Whether you’re working from home or have already returned to the office, video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams has proven to be an excellent way to stay connected with co-workers and clients.
However, video calls can quickly drain the battery of your smartphone or laptop and they use a lot more data when compared to an email, text message or phone call.
Poor network connectivity can also lead to a bad experience when using Teams and this is especially true on Windows 10 which consumes more data than mobile devices.
While Microsoft added an offline mode to Teams late last year that allows users to queue messages to be sent later, the software giant is also working on a new low data mode feature that is scheduled to arrive soon.
Low data mode
In a new update to its Microsoft 365 Roadmap, Microsoft has provided additional details on how its low data mode feature will work in Teams when it’s released later this month.
Whether you want to save data on your mobile device or have to take a meeting in a location with a poor network connection, the feature will allow you to limit the amount of data used during a video call.
Teams’ low data mode will allow users to cap the amount of data that will be used during video calls but they’ll also be able to establish different settings based on network availability. For instance, if you know you’ll be traveling to a remote place, you can adjust the settings in Teams beforehand to ensure that your video calls are still clear even when you have limited network connectivity.
When Microsoft’s new low data mode feature arrives in Teams, it will be available on both mobile and desktop so that employees can work from anywhere without disruptions during their video calls.