Microsoft Teams update will finally eliminate this unnecessary headache

Microsoft is preparing to update one of the most annoying things about its Teams collaboration platform, the company has revealed.

A post (opens in new tab) to the Microsoft 365 roadmap explains that Teams will soon allow users to choose which local folder that files will download to.

“Teams will now enable users to select the default download location where they would like to have their files downloaded,” the company says. “This is applicable only on the desktop client. Teams on the web will continue to honor the setting in the browser.”

The roadmap update was added on May 23 before being updated on May 26, so Microsoft is currently working on making this change into a reality. The company seems to optimistically think the update will shift this very month. 

While it might not sound like the most world-changing update ever, it will make a difference for anyone that regularly gets sent files on Teams, which is a fair few of us. Being able to choose a specific folder makes a big difference, especially for more ephemeral files.

Keeping it fresh 

Even as the pandemic begins to recede, hybrid working and remote working are here to stay – the office is no longer the hub of all work. 

One of the winners has been Microsoft, thanks to its deep relationships with enterprises, and the Microsoft 365 suite of services, including Microsoft Teams. 

Microsoft makes some of the best productivity tools around but nothing is ever perfect and we keep a pretty close eye on the Microsoft 365 roadmap page. 

With Google Workspace hot on its heels, Microsoft has to remain nimble and willing to make incremental but regular changes to Teams and its suite of office software more broadly.

An exclusive TechRadar Pro survey recently showed that Microsoft 365 is the chosen productivity suite for nearly 60% of US businesses, compared to just 15% who chose Google Workspace.

But complacency is the killer of innovation and Microsoft cannot afford to rest on its laurels to retail that position.

Making sure that Teams caters to the need of all users, not just the users Microsoft wants to listen to, is the key to continued success. Well, alongside having the deepest relationships with huge enterprises, of course.