Groups integration in Home windows 11 continues to be Microsoft’s deserted little one

When you learn my evaluate of Home windows 11 practically a yr in the past or my Nearer Look column on Microsoft Groups integration within the OS, you in all probability know by now that I am not a largest fan of this function. I’ve talked about how the shoehorned implementation is bare-bones, buggy, and has numerous lacking functionalities.

However hey, that sounds fairly just like Home windows 11’s Taskbar as effectively, so why is my article not about that? The reason being that Taskbar is definitely getting some consideration from Microsoft. In fact, there are complaints that it is too little, too late, however no less than Microsoft is including and returning capabilities to it. However, we have barely seen any motion on the Groups entrance, and that’s what I’ve a problem with contemplating that the app sits entrance and heart within the Taskbar by default.

There have been little to no updates to the Groups expertise in Home windows 11 up to now yr. Nearly all my complaints in regards to the lack of context menus, functionalities, and bugs nonetheless stand. The one comparatively main enchancment I’ve seen up to now yr in Groups is help for Snap Layouts. Nevertheless, even that is not a slam dunk as a result of that is one thing that ought to have been current since launch.

Then, there’s additionally the issue of Groups’ horrendous efficiency. Though Microsoft has talked earlier than about how the migration from Electron and AngularJS to Edge WebView2 and React ought to end in decrease reminiscence consumption and “scale up for the consumer”, all of this appears like mumbo jumbo after I open a Groups chat window and see RAM utilization soar to anyplace between 400-600MB.

Even with Home windows 11 model 22H2 arriving later this month, Groups is simply getting a few comparatively minor OS-level functionalities. These are the flexibility to mute the mic from the Taskbar and the choice to share an open window whenever you hover it over an app within the Taskbar. Contemplating that Home windows 11 has been out for nearly a yr, this doesn’t sound that thrilling for an app that sits on the heart of the OS’ Taskbar by default.

However maybe essentially the most telling facet of Microsoft’s obvious lack of curiosity in Groups on Home windows 11 is the truth that the corporate barely talks about it. It makes up for footnotes in Home windows 11 Insider construct changelogs. Heck, Microsoft even partnered up with Disney for a Home windows 11 advert (video above) that includes She-Hulk and whereas we noticed Snap Layouts, Workplace apps, and even digital desktops, Groups was a no-show. Contemplating that Groups work customers in Home windows 11 can now work together with each private and exterior accounts, I’d have figured that advertising and marketing this functionality would have been a pure match to point out an legal professional’s utilization of the OS on this advert, however nope.

In fact, simply because Groups just isn’t featured in an advert would not instantly imply that it is a low precedence for Microsoft. However contemplate the truth that Microsoft has not shared any stats about Groups utilization on Home windows 11 in any respect. We all know Groups has thousands and thousands of month-to-month lively customers general however what number of truly use the built-in integration with Home windows 11? No thought.

The comparability that instantly got here to my thoughts when pondering of this matter was Cortana. Microsoft persistently marketed its (arguably) failed digital assistant’s capabilities, together with publishing statistics about how customers had requested it 18 billion questions since launch. However, we’re but to seek out out if Groups is gaining any traction in any respect.

In fact, this isn’t actually a matter of my productiveness being impacted or my workflows being affected. I may simply conceal the app from the Taskbar and by no means give it some thought once more. However contemplating that Microsoft has been pushing Groups’ private utilization for the previous few months, seeing the app in its present stagnant state simply feels flawed to me.

I do know tons of people that use and like Home windows 11 however none of them have deliberately opened the Groups app greater than as soon as. Whether or not that is because of Microsoft’s lack of improvement focus and advertising and marketing of the function relating to Home windows 11 or because of the risk that individuals have higher options to speak with private connections on-line is one thing that’s nonetheless unclear. If it is the previous, the scenario will be remedied but when it is the latter, it is exceptional short-sightedness of imaginative and prescient and technique from Microsoft.

I’m an lively Groups buyer at my office and I actually just like the communication app regardless of its flaws. Microsoft needs Groups Private to be the FaceTime of Home windows 11, however it has proven no effort to truly full this imaginative and prescient. A bundled working system app deserves higher, Groups deserves higher.

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