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Why can’t I see all participants in Teams?

Wondering how to see everyone in your Teams meeting? The trick is changing the view in 2 easy steps. Learn how to do it.

Last updated July 4th, 2023.

We have seen A LOT of questions regarding the Microsoft Teams Large Gallery View, so we thought it might be helpful to address it. 

People complain that they can only see nine people or fewer in a meeting, even though more are participating, while others can see everyone on the call. The question that keeps showing up is how can you change the view to see all the people at once? This is similar to the gallery setting in Zoom. 

In July 2020, Microsoft released a new update for Teams, allowing users to see more than nine people simultaneously using video conferencing options.

This new meeting option is available on a Mac or Windows computer and through the Teams app on Android and iOS. 

What is the Microsoft Teams meeting limit?

The Teams app uses a 7×7 grid format; thus, the maximum number of people you can see on a single screen has been capped at 49 participants. While this might not be enough for huge teams, it is a big step up from the previous limit of 9. Teams will display video streams for meetings with more than 49 members based on whether the camera is enabled and if the participant has contributed recently. 

Microsoft’s video conferencing solution can host calls with up to 250 members, which is comparable to Zoom and Slack. If you’re interested, here’s a more in-depth Teams vs. Zoom vs. Slack comparison.

Views: Gallery, Large Gallery, Together mode

The gallery view is dynamic and adapts to the attendees with the video turned on and based on the contribution level. There are several different video layouts to choose from, depending on the size of the meeting and the number of participants you’d like to see on your screen at once – Gallery, Large Gallery, and Together mode. 

By default, all meetings will be set to the ‘Gallery’ layout, displaying participants in 2 x 2 or 3 x 3 grids. If more than nine people attend the meeting, you can change the layout to the “Large Gallery” view—the default view when you join a desktop or mobile meeting. If more than 49 people are in the conference, Teams will prioritize the people with their cameras turned on and those who speak the most.

For attendants who do not have their cameras turned on, the Teams app will show their profile photo or initials if they haven’t added a photo.

How to enable the Large Gallery view in Microsoft Teams?

Step #1

Click on the ellipsis (…) button. This three-dot menu icon will be available in the top right corner of your screen if you are using a computer or if you are connecting using a mobile device; it will be centered at the bottom of your screen. 

Teams gallery view

Step #2

Choose Large Gallery View.

Note that this option is available when at least ten people have their cameras turned on. Also, if no one is sharing their camera, the Large gallery feature won’t be selectable in the menu. 

The Gallery View Microsoft Teams feature is a welcome shift in the software’s functionality; the recent updates have opened the door to video meetings with a better flow that allow contributions and productivity from a broader range of team members.

See everyone on Microsoft Teams

And there you have it, you can now see all participants in a Microsoft Teams meeting.

Advantages of Microsoft Teams Large Gallery view

The Microsoft Teams Large Gallery View aims to bridge the gap between physical and virtual meetings by accommodating more participants simultaneously. With this feature, team members can better recognize social cues, engage in non-verbal communication, and improve their overall meeting experience.

In physical meetings, facial expressions and body language contribute significantly to communication. Video conferencing often lacks these elements due to the limited number of visible participants. However, the Large Gallery View in Microsoft Teams provides a more immersive meeting experience by letting you see the reactions and gestures of your teammates, fostering a more interactive and collaborative meeting environment. This improved visibility, combined with Microsoft Teams’ integrated tools for collaborative work, enhances the quality of discussions and increases overall team productivity.

Impact of Gallery View on future remote meetings

The introduction of the Large Gallery View in Microsoft Teams represents a shift towards more immersive and dynamic remote meetings. With businesses being more accepting of hybrid and remote work models, this improvement serves as an essential tool for better communication and collaboration.

Moreover, the Microsoft Teams Large Gallery View sets the stage for the next wave of remote work tools. The application’s capability to adapt to the number of meeting attendees and their contributions underlines the flexibility that future remote work tools will need to possess. 

Microsoft strives to make Teams the most reliable remote work tool in a work-from-home era world. To dive a little deeper into some recommendations, check our blog on how to improve your remote team’s productivity, it covers all angles.

If you want to know more than how to see everyone on Teams, for example, how your users utilize Microsoft Teams, you can gain visibility across Microsoft Teams with Syskit Point. You can go over your team’s meeting habits in one centralized dashboard.

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