Microsoft Teams is retiring one of its more recognizable meeting features, and it might be for the best. The company announced that Together Mode is going away in Teams as Microsoft is shooting towards a simpler set of meeting layouts.

To recall, Together Mode was introduced during the pandemic-era video call boom, placing participants inside shared virtual environments such as auditoriums or classrooms. It was a cute idea at the time, but it never became the everyday meeting view for most people.

Why Together Mode is being removed

In the official announcement, Microsoft stated that the change is part of an effort to streamline meeting layouts and make Teams easier to use. So rather than keeping Together Mode as a separate experience, Teams is simplifying layout options built around how people actually meet. The new approach, replacing the existing setup, brings a cleaner Gallery layout, along with streamlined views for meetings where someone is presenting or sharing content.

The main focus is on clearing up the clutter and making the meeting stage easier to understand at a glance, and not having to pick and choose between many visual modes. It worked best when everyone had cameras on, and the meeting had the right number of participants. So, this became more like a novelty than a useful default.

This update also arrives as the company is making various other changes on the platform. A new mic test feature is in the works, along with a privacy-first Copilot recaps. Microsoft even moved the raise hand button recently so users can stop accidentally hitting it.

Microsoft wants meetings to look clean

The new layout direction sounds more practical. Microsoft is trying to make Teams meetings feel more consistent across different scenarios. Whether you’re in a video-heavy call, watching a presenter, or looking at shared slides, the new look should be more intuitive and not visually overloading. Teams meetings can feel really busy with participant tiles, chat, reactions, and much more.

Together Mode may have been niche, but Microsoft is ready to trade it for something less distracting.