Changed |
| Contacts in Chat | Contacts accessible from Chat | Contacts moved to the new People app | Changed |
| Windows Notifications | Notifications handled separately from Teams | Notifications fully served from Teams; preferences managed in Teams Settings | Changed |
| Teams Theme Setting | Teams Theme setting with no specific reference to OS Theme | Theme setting follows OS Theme by default; users can change in Teams Settings > Appearance and Accessibility | Changed |
| Settings Dialog | Teams Settings as a standalone dialog | Teams Settings is now an app accessed from More options menu in the title bar | Changed |
| General Appearance Changes | Colors, tooltip styles, and general appearance | Updated colors, tooltip styles, and general appearance | Changed |
| Adding Third-Party Cloud Storage from Files App | Add cloud storage from OneDrive app or Files tab | No “Add cloud storage” in the OneDrive app; add third-party storage app from the Teams App Store | Changed |
| Adding a Document Library App to a Tab in Channels | Document Library app present | Use Sharepoint app; existing libraries convert to SharePoint document library on first use | Changed |
| Edit Team Name and Change Team Picture | Edit team name and picture within the Edit team view | Team owners edit in the team Settings tab by selecting More options > Manage team | Changed |
| Files App on Teams Left Navigation Pane | Files app present on the left navigation pane | OneDrive app replaces the Files app on the left navigation pane | Changed |
| Use Tags in “Add Member” Dialog | Tags used in the “Add Member” dialog | Advanced flow for tags in the “Add Member” dialog | Changed |
| About Links in More Options Menu | About links available in the More options menu | About links moved to the Settings app under the About Teams category | Changed |
| Help in the App Bar | Help entrypoint in the app bar | Help entrypoint now located under the More options menu in the title bar | Changed |
| Organizational Chart Lookup in 1:1 Chat | Not mentioned | Lookup an organizational chart within the profile card | New Feature |
| LinkedIn Lookup in 1:1 Chat | Not mentioned | Lookup LinkedIn within the profile card | New Feature |
| Save Messages and Files | Save feature available | Save feature removed; users can download saved content to open in new Teams | No Longer Available |
| Post Level Notifications within a Channel | Users can opt in or out of post-level notifications | Users can no longer opt in or out of receiving notifications at a channel post level | No Longer Available |
| Search Box Commands | /activity, /files, /goto, /help, etc. | Certain commands no longer available in the new Teams search box | No Longer Available |
| Adding a Wiki to a Channel Tab | Wiki app present | No longer see a Wiki app; select the Notes app instead | No Longer Available |
| Activity Tab in Chat | Activity tab available | No longer available | No Longer Available |
| EDU Themed Team Avatar in Teams for Education | Choose EDU themed team avatar from a list in Edit team view | No longer available | No Longer Available |
| Sign Out from the Notification Area | Sign out available from the notification area on the taskbar | No longer available | No Longer Available |
| Build Teams Personal Apps Using Adaptive Cards | Ability to build personal apps using Adaptive Cards | No longer available | No Longer Available |
