Microsoft has been busy with new features for Teams to improve hybrid work, and the company has just announced that they will be updating their video calling platform with new animated backgrounds. This will be the biggest update yet to their virtual background collection, and while new still backgrounds are available now, the all-new animated collection is slated for June.
See also: Microsoft adding 3D avatars for Teams if you’d rather not be on camera
In the blog post that announced the new feature, the design team breaks down the different categories that will be available, and their intended focuses. The “in the zone” category is reserved for backgrounds that are more realistic and calming, while the “escape artist” category is for backgrounds that blend the impossible with reality to create a sense of awe and wonder.
“Featuring all-new images, the reimagined visual library for Teams has been thoughtfully designed to represent the people that use them and how they work best,” the design team says. “Looking at the popularity of certain images, we noticed that customers are equally enthusiastic about being depicted in fun and imaginative scenes as they are being portrayed in realistic spaces like a coworking space, office, or home.”
