Microsoft Teams meetings in your car? Finally, what we've all been asking for.
What you need to know
Microsoft Teams will soon support Android Auto, allowing you to join meetings from calendar view and speed dial your contacts.
The feature is currently in development and tentatively planned to release in February 2024.
Microsoft started working on support for Apple CarPlay at the beginning of 2023 shipped various CarPlay-related features in March and July.
Microsoft Teams will soon support Android Auto. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on your perspective and how much you want some time to yourself while driving. The feature will allow you to join meetings from calendar view, call contacts using speed dial, and see your recent calls from your Android phone.
The feature, which was spotted by TechRadar, appears on the Microsoft 365 roadmap. Support for Android Auto is in the works and penciled in for a February 2024 release. That date is only a guideline however, and Microsoft could push back support for Android Auto if the company needs more time.
The roadmap entry was first made on January 4, 2024. Work on Apple CarPlay support started in January 2023 and rolled out in phases starting in March and July depending on the feature. It seems Microsoft has seen value in supporting commuters and those in vehicles.
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A blessing or a curse?
Having constant access to tools like Microsoft Teams has its pros and cons. I've worked remotely for years, and being able to access Teams or similar apps such as Slack anywhere at any time provides flexibility. I can see an important ping when I'm away from my desk, which means I can be away from my desk working on other things sometimes.
Of course, a constant connection to work also comes with the drawback of being reachable more often. I think the flexibility afforded by virtual communication is worth it, but I've definitely had times I had to sign on outside of hours as news broke.
With Microsoft Teams support for Android Auto, those same pros and cons now extend to driving. You can now easily take a Teams call while commuting, running an errand, or grabbing lunch at a drive-thru. It also means your boss knows they can call you more often.
Of course, Android Auto support doesn't change how often you'll get messages and make calls directly, but if your colleagues know you are reachable in your car, you can expect to say goodbye to any reprieves from work while in your vehicle.
Android support lagging behind
Today's news causes a bit of frustration, at least for Android users. Microsoft started working on Apple CarPlay support in January 2023. The company added the ability to join meetings from calendar view in March and then added support for speed dial and recent calls in July.
It's not all Microsoft's fault, since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have different capabilities that expand independently. But for end users, it means that iPhone users have been able to use Apple CarPlay for months while Android users are left waiting.
While some will lament the rollout of Android Auto support because it means they will likely have to join more meetings, the feature does provide value. Otherwise, Microsoft wouldn't add support for Android Auto. For those that want to use the feature, the Android version of Teams lags behind its iOS counterpart by about one year.
