Microsoft has added a mute and unmute button to the Windows 11 taskbar, which is for Teams Chat, in place of Windows 10.
See also: Windows 11's God Mode allows advanced settings
The mute/unmute button should be useful for workers who regularly meet in Teams and use Windows PCs. It's available to Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel in build 22494.
Microsoft also notes in a blog postthat this version addresses “some significant bugs” and also adds a few known issues to its list of glitches.
Teams is now front and center for Microsoft in its push to build collaboration platforms for hybrid working. Hence the addition of a Teams chat shortcut in Windows 11, while Skype is being sidelined from Windows, but it's still there.
«Starting with Microsoft Teams today, you'll find a microphone icon automatically added to your taskbar when you're actively participating in a call. You can see the audio status of your call, which app has access to your microphone, and you'll be able to mute and unmute your call at any time.»
See also: Microsoft: New extension API released for Microsoft Edge
Soon, all Windows 11 users will see a microphone icon appear immediately in the taskbar, which remains throughout a call, even when multiple windows are open on a screen. The icon is coming to business and school users first, so it may take a while for all Windows 11 consumers to see it.
Before the official release of Windows 11 on October 5, Microsoft was working to fix persistent glitches in the taskbar and Start menu in Windows 11.
There are also fixes for File Explorer, Search, and Import. A search bug caused the Windows index to use excessive memory and CPU when using the Outlook email client, for example.
See also: Microsoft Loop app: Keeps projects in sync across Microsoft 365
Users with ARM64-based computers, such as the Surface Pro X, should notice fewer crashes in Teams in the latest Dev Channel builds.
Microsoft has imposed strict minimum hardware requirements on Windows 11, but last week it began increasing availability to devices it deemed eligible for the upgrade.
