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Retirement of legacy third‑party meeting and call control APIs : MC1266901

Seerat Fatma 70 Reputation points
2026-04-21T10:47:20.7966667+00:00

Hello Team,

There is a recent announcement from Microsoft regarding Retirement of legacy third‑party meeting and call control APIs. It include external software or hardware used to:

  • Mute or unmute the microphone
  • Turn the camera on or off
  • Apply or remove background blur
  • Raise or lower hand
  • Send meeting reactions
  • End meeting

They mentioned to review whether any external meeting or calling control tools are used with Teams desktop but havn't mentioned ways to do it. I could only find article from Dell about its impact on its two keboard model. Please suggest ways in which we can find software/hardware are impacted?

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Meetings and calls | Audio and video
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  1. Nam-D 3,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-21T14:30:08.11+00:00

    Hello @Seerat Fatma,

    I have spent considerable time researching this topic, but I was also unable to find any official documentation that provides a specific method to identify impacted tools or devices. While Microsoft recommends reviewing the use of external tools and notifying users, it does not appear to provide administrative tracking, centralized visibility or any technical means to scan for or detect affected applications or devices. However, there is a setting that may help provide validation of this information:

    Check Teams third-party API settings (per user):

    • Open Microsoft Teams
    • Click the profile picture (top right)
    • Go to Settings
    • Navigate to Privacy
    • Look for third-party app API

    If enabled, the user may be using external control tools If disabled, external integrations are likely blocked

    For reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/connect-to-third-party-devices-in-microsoft-teams-aabca9… 

    I hope this information helps. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to let me know.

    If this response resolves your issue, kindly click Accept Answer and consider upvoting. If you need further clarification, please click Comment.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-04-21T10:47:38.0066667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    The available documentation does not provide a direct discovery or inventory method for identifying all external tools that use the legacy third‑party meeting and call control APIs. However, it does describe the supported integration path and common patterns that can be used to guide checks.

    Use the following approaches:

    1. Check for devices and apps using the Teams third‑party device API
      • On a Teams desktop client, go to Settings and more → Settings → Privacy → Manage API under Third‑party app API.
      • If Enable API is turned on, review the Allowed apps and devices and Blocked apps and devices lists. Any device or app listed there is using the Teams third‑party device API to control:
        • Raise/lower hand
        • Reactions
        • Mute/unmute
        • Leave meeting
        • Camera on/off
        • Background blur on/off
      • This gives a per‑user view of which third‑party hardware/software is paired with Teams.
    2. Identify certified vs non‑certified peripherals
      • Review connected audio/video devices and compare them against Teams‑certified models. Non‑certified devices or older Skype for Business/Lync‑era devices are more likely to rely on legacy or non‑standard control paths.
      • The documentation notes that some older devices (for example, certain Jabra, Plantronics, and Polycom models) have known issues and are not recommended for Teams. These are candidates for impact if they rely on legacy control APIs.
    3. Look for vendor companion software
      • Many peripherals use vendor software (for example, Jabra Direct, Poly Hub, or similar) to provide button integration and call control.
      • On users’ machines, inventory such vendor apps. If they expose Teams call/meeting control features (mute, answer, end, raise hand, etc.), they are likely affected by changes to legacy APIs.
      • The documentation explicitly calls out that third‑party communication features can interfere with Teams device button functionality; these same integrations are the ones to review for impact.
    4. Focus on external tools that control in‑meeting actions
      • Any external app or hardware that can:
        • Mute/unmute Teams
        • Toggle camera or background blur
        • Raise/lower hand or send reactions
        • End calls/meetings
      • should be treated as in scope. For each such tool, check the vendor’s documentation or support site for statements about Teams integration and any guidance on the announced retirement.
    5. Validate behavior in test meetings
      • For suspected devices or apps, join a test Teams meeting and verify whether their buttons or controls still:
        • Sync mute/unmute state with Teams
        • Control camera and background blur
        • Trigger reactions or hand raise
      • If functionality depends on the Teams Third‑party app API pairing flow (the Allow/Block prompt and API token), it is using the supported integration path described in the documentation. If it bypasses that and still controls Teams, it may be using legacy APIs and should be checked with the vendor.
    6. Ask vendors about their integration method
      • For each identified external tool, contact the vendor and ask specifically whether their Teams integration uses the legacy meeting and call control APIs or the newer Teams third‑party device API. Vendors should provide timelines or updates if changes are required.

    Because there is no central tenant‑level report for these integrations in the provided documentation, combining:

    • Per‑user Manage API checks,
    • Device/vendor software inventory,
    • And vendor confirmation is the practical way to discover which software/hardware is impacted.

    References:

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