Main Highlights:
- The Walkie Talkie feature in Microsoft Teams is now available to all users of the communications app.
- Walkie Talkie enables Microsoft Teams members to transform their smartphones or tablets into walkie-talkies that communicate via cellular data or Wi-Fi.
- Microsoft has targeted frontline employees who engage with consumers and run firms’ day-to-day operations.
- The software company is teaming up with Zebra Technologies to integrate a specialized push-to-talk button into a range of Zebra mobile devices.
Microsoft Teams’ Walkie Talkie functionality is now available to all users of the communications app. Walkie Talkie enables users of Microsoft Teams to transform their smartphones or tablets into a walkie-talkie capable of communicating over cellular data or Wi-Fi. It was announced two years ago and has been in preview mode since then.
Microsoft has targeted this mostly at frontline personnel, interacting with customers and managing day-to-day operations within businesses. Additionally, the software developer collaborates with Zebra Technologies to include a specialized push-to-talk button into various Zebra mobile devices. These devices are commonly utilized by frontline workers, who have assisted in navigating the world through the ongoing pandemic.
Walkie-talkie capabilities are still uncommon in communications applications. WhatsApp allows users to record audio clips that can be transmitted and received, and Slack released its Discord-like Huddles tool last year to allow users to join and exit calls seamlessly. In 2018, Apple launched its walkie-talkie capability on the Apple Watch, utilizing push-to-talk over a FaceTime Audio conversation.
If you are new to Teams, here you can learn how to use Teams App
- To get started, log in to Microsoft Teams
On Windows, open the Start menu and select Microsoft Teams from the drop-down menu. Click Microsoft Teams in the Applications folder on your Mac. Tap the Teams icon on your phone’s screen. With your Microsoft 365 credentials, log in. Use your Team’s free username and password to log in.
- Second, join a team or channel
People, talks, files, and tools are all contained within a single team. A channel refers to a discussion focused on a specific department, project, or subject in a group.
Select a team by going to Teams >>> Explore Posts, Files, and any other tabs by selecting a channel from the drop-down menu.
- A Channel Must Be Create
Add a channel by searching for the team name and selecting More options > Add channel from the menu. Add a track by clicking the Manage team button and selecting the Channels tab from the drop-down menu.
- Create a Private Channel
Select More choices >>> from the drop-down menu next to the Team for building a private channel. Add a track by clicking here >>> Enter your channel name and description here >>> Right-click on Privacy, then select Private – Accessible only to a selected group of team members >>> from the drop-down menu. Activate the Add option by clicking on it.
- Start a Dialogue
Group and one-on-one talks can be started: Go to the top of the list of chats and select New chat >>> Enter the name of the individual or group >>> Fill out the form below to send us a message >>> And then click Send.
A message for the entire Team can be sent using this method. Please select a team >>> Team and channel selection >>> To send a message, type it in the box provided, then click Send.
- Formatting of Messages
You can format messages in a variety of ways. Select Format from the drop-down menu beneath the box where you construct your message >>> Select the text you wish to format >>> When finished, click Send.
- Include Colleagues in the Conversation
In the upper right corner of Teams, click Add people (or View and add participants in a group chat) >>> Enter the names of the people you’d want to communicate with >>> Select chat history to include >>> And click Add.