Table of Contents
Teams Video Messages Can Use Blurring or Images as a Background Effect for Clips Recorded on iOS client
Teams introduced the ability to send one-minute-long video messages in chat in September 2022. The process uses Stream components to record the clip (and trim to the required length) before posting. Everything works, but the increasing use of mobile devices means that people want to be able to communicate on the go using any device, which brings us to message center notification MC718553 (last updated 27 March 2024, Microsoft 365 roadmap item 380852).
MC718553 announces the ability to record video clips on Apple iOS devices with limited background effects. Unlike Teams background effects used by the desktop and browser clients, the iOS client uses images stored in the device’s photo library. Before they record a video clip, users can choose to paint their background with an image or two types (light and heavy) blur. The one-minute limit for clip length remains in force.
Microsoft expects to complete roll-out of the new feature by May 2024 to commercial, GCC, GCC High, and DoD tenants.
Requirements for Teams Video Messages
I’m no video expert and I seldom use videos in chat. It seems easier to write down what I need to say and move on. However, I recognize that the world is changing, and many find it easier and more productive to express themselves in a quick video. The world’s big enough to accommodate all sorts, which brings us back to how to make a video clip.
You can only send a video message if the AllowVideoMessages setting in the Teams messaging policy governing your account is true. If not, you’re limited to sending photos from mobile devices. Administrators can check in the Teams Admin Center (Figure 1) or by running the Get-CsTeamsMessagingPolicy cmdlet:
Get-CsTeamsMessagingPolicy | Format-Table identity, allowvideomessages Identity AllowVideoMessages -------- ------------------ Global True Tag:Default True Tag:EduFaculty True Tag:EduStudent True
You can post Teams video messages to chats and channel conversations. At this point, I think this is the only way to post a video message to a channel conversation.
Making One-Minute Clips
The magic begins when a user selects the Teams camera next to the message compose box when replying to a chat or channel conversation. The right-hand icon exposes options to select an image or one of the two types of blurs. You can change the image during filming if you’re quick and dexterous enough to do this kind of thing without making a complete mess of the video.
Eventually, the right background image is combined with the right position for the message sender (Figure 2), and everything is ready to record the video clip. Click on the canvas (where the background image and your face are combined) to reveal the video controls and click the record button to start. Keep talking until the minute’s up or you run out of words to say. If the length of the clip exceeds a minute, you’ll need to trim it to get under the maximum length. Send the message and Teams adds it to the target chat or conversation.
Figure 3 shows the result of a video clip sent from an iPhone playing in a channel conversation. I was able to post to standard, private, and shared channels. Unlike chats, where Teams stores the video files in its own store, clips sent to channels end up as MP4 files in the SharePoint folder for the channel. Clips posted to channel conversations use the Stream player for playback.
Like the previous iteration of video messages, the […] menu allows chat participants and channel members to download either the transcript or the video.
Compliance Still an Issue for Teams Video Messages
When Microsoft introduced video messages, I pointed out that the compliance records captured for these messages didn’t include any metadata that might be useful to eDiscovery investigators. It is entirely possible to send video clips that convey threatening or abusive content, plan illegal operations, or reveal sensitive or confidential information, all of which is ignored by communications compliance policies and data loss prevention policies, and invisible to eDiscovery searches.
I pointed this issue out to Microsoft in 2022 and suggested that some form of transcription might help. That suggestion appears to have fallen on deaf ears. I’m used to being ignored.
Insight like this doesn’t come easily. You’ve got to know the technology and understand how to look behind the scenes. Benefit from the knowledge and experience of the Office 365 for IT Pros team by subscribing to the best eBook covering Office 365 and the wider Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
One Reply to “Teams Adds Background Effects for Mobile Video Messages”