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Zoom may be the preferred choice for video conferencing in our world of COVID-19 battles. But rival options like Microsoft Teams and Google Meet continue to add features of their own that appeal to families looking for ways to stay connected. And it’s possible that Microsoft just added a feature that many users will adopt for socially distanced vacation gatherings.
Teams at Microsoft have added a new all-day video calling option that you can use for free. Users can open the Microsoft Teams app on desktops, browsers, or mobile devices and leave it open all day for up to 300 friends and family to join while they’re active.
Participants joining the call don’t need a Microsoft account or Teams app, just a browser and a link to the conversation started by someone who has signed up for Teams. That means chatting for free, all day, with no need for anyone to download anything extra – one of the biggest hurdles sometimes when it comes to bringing people together.
All you need to do to host a Microsoft Teams meeting is open a room through the new Teams web destination, sign in with a Microsoft account, and then share the link to your new room with friends and family. From there, everyone can join without any of the added hassles that inevitably come from signing up for a new service.
Microsoft Teams now offers the longest calling option currently available among video conferencing services, and you can understand the timing of this launch so close to the holidays. Zoom generally imposes a 40 minute call limit that gets up on Thanksgivingand Google Meet usually offers 60 minutes. Other services, such as Skype, do not require users to disconnect after a certain period of time, but many users seem to be interested in using these conferencing services that have seen a boom since the coronavirus pandemic forced us to take refuge. in the place.
In addition to allowing large-scale calls, Microsoft Teams will also help users organize up to 49 friends and family in a gallery view through its Together Mode feature. This allows you to see everyone side by side in a virtual area designed to help everyone feel like they are in a large room together.
It’s no secret that the holidays are fast approaching, and with so many users already logging into Zoom every day, Microsoft, Google, and other platforms are quickly looking for ways to bring others to their video conferencing software. Microsoft offering this large-scale video calling option for free is a smart move, especially since the CDC discourages Thanksgiving gatherings this year.
