replacing close/min/max buttons when screen sharing on macos?

Anonymous
2024-09-20T19:16:59+00:00

why does teams now replace the normal close / min / max buttons on macos:

with:

when sharing your desktop (or window).

this is the same icon that is shown in the notification bar when screen sharing, but annoyingly replaces the window chrome... and teams is the only application to do this.

OBS studio (which records / captures the desktop) does not do this.

Zoom does not do this...

only microsoft.

why?

please remove this annoyance.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Teams for Mac

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

60 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2024-09-23T15:29:39+00:00

    I understand how frustrating it can be...

    any time we're forced to use software made by microsoft contracted by some nameless company with a microsoft ™️ on it, we all just understand that it'll never work, and just assume there should be a high level of frustration in attempting to, what most humans call "using" the product.

    that said...

    I appreciate the words posted. they have no relevance in the matter in which I posted, but I'm grateful for your time in responding.

    macOS puts these icons in the notification bar any time any application uses any system resources such as the mic Image, camera Imageor attempts to share their desktop Image this way you don't end up having some entity (as you may see if you ever watch the film about edward snoden) where some entity accesses one of these resources without the knowledge of the user. at least its visible to the person using the computer when it happens i guess...

    so what's happening, when teams shares the desktop, is that the teams client is replacing macOS's window chrome (close, minimize, maximize buttons) with the "sharing the desktop" privacy indicator that is already up in the notification window.

    Image

    and is replacing the normal window buttons:

    Image

    with an icon that is already in the notification bar, but making it more difficult to access the normal OS functionality of the window.

    Image

    as you can see, this has nothing to do with the screen sharing controls that are *also* on the screen that zoom in and out at annoying pace:

    Image

    Image

    so this button replacement is redundant and makes window management when sharing screens overly difficult. Does the same thing happen in windows (its been forever since being forced to use that operating system but I wouldnt think so, firstly because it doesn't have any similar "safety" features (showing when applications are accessing privacy constrained resources) but I can't see microsoft removing their close / min / max buttons...

    is there a way to disable this functionality, if not... there should be.

    Was this answer helpful?

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2025-06-04T18:52:27+00:00

    I just noticed today that this abysmal behavior / UI has been removed from the latest update on my teams. i'm sure they're slow rolling updates to people, but mine finally got the update (thank the gods)... should have never been a thing to begin with...

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2025-06-03T11:50:07+00:00

    I have this version on MacOS - and the stupid interface change from MS is gone! Back to standard MacOS behaviour... Version 25107.1606.3643.3915 (25107.1606.3643.3915)

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2024-10-02T06:44:24+00:00

    I have to agree with everything is said here.

    Why in the name of God should I use some Microsfot Teams feature when Mac is perfectly suitable for me?

    I/We need a setting to disable it and this feature should be disabled by default

    And, the give feedback doesn't exists in Teams for Mac, BTW.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  5. Anonymous
    2024-09-21T04:41:10+00:00

    Dear Steve Whitley1,

    Good day! Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

    I understand how frustrating it can be when software changes disrupt your workflow. The behavior you’re describing, where Microsoft Teams replaces the standard close, minimize, and maximize buttons with screen sharing controls, is indeed unique to Teams.

    This design choice is likely intended to provide quick access to screen sharing controls, making it easier to manage your sharing session without needing to navigate away from the shared content. However, I can see how this could be annoying, especially if you’re used to the standard window controls.

    Unfortunately, as an end-user, there’s no direct way to revert this change. Here are a few steps you can take to provide feedback and potentially find a workaround:

    1. Provide Feedback to Microsoft:
      • Open Teams and click on your profile picture.
      • Select Help > Give feedback.
      • Describe the issue and how it impacts your workflow. User feedback is crucial for Microsoft to understand and address such concerns.
    2. If the desktop version’s behavior is too disruptive, consider using the web version of Teams, which might not have the same issue.

    In addition, I recommend you submit your concern to the Microsoft Admin Center under feedback or create a UserVoice request for the feature on our Microsoft Teams · Community. Microsoft appreciates your feedback. Your opinion will be delivered directly to our engineers, helping us determine the direction of Microsoft products and services for all of our customers. It may be considered for future releases.

    Thanks for your cooperation. If you need further assistance or have any other questions, feel free to ask!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments