Ability to open multiple documents
Currently If I am editing a File in Teams, and if I have to refer another file present in Teams, I have to forcefully close existing document and go to the next file. It will be a nice to have feature if I can open other documents in Preview mode if I am editing a document.

100 comments
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Chandy commented
I am a new user of teams and find not being able to open multiple documents within the Teams platform very, very limiting. It feels like a pre-Windows program, without this feature.
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Anonymous commented
… and to have possibilities to chat on both (or more) , while you a previewing files
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Dennis.Brown commented
This must be embarassing to MS to have such an unusable product for collaboration.
Today, I had a teams meeting, where we had an agenda, minutes, and 4+ reference documents. They are all stored in the teams folders, but... only one can be opened at a time.
So yes, I have to download to my computer in order to have them open at the same time, or even to switch easily from one to another. -
Ian commented
Teams is looking so basic....can't open multiple windows in an MS "Windows" program....!!!
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Macky commented
Voting this up in hopes there is a fix soon. This is so basic and completely ridiculous. MS Teams designers should be embarrassed.
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Anonymous commented
I've also just come across this deficiency of functionality in an otherwise useful product.
Seems to be quite a common stumbling block.
Yes, there are workarounds but that is not the point, if it was designed properly we wouldn't have to do workarounds -
Anonymous commented
I have just wanted to compare two files. I opened one file, clicked Open in Desktop App, and it opened in Word. I then closed the Teams file and opened the one to which I wanted to compare the first. This worked fine. Does this answer anyone else's problems?
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Anonymous commented
A work-around is to open files in the browser and have them in different tabs
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Anonymous commented
Given that this comes from the company that gave us 'Windows' (get the hint?), this oversight is embarrassing. How little they understand?
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SWS commented
I am also struggling with this. In particular, I am needing to go back and forth between a file that is in one team folder, with a file that is in another team folder. If I download one, so I can see them at the same time, I lose the work my other team members are contributing. This has been extremely problematic for our work.
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Anonymous commented
Having just experienced 'Teams' for the first time while trying to help my children with their schoolwork, I find it staggering that this multiple document facility is missing. To watch my children write a bit in one document, then to close it and navigate to another reference documents, then close that, and back again over and over is just embarrassing.
It feels a bit like it did in the mid 1980s.
Sort it out. -
Anonymous commented
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!! Sort it out please
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Pat Shanahan commented
I am a new user of teams and find not being able to open multiple documents within the Teams platform very, very limiting. It feels like a pre-Windows program, without this feature.
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Anonymous commented
2.5 years since the original post.
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Anonymous commented
I really need this. Would be OK with openeing files in their native applications (need Word, Excel, something displaying PDFs)
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Anonymous commented
Please move this feature to the top of your priority list. A lot of resource hours are being used to continually open documents when working on multiple documents.
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Lucas De Lamper commented
I agree. Teams seems to reduce the user experience with bare windows and even some office apps where you can open multiple documents. The 'open in browser' is a poor man's workaround.
I do like teams a lot but this is a serious drawback. -
anonymous commented
Thank you for the "open in browser" workaround to view multiple documents at the same time. It did work, but I continue to be frustrated with Teams.The entire experience is very limiting and slowing me down. It's as though someone tried to re-create the Windows experience without the user in mind; limited copy and paste functionality, limited functionality to work within several documents and view Teams Tasks, and chats at the same time. I work on policies and procedures, project charters, project plans, expansive road maps, etc. all cross related and with input from many individuals across my company. I feel like I'm working in a box and being micromanaged, with the knowledge that just on the outside there is freedom and flexibility to accomplish my work efficiently in a manner that is well suited to my needs. Teams is costing me on average 1.5 hrs a day.
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Anonymous commented
Really annoying that you can't open multiple windows in Teams. I have two files I need to switch between numerous times a day so opening and closing each time is wearing thin.
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J.H. commented
TRY THIS: Use the elipses (...) to open in borwser. You can have one document in each tab. You can even separate the tabs and align the two documents side by side. It will still save it in the place you accessed it from, changes and all.