European users will be able to uninstall Microsoft Teams Chat
This feature might be completely removable in the future
- Teams users in Europe might soon be able to completely remove the Teams Chat.
- That doesn't mean this measure won't extend to the US, as a further safety measure.
- For the moment, you can only remove Chat from the taskbar, not from the system.
There’s no denying the fact that, despite its huge popularity, not everyone is a Microsoft Teams fan and many don’t want anything to do with the software.
On that note, Microsoft may let you uninstall Chat, which is a Microsoft Teams for consumer feature, and remove it from Windows Settings.
Speaking of teams, we can show you how to create easy visuals, or maybe how to use the AI-based intelligent recap, if that is something you need.
Will we be able to uninstall the Teams Chat?
In truth, this strategic move could be done in order to avoid the threat of antitrust investigation by European Union regulators.
Note that the unannounced change is hidden in Windows 11 preview builds released in May, and it could begin rolling out to production soon.
Even though it’s already possible to unpin Teams Chat from the taskbar, you cannot remove it from the operating system entirely.
It is also pretty important to understand that unpinning Chat from the taskbar does not remove the feature, as it still lives inside the taskbar and settings but is hidden.
The Redmond-based tech giant will soon let you remove the feature entirely, including from the Settings app.
If you didn’t know, this is based on the references found in the preview builds. Another reference suggests the ability to remove Chat could be linked to a new geographical API.
Could this actually mean Microsoft may unbundle Teams only in select regions? Nobody knows the answer yet, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
In case you weren’t aware, Teams Chat was announced with much hype at Windows 11’s October 2021 event.
The feature was integrated into Windows 11 Shell/taskbar and offers a user-friendly experience, allowing anyone to connect with friends and family outside of work for free.
You should know that Teams isn’t popular in the consumer space as people prefer Meta products such as WhatsApp and Facebook to communicate with friends or families.
Teams Chat, which failed to gain traction in the consumer market, was part of a broader effort by Microsoft to remain relevant with consumers.
So, instead of rebranding Teams, Microsoft changed the Teams app and added features for people looking to chat.
Now that Microsoft appears to be testing a new feature or option to remove Chat from the operating system, users wonder if everyone will have the possibility to do it.
There have been references to Remove Chat that have been spotted hidden in Windows 11 preview builds rolled out in May.
The company currently allows users to remove the Chat shortcut pinned to the taskbar simply, so the Remove Chat command seems to go a step further.
Allegedly, this seems to be an attempt to avoid potential antitrust scrutiny from the European Union regulators and may soon be implemented in the production version.
We’ll keep a close eye on the matter and report back once new details are available. Be sure to leave a comment below with your thoughts and opinions.
