REDMOND, Washington, April 21, 2026, 07:34 PDT
Microsoft plans to redesign the Teams meeting toolbar in June, moving the Raise Hand control under Reactions and letting users reorder meeting buttons, according to a Microsoft 365 Roadmap item. The item, listed as Roadmap ID 560321, is marked for general availability, Microsoft’s broad release phase, in June CY2026.
The change matters now because the problem is small but public: one wrong click can make a participant appear to ask for the floor in the middle of a meeting. Dataconomy reported that the planned update is aimed at accidental disruptions during calls, with the hand button grouped under Reactions so users do not signal a question when they meant to send an emoji.
Microsoft is also moving the Leave button to the right side of the meeting window, away from other controls. Windows Central reported that Teams will shift both the Raise Hand icon and the exit control, part of a set of interface tweaks meant to reduce mis-clicks — mistaken taps on nearby buttons.
The toolbar itself will become more personal. Users will be able to pin, unpin and reorder controls to match how they work, while The Verge reported that Microsoft has not provided images of the expected redesign.
In a crowded meeting-software market, that is not a flashy release. But it is useful product work: Gartner’s meeting-solutions category includes Microsoft Teams, Zoom Meetings, Webex Suite and Google Meet among reviewed products, and lists raise hand, gestures, emojis, host controls and chat among core meeting features.
A third-party tracker for Microsoft 365 changes showed the toolbar item updated on April 21 and still in development, with Windows desktop and Mac references. It repeats Microsoft’s note that the layout “may feel different at first” but is intended to be “faster and easier to use.” cloudscout.one
But the timing is not fixed. Microsoft’s own Roadmap page says release dates and descriptions are estimates and information is subject to change, so the June target could move; the risk for users is simpler: muscle memory built around the current toolbar may cause some early confusion.
For Microsoft, the move fits a broader pattern of polishing Teams rather than changing its core pitch. The app remains a hub for chat, meetings, file sharing and work apps in Microsoft 365; this update is about making routine calls less error-prone, not launching a new meeting format.
