Summary
Teams Meetings Desktop app provides the most feature-rich meeting experience with support for offline usage, advanced device settings, breakout room creation, background effects. Teams Meetings on the Web runs entirely in a browser and requires constant internet connection, making it ideal for joining meetings quickly without installation or when using a temporary, shared device.
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Key Differences
| Feature |
Desktop Application |
Web Application |
| Meeting Controls |
Full controls (creates/manages breakout rooms, advanced polls) |
Limited controls (you can participate in breakout rooms, but cannot manage them) |
| Screen & Audio Sharing |
Shares full screen, windows, or specific apps with system audio support |
Shares only specific tabs, windows, or full screen. Cannot include computer audio |
| Background Effects |
Full access to background blur, custom images, and green screen support |
No built-in ability to blur or change your background in a meeting |
| Device Settings |
Highly robust settings for managing multiple audio/video devices and second ringers |
Basic device selection; depends primarily on web browser's permissions
|
| Multitasking |
Allows you to pop out chats into separate windows |
Restricted to a single tab/window view within your browser |
Additional Information
Teams for Web - Overview and prerequisites
Use the Microsoft Teams desktop app
Limits and specifications for Microsoft Teams