Microsoft Teams 2.0 for Windows 10

Microsoft has been working on a redesigned version of Microsoft Teams for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Unlike the current desktop client, Microsoft Teams 2.0 is moving from the Electron to Edge Webview 2 and switching to React.js (open-source front-end JavaScript library) from Angular.

The brand new Teams client was first announced during the Windows 11 event and it is currently being referred to as “Teams 2.0”. With Microsoft Teams 2.0, Microsoft is planning to target consumers and make its popular video collaboration tool available on more devices.

Microsoft Teams 2.0 is based on Edge WebView2 and it will be initially exclusive to Windows 10 and Windows 11. With Edge WebView 2, Microsoft will be using embedded web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and Chromium rendering engine in Microsoft Teams.

Thanks to a leaked build, we have now managed to download and install an early preview of the brand new Microsoft Teams app.

Microsoft Teams 2.0 first look

Microsoft Teams first look

The new app is built around the Microsoft Teams web and it doesn’t look significantly different from the existing app or website, but it uses Edge (Chromium) WebView, which means Microsoft has removed the browser’s address bar and users can run Microsoft Teams in a separate window like the current desktop app.

The browser’s extension and main menu are also gone for a native app-like experience, but you can find traces of Edge browser when you right-click anywhere in the app’s window.

In our tests, we observed that Teams 2.0 is significantly faster than the current desktop app and it can run smoothly on lower-end devices with 4GB of RAM and Core i3 (10th-gen) without suffering major hits to their performance.

Teams chat screen

Teams memory usage has also dropped and overall performance is significantly better than than the current platform. In fact, Microsoft Teams can now launch instantly and it won’t get stuck on the loading screen, thanks to the Microsoft Edge background processes and WebView integration.

Another thing you’ll notice is the adaptive interface of the app. You can now easily resize the app’s window and the interface will automatically, which is not possible with the Electron app.

Microsoft has also enabled integration with all Windows 10 features, such as native notifications, including the upcoming Teams chat app in Windows 11.

This new Teams client has been designed with consumers and performance in mind, and it will offer an “always up-to-date nature” thanks to the use of Edge WebView. In other words, users can easily download and update the client

All necessary Microsoft Teams features are available in the new version, but advanced controls are currently missing. For example, the functionality of the together mode is limited and users cannot make changes to the noise cancellation settings.

The new web-based Teams client is currently under development and Microsoft will enable support for features like multiple accounts and improved PowerPoint integration in the coming weeks.

Microsoft will formally announce the new Teams experience in a few weeks.

About The Author

Mayank Parmar

Mayank Parmar is an entrepreneur who founded Windows Latest. He is the Editor-in-Chief and has written on various topics in his seven years of career, but he is mostly known for his well-researched work on Microsoft's Windows. His articles and research works have been referred to by CNN, Business Insiders, Forbes, Fortune, CBS Interactive, Microsoft and many others over the years.