Walkie-talkie functionality on iPhones

 Microsoft Teams working to introduce walkie-talkie functionality to iPhones

Microsoft's Teams will bring walkie-talkie functionality to Apple iPhones this year, according to its development roadmap. This will tap into Apple's Push-to-Talk framework to enable walkie-talkie usage in Teams. Following are the important points:-

Microsoft Teams to integrate Apple’s Push to Talk framework for iOS users, enhancing audio communication convenience.

Walkie Talkie feature enables audio transmission from the lock screen, optimizing battery life and performance.

Microsoft has announced on their Microsoft 365 Roadmap that Teams Walkie-Talkie on iOS will soon integrate with Apple’s Push-to-Talk framework. As the name suggests, Apple’s PTT framework is a tool for developers to create walkie-talkie-style features within their apps. Microsoft Teams Walkie-Talkie is a PTT feature which offers instant and secure voice communication, allowing users to connect with colleagues and co-workers on various devices. This will offer instant and secure voice communication with efficient background operation. You'll be able to walkie while you talkie from the lock screen even. So it will work even when you don't have Microsoft Teams, which is finally getting a unified app on Windows 11,  in the foreground.

In simpler terms, it gives app developers an Apple-approved way to implement a walkie-talkie function with system-wide controls and efficient background operation. This feature allows audio transmission directly from the lock screen. Hence, the integration will enable users to communicate using Walkie-Talkie from anywhere on their iPhone.

The integration of Apple’s Push to Talk framework is set to roll out in May 2024 and will be available in the GCC cloud instance for the Microsoft Teams product on iOS and Android platforms. The integration is currently aiming for implementation in May, but of course, as with any development, things could get delayed if unforeseen issues occur. The feature, identified by ID 388486, was added to the Microsoft 365 roadmap on 14 March, 2024.