Believe it or not, there once was a time when you could download Microsoft Teams from the Microsoft Store, in addition to the usual installer you can grab from the web. Sadly, though, this store version of the app was limited to devices that were running Windows 10 S (now known as Windows 10 in S mode,) and Microsoft eventually pulled the app entirely. Well, four years later, a Microsoft Store version of the Teams app is finally making a comeback (via Neowin.)
Per a listing in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, a Microsoft Teams app in the Microsoft Store is in development. It is set for general availability in May 2022, with the app supporting both work, school, and consumer accounts on Windows 10 and Work or school accounts on Windows 11.
The listing doesn’t make it clear what type of app or engine Microsoft would be using, but there’s a chance that it could be a version of the Edge Webview2-powered Teams app. This early leaked look at a new Teams app ditched the Electron framework for this to help boost the speed and performance of Teams on Windows.
The availability of Teams in the Microsoft Store is something that many people long requested, as it will make the app easy to download without going to the web. However, for those on Windows 10, it will be more interesting to see how the store version of the app functions when compared to the dedicated “chat” app on Windows 11, which only supports personal accounts.
It seems as though this is more of a way to expand the reach of Teams for consumers to Windows 10, while also making the app easy to download on Windows 11 for those who use work and school accounts with the Teams service. Of course, that might bring some inherent confusion, but at least you’ll be able to find Teams right where you expect it to be, in Microsoft’s own app store.
