The End of Together Mode
Microsoft has announced that it is retiring Together Mode, a feature introduced during the pandemic to simulate a shared physical meeting space within Microsoft Teams. Together Mode uses AI to cut out participants' heads and shoulders and place them into a virtual environment, such as a conference room, auditorium, or coffee shop. The company says the decision is part of an effort to simplify the Teams experience, reduce fragmentation across platforms, and focus resources on improving core video quality, stability, and performance.
The feature was launched in 2020, at the height of remote work and virtual collaboration. Together Mode aimed to reduce the visual distractions of individual video tiles and create a sense of collective presence. Over time, however, many users found it gimmicky, especially when combined with virtual high fives, shoulder taps, and other interactive elements. Microsoft's move to retire it comes as the company rethinks which features truly add value to productivity.
Why Microsoft Is Making This Change
According to Microsoft, the retirement of Together Mode is driven by several factors. First, the company wants to streamline the user interface. With numerous viewing options—Gallery, Large Gallery, Together Mode, and others—users often experienced confusion about which mode to use. The new direction is toward a more integrated and intuitive meeting experience with fewer clicks and less cognitive load.
Second, Microsoft is prioritizing reliability and performance. Together Mode required significant computational resources, both on the client side and on the server, to process the AI segmentation and rendering. By removing this feature, the company can allocate those resources to improving real-time video quality, reducing latency, and ensuring smoother meetings across all platforms, including mobile, desktop, and web.
Third, the decision addresses platform fragmentation. Different operating systems and device types had varying support for Together Mode. For example, the feature was not available on Linux or older macOS versions. Eliminating it allows for a more consistent experience, which is increasingly important as Microsoft pushes Teams as the backbone of enterprise communication.
What This Means for Users
The retirement will be rolled out gradually. Users will notice that the Together Mode toggle disappears from the meeting view menu. Additionally, specific features like scenes (e.g., auditorium, conference room) and seat assignments will be removed. Existing recordings or features that relied on Together Mode backgrounds will gradually cease to render in that mode. Microsoft recommends that users who enjoyed Together Mode explore other available options, such as custom backgrounds, background blur, and the new Front Row layout for meetings.
For organizations that have heavily integrated Together Mode into their meeting culture, the transition may require some adaptation. However, since the feature was largely cosmetic, most workflows will not be disrupted. Meeting organizers can still control who is visible and how participants are displayed, but all participants will now default to standard video tiles or available layouts.
A Look Back at Together Mode's Impact
When Together Mode was first announced, it was a fresh attempt to humanize remote meetings. The pandemic had forced millions into video calls, and many experienced fatigue from staring at grids of faces. Together Mode tried to mimic the experience of sitting together in a room, which for some teams, helped maintain a sense of community. The AI segmentation was also a technical achievement, allowing real-time background removal without a green screen.
However, as remote work normalized and hybrid models emerged, the novelty wore off. Users reported that the feature sometimes created awkward spatial layouts or misaligned heads, and the extra processing sometimes caused lower frame rates or increased battery drain on laptops. Many organizations found that standard Gallery or Large Gallery modes sufficed for most meetings. The virtual high fives and shoulder taps were rarely used after the first few weeks.
Competitors like Zoom had similar features, such as Immersive View, which also allowed placing participants in a shared background. Zoom has since focused on more practical enhancements like AI companion tools and enhanced noise suppression. The broader trend in video conferencing is moving away from flashy gimmicks toward core improvements: better audio, adaptive video resolution, and AI-based meeting summaries.
Microsoft's Broader Teams Strategy
This retirement is part of a larger rationalization of Microsoft Teams features. In recent years, Microsoft has killed off or simplified other features, such as the original Together Mode scenes, the Pop-out meeting windows, and several background customization options. The company is increasingly focusing on AI integration, such as Copilot for Teams, which provides meeting transcripts, recap summaries, and action items. The goal is to make Teams less cluttered and more intelligent.
Microsoft has also been working on improving the performance of Teams, especially after criticisms in 2020-2021 about excessive memory usage and poor performance on low-end devices. Recent updates have optimized memory, improved CPU usage, and introduced hardware acceleration for video. The removal of Together Mode aligns with these performance goals.
Furthermore, Microsoft is aligning Teams with the overall Microsoft 365 suite. The company wants Teams to feel seamless across Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive. A leaner, faster Teams with fewer distracting options helps drive adoption of the entire ecosystem. The focus on video quality and stability also serves enterprise customers who rely on Teams for critical communications, such as all-hands meetings, client calls, and support sessions.
Technical Details and Timeline
Microsoft has not provided an exact timeline for the complete removal of Together Mode, but the rollout has already begun. The change is server-side, meaning users do not need to update the Teams client. Once the update reaches a tenant, the Together Mode toggle will no longer appear. Some users may still see the feature for a short period during the transition, but it will eventually be fully disabled. No new scenes or seat assignments will be created.
For administrators, there are no specific actions required. However, IT departments may want to communicate the change to end users to avoid confusion. Microsoft also noted that the underlying AI technology used for Together Mode will not disappear entirely; the same segmentation technology is used for custom backgrounds and background blur, which will remain.
Industry Reactions and Future Outlook
Reactions to the news have been mixed. Some users express nostalgia, remembering the early pandemic days when Together Mode felt novel. Others celebrate the removal, saying it reduces clutter and improves performance. Industry analysts see this as a smart move: removing a feature that few used regularly allows Microsoft to concentrate on what matters most—reliable, high-quality video calls.
Looking ahead, Microsoft is likely to double down on AI-powered features that enhance productivity rather than engagement gimmicks. The company has already previewed features like Speaker Coach, which provides real-time feedback on speaking habits, and Live Captions in multiple languages. These tools align with the trend toward making meetings more efficient and inclusive.
In summary, the retirement of Together Mode marks the end of an era for Teams—an era defined by pandemic-era experimentation. Microsoft's decision reflects a maturation of the video conferencing market, where stability and simplicity often trump flashy innovations. Users can expect a cleaner, faster Teams experience, with more resources dedicated to the features that truly matter for daily collaboration.
Source: The Verge News