Microsoft's efforts to add new features in its Teams online meeting and collaboration service will apparently include a previously unannounced option. An unconfirmed report from The Verge says that Microsoft is internally testing a new feature that will support the creation of custom emojis for Teams chats and meetings.
The report doesn't go into too much detail on this upcoming feature, other than when it does get eventually added to Teams, IT admins for businesses and organizations will have the power to turn on custom emojis and approve the ones that can be accessed by Teams users.
Microsoft Teams testers discovered custom emoji when they saw emojis of Pepe the Frog appear in their chats. Pepe the Frog had been used by white supremacy groups on social networks in the past, although the meme has since been coopted back into favor in recent years.
There's no word on when the custom emoji option will become available in Microsoft Teams. It will likely be added as a public preview for Microsoft 365 Insiders to try out before it becomes generally available.
Just in the past few weeks, Teams users have seen a number of new additions to the service. The biggest one is the general availability of 3D avatars and virtual settings for Teams meetings, using Microsoft's Mesh technology.
Also, Microsoft Teams Premium users can check out the new AI-based custom background feature. It lets users create alternate versions of their own backgrounds for video meetings.
Starting today, Microsoft will offer a native Teams app for the just launched Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Owners will be able to join in a Teams video meeting using their "Persona," a digital version of that person "that reflects their face and hand movements in real time."
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