Teams users want Microsoft to bring back ability to auto-hide chat panel

Update 6/09/24 4:23 pm (IST): A MS Teams admin on Reddit responded to a post about the issue with the following:

You have limited options for now until Microsoft implements a show/hide button for this side panel.

Make the app width more narrow, or for chats, pop-out your chats. You can also use the Zoom option to make things bigger. When zoomed in enough, that section will be automatically hidden.

If this feature is important to you, please upvote these in the Feedback portal:

Add an option to remove/hide conversation tab · Community (microsoft.com)

Original article published on September 5, 2024, follows:

Microsoft Teams users are expressing frustration over a recent update that removed the ability to auto-hide the chat panel, a feature many relied on to maximize screen space and productivity.

The change appears to have been implemented in late August 2024 as part of a Teams client update. Numerous users reported that the chat panel, which previously would automatically hide when not in use, now remains permanently visible on the left side of the application window. Here’s a screenshot of the side panel shared by a user on Reddit for reference:

“Today I realized that recent chats pane just stays open which means that actual chat is now 1/4 of the screen,” wrote one user on the Microsoft Community forum. “Previously I had to hover over chats icon and then select which chat I want to answer.”

Many users expressed surprise at the sudden change, with some initially thinking they had accidentally changed a setting. The auto-hide feature was particularly valued by those working on smaller screens or using Teams alongside other applications.

“I have been using Teams for 4 years. When I hover over the ‘Chats’ icon in my left ribbon, the Chats window would open/display until I selected a chat, then the chats window would ‘auto-hide’,” explained another user. “This was convenient for me because I have 1 monitor with Outlook & Teams (side-by-side) so my chat window is narrow.”

Microsoft’s initial response to user complaints has been to suggest submitting feedback through official channels. A Microsoft community moderator stated, “I regret to inform you that currently, there isn’t any feasible built-in option in Microsoft Teams that allows the chats pane to auto-hide and only open when you hover over it.”

This response has not sat well with users who point out that the feature was working fine in previous versions. Some have suggested that Microsoft should implement the auto-hide function as an optional setting, allowing users to choose their preferred interface layout.

While waiting for an official fix, some users have discovered workarounds, such as increasing the zoom level in Teams to 115% or higher. However, this solution is far from ideal as it affects the overall display of the application.

That said, it’s unclear if Microsoft will take all the feedback into consideration and bring back the ability to auto-hide the side panel in Teams. We’ll keep track of the situation and will post an update if and when there are any further developments.