Microsoft Teams Integrate Snap Lens

Following Avatars for Teams, the leading collaboration platform gains new immersive features

3
Microsoft Teams Integrate Snap Lens
Augmented RealityLatest News

Published: April 11, 2023

Rgreenerheadshot

Rory Greener

This week, Microsoft Teams will debut AR filters from social media platform Snap giving its massive enterprise user-base access to fun virtual environments to dial in from.

The project partners will debut more than 20 AR filters to help dispersed Teams users to stay engaged during a video call.

Microsoft Teams is leveraging Snap’s Camera Kit to secure platform users with the filters. The kit uses Teams’ cameras, sensors, and display technology stacks to deliver virtual worlds and assets which appear around the user.

Microsoft first introduced immersive features such as avatars to Teams earlier this month, increasing flexibility for video meetings.

The move is part of Microsoft’s effort to avoid issues with remote working, like video call fatigue, by offering immersive options that keep employees engaged without requiring them to appear on camera.

In addition, eliminating the requirement for a video makes dialling in even more adaptable for employees. A worker who cannot share a video feed because of a poor internet connection or a bad working environment can still participate using immersive features and audio-only dial-on options.

Using Snap Lenses on Microsoft Teams

The Snap lens integration comes as Microsoft looks to battle video call fatigue while improving remote worker engagement using immersive tools and solutions.

To use Snap lens on Teams, a worker must choose the following options ahead of a video call:

  1. Chose video effects before a meeting starts
  2. Click the “More Video Effects” option
  3. In the right pane, scroll down and choose “Snapchat” under the “Filters” category
  4. Navigate the Filters menu to manage and select a favourite lens
  5. Join the Teams meeting, ready for a Teams video call

How to Use Avatars for Microsoft Teams

To leverage Microsoft’s immersive service today, including the Snap filters, users must follow various steps to set up their Teams application so it’s ready for public preview participation.

Users do need to undergo an application period to become a Team public preview member. The Teams public preview space is easily accessible via admin tools and requests.

So, here are the steps:

  1. Open the Microsoft Teams application (and make sure the service is up to date!)
  2. To the left of the user’s profile picture, Teams has a ‘Settings’ tab. Users must select this option.
  3. In the Settings menu, the user must choose ‘About’ and ‘Public Preview.’
  4. Following step four, Teams will present users with a ‘switch to public preview’ pop-up box for approval.
  5. Done! After this, a Teams user can start accessing the Avatar system and Microsoft’s list of public preview early access features.

Although, if a user is accessing Teams via a work or school account, an administrator must allow access to the Teams public preview option.

Building an Avatar on Teams

Moreover, Teams users can customize their workplace avatar to represent themselves best.

To build a workplace avatar, a user must access the “Avatars for Teams” integrated application available for users via the service’s native application storefront. Users must search for “Avatars” by clicking the “Apps” icon on the Teams landing page.

After downloading, users can select from the integrated first and third-party services menu to access the “Avatars for Teams” app.

Users can immediately edit and personalize their workplace avatars when they open “Avatars for Teams.” To create a brand-new enterprise avatar, users can select the “+” symbol on the right side of the application.

Users can then customize a new avatar. In addition, users can duplicate an existing avatar to modify it to meet various expectations for digital communication. Users can also select the “customize” option by clicking on the desired digital persona in order to edit an existing avatar without duplicating it.

AvatarImmersive CollaborationImmersive ExperienceVisualization

Brands mentioned in this article.

Featured

Share This Post