Short Version
Microsoft is planning to give your Teams app bar a clean look by hiding app names, but it will do so by default. Due late February to early March 2026.
Details
Microsoft is introducing a new setting in Teams to create a cleaner app bar experience by hiding app names.
This is fine, except Microsoft will do this by default. Imagine you work for an organisation moving from Google to Microsoft, and when you open Teams for the first time, all you see is a load of symbols down the left-hand side, until someone explains that there’s a setting for that:
If you prefer to show app names, go to Settings > Appearance > Show app names in the app bar.
Availability
Due late February to early March 2026.
Source, related links, and references
MC1226220.
Image(s): Microsoft.
See what else is new in Teams.
Related: Microsoft Teams gets a simplified app bar – Super Simple 365 and New controls for Quick views, such as Mentions and Followed threads – Super Simple 365.
Page originally published
7th February 2026, and kept up to date.
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