This new Microsoft Teams feature may be its most useful yet

Microsoft Teams
(Image credit: Microsoft)

A useful noise-canceling feature that has been available to Microsoft Teams desktop users for a few weeks now will soon be coming to mobile devices, the company has confirmed.

The feature uses artificial intelligence to filter out unwanted noise, meaning you can hear your fellow meeting participants more clearly.

“Whether it be multiple meetings occurring in a small space, children playing loudly nearby, or construction noise outside of your home office, unwanted background noise can be distracting in Teams meetings,” the Microsoft Teams blog explained. “We are excited to announce that you will have the ability to remove unwelcome background noise during your calls and meetings with our new AI-based noise suppression option.”

Although this feature was launched for the Windows version of Teams last month, Microsoft has only now confirmed that it will be coming to Android and iOS mobile devices. The Redmond-based firm revealed that macOS users will also receive the feature at some point in the new year.

Making the right noises

Although video conferencing services like Microsoft Teams, as well as rivals such as Zoom, WebEx, and Google Meet, have enabled work and education to continue in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, there have still been challenges associated with many of these digital solutions. One of these is so-called ‘Zoom fatigue.’ Undoubtedly, being unable to clearly hear one another during video calls is a major factor behind some people’s distaste for numerous video meetings.

In order to access the new Teams feature, simply select “noise suppression” from the drop-down menu. Teams will then analyze your audio feed to identify unwanted noise and suppress it. Of course, if you find that the feature isn’t working well, it can just as easily be switched off again.

The addition of a noise-canceling option for mobile users is just the latest new feature to come to Microsoft Teams. In recent months, the platform has also gained a 49-person Large Gallery view and Outlook integration.

Via Windows Latest

Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things.