Discover Microsoft's Two-way lobby chat Teams: Efficient Communication before Meetings

Microsoft Teams continues to innovate and improve to enhance collaboration and communication within businesses and organizations. In June 2023, Microsoft will introduce a new feature: two-way lobby chat. This feature allows users, customers and guests to communicate with each other prior to a meeting, without the meeting ever having been started before. In this blog article, we discuss the benefits and uses of two-way lobby chat in Microsoft Teams.

What is two-way lobby chat?

Two-way lobby chat is a new feature in Microsoft Teams that allows you to chat with participants before a meeting begins. This means you can communicate with colleagues, clients and guests even before the meeting actually begins. This can be useful for discussing the agenda, sharing documents or preparing presentations.

Benefits of two-way lobby chat:

1. Enhanced communication: The two-way lobby chat improves communication between participants by providing a platform for everyone to talk to each other prior to the meeting.
2. Saving time: By communicating in advance, participants can clarify any questions or ambiguities before the meeting begins. This can help make more efficient use of meeting time.
3. Better preparation: With the ability to chat in advance, participants can share documents, presentations and other relevant information so that everyone is better prepared for the meeting.

Inclusiveness: The two-way lobby chat ensures that external participants, such as customers and guests, are also involved in meeting preparation, making them feel more engaged and valued.

How to use the two-way lobby chat:

1. Create a new meeting or open an existing meeting in Microsoft Teams.
2. Click on the "Chat" tab in the meeting invitation or meeting window.
3. Start chatting by typing a message in the chat window. All meeting participants, including guests, will have access to this chat and can participate join the conversation.
4. Use the chat feature to share documents, links or other relevant information with participants.
5. When the meeting begins, the lobby chat will continue and participants can continue to communicate.

What's next on the roadmap?

New features arrive weekly via the new Feedback Portal (UserVoice) in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. Evolutions and new announcements can always be accessed at: microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365.

In this Microsoft 365 roadmap you can access information about Microsoft Teams but also about: Excel, Microsoft Edge, Forms, OneDrive, Stream, Visio, Whiteboard, etc. Be sure to check out this page: Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365.