Working in modern hybrid office environments often demands intense multitasking inside Microsoft Teams. During a company-wide all-hands video call or client presentation, you may simultaneously need to consult a private one-to-one message from a colleague, check a project file in a team channel, or draft notes. When Teams is confined to a single monolithic window, navigating away from the call replaces your main screen with a tiny floating video box, making it frustrating to follow screen shares while chatting.
To give professionals the flexibility of a truly multi-window desktop experience, Microsoft Teams supports popping out chats, channels, video calls, and tabs into independent floating windows. Whether you are using a multi-monitor desk setup or simply want to arrange windows side by side, popping out components keeps conversations visible without disrupting meeting participation. In this guide, we explore how to pop out individual and group chats, open video calls into standalone windows, configure default window behaviours, and master keyboard shortcuts.
Monolithic Teams Window vs Popped-Out Multi-Window Workflow
Understanding how multi-window management enhances daily productivity highlights why popping out content is standard practice for power users:
| Workflow Attribute | Standard Single-Window Mode | Popped-Out Multi-Window Mode | Productivity Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Meeting Display | Collapses into small bottom corner thumbnail when browsing channels | Anchors to secondary monitor in full resolution | Full visibility of shared slides while taking notes |
| Chat Conversations | Must click back and forth between active message threads | Multiple concurrent chat windows pinned side-by-side | Zero lost context when supporting multiple clients |
| Channel Tabs & Files | Replaces conversation view with file preview | Spawns Word, Excel, or Planner tab into separate window | Review spreadsheets while actively messaging teammates |
| Screen Snapping | Limited to standard Windows snapping for one window | Full Windows 11 Snap Layouts compatibility | Arrange communication grids effortlessly |
If you collaborate on shared agenda documents and action items inside active chat threads, you can also use Loop components in Microsoft Teams for real-time collaboration across popped-out conversations.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Popping Out 1-on-1 and Group Chats
There are multiple frictionless methods to pop out a message thread in the new Microsoft Teams desktop app:
- Open the Microsoft Teams desktop application on your computer.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click the Chat icon.
- Hover your mouse cursor over any conversation in your chat list. A set of icons appears; click the Pop out chat icon (represented by a small square with an arrow pointing toward the top right).
- Alternatively, double-click directly on the person’s name or group title in your chat list. The thread immediately launches into a dedicated floating window.
- If you are already inside an active conversation, look at the top-right corner of the chat header (next to the audio/video call buttons) and click the Pop out chat button.
- You can resize this window, drag it to a secondary monitor, or minimise it independently of the main Teams hub.
Popping Out Meetings and Calls by Default
By default, newer versions of Microsoft Teams automatically open scheduled meetings in separate windows. If your meetings still open inside the main client window, adjust your application settings:
- Click the Settings and more icon (the three horizontal dots
...) located next to your profile picture at the top right of Teams. - Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Under the General category, scroll to the Application section.
- Ensure the option Turn on new meeting experience (New meetings and calls will open in separate windows) is checked.
- Restart Microsoft Teams to apply the change. Now, every voice call and video conference will automatically spawn in an independent window.
Popping Out Channel Tabs, Apps, and Shared Notes
Beyond standard text chats, you can detach entire channel tools, document viewers, and collaborative boards:
- Navigate to your desired Teams channel in the left rail.
- At the top of the channel conversation, select any pinned tab (such as a shared OneNote notebook, Planner board, or SharePoint document).
- In the top right of the tab bar, click the Pop out tab icon.
- The tab separates into a clean standalone window, allowing you to edit task boards while participating in a video conference.
- During team-wide video calls, meeting facilitators can also enable and use Together Mode in Microsoft Teams in the primary video window to build closer visual engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pop out multiple chats simultaneously in Microsoft Teams?
Yes. You can pop out as many individual and group chat conversations as your screen workspace allows. Each popped-out window maintains independent typing bars, search tools, and notifications.
Do popped-out chat windows remember their screen position?
Yes. Windows and Microsoft Teams retain the physical coordinates and dimensions of popped-out windows. When you reopen a popped-out chat, it will typically reappear in the exact monitor location where you previously closed it.
Is the pop-out feature supported on Teams for the Web?
Popping out chats and meetings is primarily supported on the native Microsoft Teams desktop application for Windows and macOS. Web browser versions operate inside a single browser tab and cannot detach true native OS floating windows.