Microsoft Teams – How to join and enable Public Preview for your users

First off what is Public Preview ?

Public Preview for Microsoft Teams allows you early access to unreleased features in Teams, these features are not yet general available (GA) to everyone so you have early access to try and test before they are GA.

We early access you can test them for yourself and your organisation before they are rolled out to all your users, you can also provide feedback to Microsoft.

Also note, features in Public Preview might not be fully complete and are subject to change when they are released to everyone but you have early access.

If one person registers for Public Preview does that mean all users in the same tenant are enabled for Public Preview ?

No, its a per user basis.

Also some features will require a friend who’s also enabled for Public Preview to test with as well.

How do you enable a user for Teams Public Preview ?

This is enabled via the Microsoft Teams Admin Centre via a policy so an administrator will need to enable this for the users that want to be part of Public Preview.

Please note – The default Teams update policy option is set to automatically enable Teams Preview features for any user enrolled in Office Current Channel (Preview). Info on current channel (preview) – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/overview-update-channels#current-channel-overview as you may want your preview users to also be enabled for Office and then by default preview features in Teams would be enabled with requiring a custom update policy in the steps below.

If you only want Teams preview then create the custom update policy below.

If you want to disable Teams Preview for Office current channel (preview) users then you can follow the steps below and set the update policy to Not enabled.

What’s features are in Public Preview now ?

Please refer to the following links

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-public-preview/bd-p/MicrosoftTeamsPublicPreview

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/OfficeUpdates/teams-admin

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-d7092a6d-c896-424c-b362-a472d5f105de

How to create an update policy in Microsoft Teams admin center

Here are the steps to create an update policy to enabled preview features and assign the updates policy to a user.

First sign into the Microsoft Teams admin centre (TAC) and navigate to Teams > Teams Update policies

By default there is a Global (Org-wide default) policy as shown below. This policy is a default policy applied to all users and contain the detail update settings which is “Follow Office Preview”. The default option will automatically enable Teams Preview features for any user enrolled in Office Current Channel (Preview). If your users are already enrolled in the Office Preview then you dont need to create a custom update policy.

Dont modify this policy unless you want to enabled preview for all users.

Click Add to create a custom policy, enter a policy name, description and select your option for showing preview features from the drop down list as shown below.

The policy settings are

  • Follow Office Preview (default): This new default option will automatically enable Teams Public Preview features for any user enrolled in Office Current Channel (Preview). There are no more actions required by the end user.
  • Enabled: This option enables Teams Public Preview regardless of whether a user is enrolled in Office Current Channel (Preview). The end user must also opt in to Teams public preview in their Teams app.
  • Not enabled: Teams Public Preview features will not be available to end users.

Click Apply

Now your custom update policy is displayed

Now we need to assign the Update policy to a user

In Teams Admin Centre go to Users > Manage Users

Find your user that you want to enable previre features for

Click the policies tab

Click Edit next to Assigned policies

Locate and select the custom update policy you created earlier

Click Apply

You see the message that this could take some time to apply.

Assign to multiple users

You can select multiple users from users > manage users

Click Edit

Select the custom update policy and apply

There is also bulk policy assignment as well – More info https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/microsoftteams/policy-assignment-overview

Create Update policy via PowerShell

With the Teams PowerShell module installed, connect to Microosft Teams using an admin account and you can create a policy via PowerShell

New-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -Identity EnablePreview -AllowPublicPreview Enabled

Check your policies

Get-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy

Grant user policy via PowerShell

Grant-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -PolicyName EnablePreview -Identity AlexW@M365x881502.OnMicrosoft.com

The Users have to enable Public Preview in Teams Client themselves

From the Team desktop or web click click the three dots next to your profile picture

Go to About > Public Preview

Please note – This option is only available when Show preview features is set to Enabled.

click switch to Public Preview

Teams will reload in public preview

go back to the three dots and you will see ticks against public preview and developer preview.

How do i know im enabled for Preview ?

You also have a P in the top right of your profile picture to show preview enabled.

For info on development preview please see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/platform/resources/dev-preview/developer-preview-intro

Developer Preview is a public program for developers which provides early access to unreleased features in Microsoft Teams. This allows you to explore and test upcoming features for potential inclusion in your Microsoft Teams app.

Public Preview features to try out

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-public-preview/bd-p/MicrosoftTeamsPublicPreview

Now go forth and get testing the Teams preview features and have fun !!!

Have a preview group of people

I would recommend having a preview group and communicating the new preview features to everyone in the preview so you can all test the preview features.

What will try first ?

Other references

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/public-preview-doc-updates

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