check before: 2025-07-01
Product:
Teams
Platform:
Android, iOS, Mac, mobile, Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant
Status:
In development
Change type:
New feature, User impact, Admin impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft Teams is introducing Sign Language Mode to enhance meeting experiences for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants. This feature will identify and visually distinguish interpreters, elevate sign language users to active speaker status, and ensure equal prominence with audio participants. Rollout begins in July 2025 for desktop and web platforms.
Details:
As hybrid and remote collaboration continues to evolve, we're seeing growing disparities in how people are seen, heard, and engaged during meetings. These challenges are particularly noticeable for participants joining remotely, using assistive technologies, or communicating through different modalities.
Before this rollout, sign language users face several challenges during meetings, including difficulty locating and identifying their interpreters, as well as ensuring proper positioning of interpreter video feeds. Furthermore, active speaker detection prioritizes audio, resulting in participants who communicate through sign language often receiving less visual prominence than verbal speakers. These challenges make it more difficult for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants to remain fully engaged during meetings.
In Microsoft Teams, we are committed to addressing these gaps, with a particular focus on enhancing the meeting experience for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants who communicate using sign language. As part of our initial efforts, we are introducing Sign Language Mode. When enabled, Sign language users will benefit from an enhanced meeting experience. Interpreters will be clearly identified in the participant roster and visually distinguished throughout meetings. Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants who use sign language will be automatically detected and elevated to active speaker status, ensuring equal prominence with spoken audio participants. This will help create a more equitable and collaborative environment for everyone.
NOTE: Teams for Windows desktop and Teams for Mac desktop are required for sign language detection. Support for Teams for web will come later this year. Sign language detection will not work on mobile devices. Signer promotion to the primary meeting view will work in Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, Teams for the web, and Teams for iOS/Android.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 494843.
[When this will happen:]
Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out early July 2025 and expect to complete by mid-July 2025.
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-July 2025 and expect to complete by late July 2025.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Targeted Release
Created:
2025-06-06
updated:
2025-06-06
Task Type
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linked item details
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summary for non-techies**
Microsoft Teams will introduce a Sign Language Mode in July 2025, enhancing virtual meetings for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants by automatically highlighting interpreters and ensuring visual prominence for sign language users on desktop and web platforms.
Direct effects for Operations**
User Engagement
Without preparation, users may not be aware of the new Sign Language Mode, leading to confusion and potential disengagement during meetings, especially for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants who rely on this feature for effective communication.
- roles: Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, Meeting facilitators
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=494843
Meeting Dynamics
The automatic elevation of sign language users to active speaker status may disrupt existing meeting dynamics if users are not informed about the change, potentially leading to misunderstandings or conflicts during discussions.
- roles: Meeting participants, Team leaders
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=494843
Configutation Options**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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