Microsoft’s redesigned Groups app is quicker and fewer of a reminiscence hog

Microsoft is overhauling Groups to make it quicker and simpler to make use of. In a printed Monday, the corporate mentioned Groups customers can sit up for a redesigned app that’s as much as two occasions quicker than the present launch, with duties like launching this system and becoming a member of video calls taking half as a lot time. The overhauled app additionally gives smoother scrolling whereas avoiding using placeholder property. On the identical time, Microsoft says the brand new Groups makes use of 50 p.c much less reminiscence.

Individually, the corporate has redesigned the interface to cut back the variety of clicks it takes to do issues like handle your notifications, seek for data and set up channels. It has additionally added extra strong authentication, synchronization and notification methods to make leaping between totally different accounts and tenants simpler.

Naturally, the brand new Groups will help AI options, beginning with the clever recap and Copilot ones Microsoft introduced earlier this yr, and with extra to return sooner or later. “We’ll use AI to take the work out of working collectively by getting you in control on what occurred earlier than you joined a gathering or chat and answering your questions all within the stream of the dialogue,” the corporate mentioned. “We’re solely simply starting to see the potential of AI inside Groups, and we may have tons extra to share sooner or later.” 

Not talked about in Microsoft’s weblog submit are the 3D avatars the corporate has been testing for greater than a yr. The corporate lately mentioned it anticipates these will develop into publicly out there someday in Might, so count on them to be a part of the brand new Groups expertise too. 

A public preview of the brand new Groups is rolling out on Home windows at the moment, with basic availability to comply with someday later this yr. A Mac preview ought to arrive earlier than the top of 2023 as effectively. In case your group makes use of Groups, your IT division might want to enroll you within the preview earlier than you possibly can check out the brand new expertise. Notably, the redesigned app will ship with a toggle on the high that may assist you to swap between the 2 variations of Groups. 

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