Microsoft has officially announced the availability of the public preview of its Teams app for various Linux distributions, touting it as the “first Office app” for the platform. Users on Debian-based distributions such as Ubuntu, as well as other distros can down download the app in either .deb or .rpm package formats.
The new app features “support all of Teams’ core capabilities,” according to Microsoft’s Tech Community post, which means capabilities such as chat, video and audio calling, and document collaboration are all present. Previously, users were only able to access Teams though a web browser, so the new app should be welcomed to many linux users and businesses.
The new app is virtually identical to the app on Windows and macOS as well as via desktop web browsers. Teams is also available on Android, iOS and iPadOS for users to access their messages and files on the go, as well.
Microsoft originally hinted at the possibility of a Teams app for Linux back in August in a UserVoice acknowledging that many users use it as their desktop operating systems. The company also plans to bring Microsoft Edge to Linux sometime in the future, as well. Interestingly, the company has chosen to call this its “first” Office app to be made available on Linux, which potentially hints that more apps could arrive in the future.
What do you think of the new Teams app for Linux? Which Microsoft app would you like to see come next? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.
