Introducing the mobile optimized framework for Microsoft Teams apps

Supriti Bhan

December 13th, 20230 5

A new way to multitask with apps on Teams mobile

Imagine you are in a Microsoft Teams meeting on your mobile device, and you want to use an app to enhance your productivity or collaboration. Maybe you need to translate a document, create a poll, or access a dashboard. You launch the app from the Teams app store in meetings, but as soon as you switch back to the meeting screen, the app disappears. You lose your progress, your data, and your connection to the app. You feel frustrated and wonder why you can’t multitask with apps on Teams mobile.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many Teams mobile users and developers have faced this challenge of working with extensible platform apps, which are custom-built apps that integrate with Teams. These apps operate as external standalone entities within the Teams mobile app, and they do not persist when users navigate away from them. This limits the functionality and usability of these apps and prevents users from having a seamless and engaging experience. But don’t worry, we have some good news for you.

Teams mobile is introducing a new feature that will change the way you work with apps: the mobile optimized framework for apps. This feature will allow you to multitask between platform apps and Teams meetings, without losing any data or functionality. You will be able to swipe and carousel through the active apps and access them anytime during the meeting. You will also be able to use apps that run in the background and communicate with them in real-time. This feature will enhance your productivity, collaboration, and user experience on Teams mobile.

What does this mean for developers?

If you are a developer who creates extensible platform apps for Teams, you will benefit from this feature in many ways. You will be able to:

Enable your apps to run in the background, even when users are not actively using them. This will allow your apps to perform continuous processes such as sending notifications, updating data, or syncing with other apps.
Ensure that your apps persist across the Teams mobile environment, regardless of where users navigate. This will ensure data integrity and minimize disruptions to workflows.
Leverage the swipe and carousel gesture-based navigation system, which will allow users to swiftly switch between the meeting stage and your apps. This will increase user engagement and provide a fluid and efficient way to interact with your apps.

This is being offered as a platform feature for developers so you don’t need to write any code to receive this benefit.

What does this mean for end users?

If you are an end user who uses extensible platform apps on Teams mobile, you will also benefit from this feature in many ways. You will be able to:

Easily use apps along with meetings to get a seamless and delightful experience. You will be able to access the apps that you need, when you need them, without leaving the meeting screen.
Swipe and carousel through the active apps, which will include those launched or engaged with during the meeting. You will be able to effortlessly switch between meeting screens and active apps by using intuitive left or right swipes.
Use apps that run in the background and communicate with them in real-time. You will be able to receive notifications, update data, or sync with other apps, without interrupting your meeting.

How will this feature impact your work?

To illustrate how this feature will impact your work, let’s look at an example scenario. Suppose you are a partner who develops a multilingual and sign language interpretation app for Teams meetings. Your app allows users to translate speech and text in real-time and display them on the meeting screen. Currently, your app faces an issue where the translation functionality abruptly halts when users return to the meeting stage or access the meeting chat to engage with other participants while the meeting is in progress. This affects the quality and continuity of your app and frustrates your users.

With the new mobile optimized framework for apps, your app will be able to run in the background and persist across the Teams mobile environment. Your app will be able to translate speech and text continuously, and display them on the meeting screen, regardless of where users navigate. Your app will also be able to communicate with other apps, such as the meeting chat, and provide a seamless and integrated experience. Your app will be able to provide a high-quality and consistent service and delight your users.

When can you expect this feature?

This feature is currently in public preview and will be available on Android devices by 12/15/2023. iOS devices will follow soon after.

We are excited to bring this feature to you, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we do. We believe that this feature will revolutionize the way you work with apps on Teams mobile, and empower you to achieve more. Stay tuned for more updates and let us know what you think. We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.

Thank you for choosing Teams mobile, and happy multitasking!

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