Proximity Join using Bluetooth and ultrasound
Proximity Join is a feature that lets you use your Teams app on a desktop or mobile device to invite or nudge a Microsoft Teams Room into a Teams meeting. The Teams Room doesn't need to be invited to the meeting to be joined using proximity join. This feature uses wireless technologies that can be individually turned on or off depending on the requirements of the environment including:
The end user experience is the same if Bluetooth or ultrasound are used for Proximity Join. If they're both turned on, they operate together to provide the most accuracy. A Teams Room that is found with ultrasound turned on is always put in the meeting's prejoin screen at the top of the list of nearby rooms (under the room audio option). Teams Rooms that are found using Bluetooth are listed after the room that have ultrasound turned on in that list.
When a user's laptop or mobile device brings a Teams Rooms in using Proximity Join or if Proximity Join detects a user is joining while in a Teams Room already in the meeting, the user's video won't appear in the room's display, and the room's video stream is hidden on the personal device's meeting stage. Users can override the automatic hiding behavior by using the pin or spotlight functionality of Teams Meetings.
Proximity join doesn't require a direct network connection between a user personal devices and the Teams Rooms device, all communication takes place through Microsoft Teams.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short range wireless technology in which compatible devices can use it to communicate. However, this signal can penetrate through walls. Rooms discovered through Bluetooth are sorted by signal strength in descending order, and it includes all Teams Rooms both in use and not in use. This is because the Bluetooth signal isn't paused when Microsoft Teams Room has joined a meeting.
Bluetooth connectivity is available on both Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android and Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound signaling is available on Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows, beacons from compatible consoles, and can be used to along with Bluetooth for people that want a Teams Rooms to join a meeting.
Note
Proximity Join using ultrasound isn't currently available for Teams Rooms on Android.
The Proximity Join using ultrasound works by emitting an ultrasonic (19.5 kHz - 21.5 kHz) signal from the Teams Room console that isn't audible to humans. It's more accurate than Bluetooth because at reasonable volume, it won't penetrate through walls. Plus, the signal is paused when the Microsoft Teams Room is either in a meeting or HDMI ingest is active. For example, you walk into a conference room with ultrasound turned on the Teams Rooms console, and you want to join your meeting to the Teams Room, you see it in the meeting's prejoin screen in the list of available rooms because those rooms are sorted and listed at the top of the screen. This lets someone select the exact Teams Rooms console and conference room they want to use for their meeting.
Note
Room Remote can't be used with ultrasound only because the ultrasound beacon is paused while the Teams Room is in a call. Room Remote can't use ultrasound to verify that the personal device is in proximity with the room, so Room Remote won't work if only ultrasound is turned on.
Caution
People or animals with sensitive hearing may be able to hear the ultrasound tones. In our testing, this sound hasn't been distressing, and is only output prior to a call being initiated but take note if those who may hear the ultrasound tones are present in your environment to decide if this feature should be enabled or not.
Ultrasound supported devices
| Sender (Consoles for Teams Rooms on Windows) | Receiver |
|---|---|
| Crestron UC-2 | Teams on Windows (minimum version 24193.1805.3040.8975) |
| Crestron MercuryX | Teams on macOS (minimum version 24193.1707.3028.4282) |
| Logi Tap |
Administration and settings
There are multiple ways and tools you can use to manage Proximity Join settings for Microsoft Teams Rooms.
Note
The settings for ultrasound don't apply to Teams Room on Android but the Bluetooth settings are available for those devices.
Management of proximity features is available in the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal:
Enable Bluetooth beaconing
Remote control from personal devices
Automatically accept proximity-based meeting invitations
Note
Ultrasound controls aren't available yet within the Pro Management Portal.