Microsoft's roadmap confirms that Teams will soon be supported in Firefox
Microsoft has updated its roadmap for Teams to confirm that Teams support for Firefox is in the works, it's about time. Many people view Teams as the successor to Skype, not just because they are made by the same company, but because of the modern experience that the former provides over the latter, across devices and platforms.
The service's popularity has been growing steadily, and it now boasts a user base of 270 million monthly active users. Aside from the mobile apps and desktop programs that it offers, Teams, not unlike Skype, can also be used directly from web browsers. Some users prefer to use it that way, without installing the standalone tool on their computer.
The only drawback here is that Teams on the web is not supported in Firefox. It is not the first time Microsoft has ignored Mozilla's browser. Last year, when it promised to support Skype in all browsers, the Redmond company casually forgot to add the Firefox icon, for which it was criticized. And as Martin pointed out, it wasn't just the icon that was missing, the VOIP service was indeed not compatible with the browser. A few months later, things have changed, and Skype on the web is functional in Firefox. All's well that ends well, I suppose.
Let's get back to Teams. If you try logging in to your Microsoft account on the Teams website using Firefox, you will be greeted by a message that reads, "Hmm. Your browser version isn't supported. Quickest solution? Download the desktop app." The web page also has links to the supported browsers that it recommends, Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
You would think they would have learned their lesson by now, wouldn't you? Regardless, neither of those two options will be acceptable to a user who was specifically interested in the web-based version. The easiest workaround to such restrictions is to change the user agent of the browser, aka spoof the website to think that you are accessing it from a Chromium based browser. If you are interested in this, you can use an extension like User-Agent Switcher and Manager.
The problem with unofficial fixes such as this, is that you cannot guarantee full compatibility with the service that you are trying to access. Some things may or may not work properly, and since Teams is used for work and school, it cannot be reliable, and shouldn't be taken lightly.
That is why Microsoft's decision to support Teams in Firefox is important. The plans outlined in the roadmap reveals that Teams will offer full audio support in Firefox, so you will be able to attend meetings from the web-based version of the service. In addition to this, it will also support screen sharing in Mozilla's browser.
The feature was only added to the roadmap a few days ago, which might suggest that development is underway. But, the entry spotted by Techradar, has April 2022 as the general availability timeline of Microsoft Teams support in Firefox. So it could actually roll out to user by the end of this month.
Do you use Teams from your web browser?
I do not mind about the technical crap about Teams and Firefox. Microsoft has been sued and fined in the past for practices like this one because it’s f* monopolistic behavior. Furthermore, M$ must be raging inside as they built Edge around Chromium so any product working on it will likely be 100% compatible to Chrome.
Either, there are millions of users using Firefox as their primary web browser, gaining benefit from the great browser it is.
Teams is being pushed by a ton of companies that rely on M$ Offshit 365, Azunsure and so, in a way that forces you to use the whole stack as if compatibility was almost impossible. This, again might be monopolistic practice, and M$ mite be fined again even higher and forced again to ensure full compatibility systemwise with competition’s platforms when offering new tools. In the past I’ve been temporarily recommending users Teams on Firefox as listeners with good video and audio, whenever either the Teams Client was jerky or didn’t work at all.
My surprise when I found the ominous message. At least they should give advice about the incompatibilities and then let you use if you still want it. M$ is bullying good software companies again and that should be punished AGAIN.
> Do you use Teams from your web browser?
This is off the question, but it is a “review regarding MS Teams”.
With COVID-19, I have moved from office work to remote work.
The company’s system is built on Windows OS, and in principle, “third-party applications are prohibited”.
Online meetings and other tools are limited to “MS Teams”, which is bundled with MS-Office 365. No other options are possible.
Teams is indispensable during business operations, but the system load is maxed out during Teams communication, and even systems with 16 MB RAM frequently go into a busy state.
From an SDG2 perspective, “MS Teams” that increase electricity consumption are anti-social.
Rather use the new Webex client than this Teams trash.
Yes, MS Teams chat is just the same as in the MS Teams Electron ‘app’ already, in Firefox, and you don’t need to do any of the palaver that this article suggests in order to log in (teams.microsoft.com—not sure why the article has it as teams.live.com). Audio, video, and screen sharing, however, are what currently does not work.
I think the personal vs corporate/school versions of Teams use different domains.
@MaryBarra
And what does that have anything to do with this? Team + Firefox = web version, so it doesn’t matter what the desktop version is based on, it doesn’t affect crap.
I mean, you are literally admitting you don’t even use Teams, that’s why you don’t know (or you just want to complain, like many clowns in ghacks comment section) so I don’t even know why you even care if it is an electron app or not, plus, electron exists for a reason, but of course, if you have 4GB ram and complain about the ram usage of the electron apps, maybe it is time for you to upgrade and stop crying about Electron.
Obviously a native app will be better than an electron app, but it is what it is and it makes it easier to develop multiplatform apps, so developers take advantage of it… So, you can turn your computer off and never use software again if you hate the approach of many developers of trying to make it easier to develop for different platforms, or just don’t use them or ignore them. It is not going to change much.
I would just say: Teams works and you don’t use it, so move on.
But seriously, literally most ‘popular’ (or known or whatever) messaging apps are electron based anyway, so I don’t understand the complaints here. I mean, do you do the same (complaining) and then don’t use the most popular apps for messaging because they are developed using electron? I bet you use them anyway, so maybe it is time to shut up.
Discord
Signal
Whatsapp
Skype
Teams
Session
Slack
Riot
Threema
Wire
Jitsi
Element
Do you need any more examples of popular messaging electron based apps? (obviously there are many many more)
What makes you think critics of Teams love those other applications as well? Electron is cancer that has destroyed actual desktop applications by lazily wrapping up the mobile website and serving it with a Chrome instance.
And don’t imagine that many of those using Teams have a choice in the matter when it is what is mandated by employers.
Is Teams still a bloated piece of Electron garbage that uses all your resources? Does it still cause your device fan to blow up while in a important meeting with your CEO?
is water wet?
I used Teams in Firefox without problems.
I guess the word is ‘officially’, you know “officially support for a dying browser only clueless people care about” like it is Firefox, the same people who use it because “Chromium monopoly” while Mozilla gets half billion dollars from Google, which means, if they care more about money than principles or what supposedly are their principles.