How can you lock video spotlight in Teams (just as in Skype)?

[Erik Wettergren]

During Teams meetings we've found no way to lock the video spotlight on the main speaker. In many scenarios it's completely pointless to have all inactive users consume screen space during a call - how can we accomplish this? 

[#2]

I'll second this. This functionality exists within Skype for Business and is essential within Teams.

[#3]

I agree and asked the same, but wanted to post here to make sure this gets noticed/answered by the MS Teams team.

[#4]

obviously MS didn't pay enough attention to this AMA thing. but if you want this feature then maybe support this on uservoice might help

https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/35796445-lock-the-video-spotli...

[#5 · Accepted solution]

Hi Erik, we are working on adding the spotlight video features to Teams meeting. 

[#6]

Great news, thank you!
Any prognosis on when it may be available?

[#7]

Holy cow!  I don't usually complain on forum threads, but you have GOT to get that fixed.  That was the most annoyed I've been on a video conference in a long time.

We were trying to watch a customer demo how he uses our product, and every time my co-worker chimed in with some advice for them, the screen flipped over to his (disabled) camera and I missed part of the demo.  A conference that should have taken 20 minutes took about 45. 

Our customer was the Teams user and set up the conference, but I was about ready to tell him to scratch this meeting and let me set it up our Skype Business.

[#8]

Dear @Lan Ye,.
I can't find this in the roadmap for Microsoft Teams, this is a very important function and I would like to follow the progress.

Br,
Markus

[#9]

@Degerlunden 

Pinning of a video output from just one source is now available in Teams - just right click on the desired video "quadrant" and chose "Pin". 

[#10]

@estokes 

Hi,

Great, thanks for your reply. Is the "pinning" personal or will it affect all participants in the meeting?

//Markus

[#11]

No, it doesn't. Pin only change the view for the individual user. We are developing the spotlight feature which will lock the view for everyone, but it's coming at a later time. @Degerlunden 

[#12]

This is a very important feature for our group, too.  Especially now, with face-to-face even more limited it is good to see the face of the person presently speaking.  When is Microsoft planning to introduce this?

[#13]

Thanks for  the answer, @Lan Ye .

If you are recording the meeting, is it possible to make sure that what is recorded is only the image from the organizer? (instead of the 2x2 grid?)

Thanks

ruben

[#14]

@Lan Ye 

And is it possible to pin my own screen? I have some requests from teachers where they want their own screen full size, not a little video at the bottom right in the screen. 

Thanks and best regards!

[#15]

@rubeno71 

Hi there Ruben. Did you ever get a solution to this query? I'm trying to do the exact same thing but can only ever record the default meetings layout - i.e. not the pinned version. 

I've had to resort to screen recording in Quicktime to be able to record the pinned version. 

Many thanks, 

Jack

[#16]

@estokes what/where is a video 'quadrant'??

[#17]

@Lan Ye  I'm using the teams app on a Mac, this pinning used to work until a couple of weeks ago, but it doesn't anymore. Rightclicking on the quadrant used to give me a small menu of options, one of them was "pin this view" or similar. I've now participated in a few meetings where this menu wasn't there anymore. Rightclicking only gives a rectangle with a grayed-out "copy" option, which doesn't work.

Admin swears he didn't change anything and neither did I.

Is there anything I can do? The meetings are church services and I'd like to have the speaker full screen. Not just a quarter with three quarters black. Very annoying.
Shared screens (PowerPoint) are displayed full screen. 

[#18]

Having the same exact problem as @Dutch749 

We teach online classes to primary school, and really really need this Spotligh feature.

[#19]

@CarmenParis a quadrant is a quarter of the area. When opening a meeting there are four views from participants, those are the quadrants. So I gather.

[#20]

@Dutch749 HI, yes I assumed those were them, and yes I am on Mac too and having the same problem with Spotlight as you. THX