How to Use Microsoft Teams Together Mode for More Engaging Remote Meetings

The Problem with Standard Video Grids

Since the rapid normalisation of remote work, professionals have spent thousands of hours staring at the standard “Brady Bunch” grid layout in video conferencing software. This layout separates every participant into an isolated, rigid square. Psychologically, this isolation forces the brain to process dozens of different backgrounds, lighting conditions, and camera angles simultaneously, contributing significantly to what is commonly known as “video meeting fatigue.”

To combat this, Microsoft introduced Together Mode in Microsoft Teams. Rather than separating users into boxes, Together Mode uses artificial intelligence to segment each participant’s face and shoulders from their real-world background. It then places everyone into a shared, virtual environment—such as a lecture hall, an auditorium, or a coffee shop.

By placing everyone in the same visual space, your brain no longer has to process conflicting backgrounds. It becomes much easier to read body language, see who is looking at whom, and feel a sense of genuine group cohesion during long presentations or team check-ins.

Requirements for Together Mode

Before you can initiate Together Mode, ensure your meeting meets the following criteria:

• You must be using the Microsoft Teams desktop application for Windows or macOS. (The feature is limited or unavailable on the web and mobile versions).
• There must be at least four participants currently in the meeting with their cameras turned on. Together Mode will not activate for one-on-one calls.
• The meeting organizer or tenant administrator must not have explicitly disabled the feature in the Teams admin policies.

How to Enable Together Mode During a Meeting

Activating the feature is simple and can be done by any participant in the call, not just the organizer.

1. Join the Microsoft Teams meeting and ensure your camera is active.
2. Wait until at least three other people have joined with their cameras on.
3. Move your mouse to bring up the main meeting control toolbar at the top of the screen.
4. Click on the View button (represented by a grid or layout icon).
5. From the dropdown menu, select Together mode.

After a brief moment of processing, the grid will disappear, and all participants will be seamlessly dropped into the default virtual auditorium seats.

Does Changing the View Affect Others?

By default, selecting Together Mode only changes the view on your personal screen. The other participants will continue to see the standard grid layout unless they also choose to enable the mode on their end.

However, if you are the Meeting Organizer or a Presenter, you have the authority to enforce the layout. When you select Together Mode, check the small box at the bottom of the selection window that says Select Together mode for everyone. This will force all participants into the shared virtual environment simultaneously.

How to Change the Virtual Scene

While the default auditorium is excellent for large company all-hands meetings, it might feel too formal for a casual Friday team catch-up of five people. Teams allows you to change the scene to better match the context of the meeting.

1. While Together Mode is active, look at the bottom-left corner of the virtual scene on your screen.
2. Click the small text that says Change scene (or the pencil icon).
3. A gallery of available environments will appear. You will see options ranging from small conference tables to outdoor amphitheatres and cozy coffee shops.
4. Notice that each scene has a number in the corner (e.g., 5, 10, 50). This indicates the maximum number of people that specific scene can hold. Select a scene that matches your current participant count.
5. Click Apply.

Best Practices for a Seamless Experience

• Lighting matters: Because Together Mode relies on AI to cut out your background, poor lighting can confuse the algorithm. Ensure your face is well-lit from the front so the software can accurately separate you from your surroundings.
• Avoid complex backgrounds: While the AI is robust, sitting in front of a busy, moving background (like a window with traffic) can cause your edges to flicker in the virtual scene.
• Stay centered: The virtual seats are static. If you lean too far out of your physical camera frame, half of your body will disappear from the virtual seat, breaking the illusion. Position your webcam so you are centered and visible from the chest up.