Microsoft's Strategic Move to Enhance Teams Compatibility
Microsoft has recently issued a notification within the Admin Center, addressing users regarding the future of the new Teams client on older versions of Windows 10 and 11. As part of this transition, users will soon experience prompts urging them to update their operating systems to maintain support. In a few months, the Teams application will no longer function for those on outdated systems.
Reasons Behind the Update Requirement
The rationale provided by Microsoft emphasizes the necessity for the Teams desktop client to operate on a supported operating system. This requirement is crucial for ensuring that users benefit from the latest updates, enhanced capabilities, improved performance, robust security features, and overall service compatibility. Operating systems that are significantly outdated will eventually lead to incompatibility with the Teams service, resulting in a temporary block of the desktop client until an update is performed.
Starting October 15, 2024, users of the new Teams desktop client will notice a banner prompting them to upgrade from unsupported operating systems to more recent versions. This change will impact customers using Windows 10 version 21H2 and earlier, Windows 10 and 11 LTSC (not under the Modern Lifecycle), as well as macOS 11. For those on macOS 12, the notification will appear one month later.
While Teams will continue to function on unsupported operating systems for a limited time, this will not last indefinitely. Specifically, operations will cease on Windows 10 version 21H2 and earlier by January 15, 2025. For Windows 10 and 11 LTSC users, the cutoff date is August 15, 2025. In terms of macOS, the new Teams will stop functioning on macOS 11 on November 15, 2024, and on macOS 12 by March 15, 2025.
Users attempting to launch the new Teams on unsupported operating systems will encounter a blocking page, which will require them to update their systems. This page will also include a link to a support page that elaborates on the situation. For those interested, the complete system requirements for the new Teams can be accessed through the provided link.
In light of these changes, Microsoft advises IT administrators to establish a regular cadence for operating system updates to prevent any disruptions in service. Additional details regarding the forthcoming compatibility changes for Teams can be found in notification MC898394 within the Admin Center.
