
Microsoft has announced a new feature for its Microsoft Teams desktop client that will help users stay transparent in the era of endless instant messaging.
The company hopes to introduce the ability to delete chat threads in its video conferencing software by the end of the year, claiming a general availability target of December 2022.
In the entry on Microsoft Action Plan (opens in a new tab)the description reads “users can permanently remove entire conversations from their view”.
This should help employees filter out unused message threads so they can better highlight important conversations.
Delete messages in Teams
Microsoft says it “doesn’t affect what other users see in the chat.” In other words, any conversations deleted on your end will remain unaltered on the other participant’s end, so that messages remain easy to access if they need them.
For now, the ability to delete conversations will be available on desktop versions of the popular online collaboration app, including Mac devices. There’s no word on a mobile rollout, although it’s possible that this will be added at a later date.
In an effort to make Teams the most competitive platform for businesses, in the face of increasing competition from the likes of Zoom and Google Meet, Microsoft is constantly adding new features to its roadmap, hinting at upcoming additions.
Microsoft, due out in early 2023, also hopes to add group room support to Android devices, which should appeal to the large number of employees who need access to meetings on the go.
For now, both features are set to the “in development” stage, as planned by the company, with the “deployment” and full “launch” stages yet to come.