Microsoft has released a New VDI Optimization for Teams. This is a how-to guide detailing the steps necessary to enable it. We hope this guide will ease your effort to enable the new solution in your environment. Note that this guide is supplementary and needs to be consumed only in addition to the main documentation - which is provided by Microsoft - New VDI Solution for Teams. Any information provided here, if conflicting, will be superseded by the information provided in Microsoft documentation as it is more closely maintained and has latest updates.

Note:

• Microsoft has made the New VDI Optimization for Teams Generally available for Citrix customers starting December 09, 2024. 

Minimum Requirements

• Teams version - 24295.605.3225.8804

• VDA - 2203 LTSR CU3 or above, 2305 CR or above

• Citrix Workspace App - 2203 LTSR (any CU), 2402 LTSR or 2302 CR and above

• MsTeamsPluginCitrix - 2024.41.1.1

• Endpoint

  • Windows 10 1809 (SlimCore minimum requirement)

  • Windows Enterprise LTSC Thin clients on Windows 10 2019/2021, or Windows 11 2024 are supported

  • GPOs must not block MSIX installations (see Step 3: SlimCore MSIX staging and registration on the endpoint)

  • Minimum CPU: Intel Celeron (or equivalent) @ 1.10 GHz, 4 Cores, Minimum RAM: 4 GB

Note

• The New VDI Optimization for Teams is available only for Windows endpoints (as of December 2025). If you have Mac or Linux clients, this solution will be available in the future. Please reach out to your Microsoft representative to understand the timelines

• The New VDI Optimization for Teams is not yet supported for published (seamless) Teams applications. The support will be available in the near future. Please reach out to your Microsoft representative to understand the timelines. If you're deploying Teams as a published app, use Citrix HDX Optimization

• As version updates happen frequently, please refer to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix Workspace app product lifecycle pages to ensure a particular version of Citrix component is supported before deployment.

After meeting the prerequisites, follow the steps below to enable New VDI Optimization for Teams.

Steps to enable New VDI Optimization for Teams (SlimCore)

Step 0: Networking Considerations

• MsTeamsVdi.exe is the process that makes all the TCP/UDP network connections to the Teams relays/conference servers or other peers.

• Make sure the user's device has network connectivity (UDP and TCP) to endpoint ID 11, 12, 47 and 127 described in Microsoft 365 URLs and IP address ranges. ID 184 is also required.

• As things may change, please monitor the links provided above with an RSS subscription for the up-to-date list

Step 1: Configure Virtual channel allowlist policy

Configure Virtual channel allow list policy to allow Microsoft Teams-specific virtual channels. These virtual channels are necessary for the Teams client to be able to connect to the client-side plugin. For more information on the Virtual channel allow list, see Citrix Product Documentation

For New VDI Optimization, Microsoft Teams needs three custom virtual channels. Use the wildcards to allow ms-teams.exe executable and custom virtual channels:

MSTEAMS,C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MSTeams*8wekyb3d8bbwe\ms-teams.exe

MSTEAM1,C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MSTeams*8wekyb3d8bbwe\ms-teams.exe

MSTEAM2,C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MSTeams*8wekyb3d8bbwe\ms-teams.exe

Note:

• Wildcards for Virtual channel allowlist policy are available in CVAD 2203 LTSR CU2 and above (or) Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2206 CR and above.

• The VDA machines must undergo a reboot for the policy to take effect.

• The path for MSTeams installation changes as it’s an MSIX application and hence wildcards are necessary. Make sure to allow list the exact lines recommended above for default installation paths (or) modify the allowlist based on the installation path that you have in your environment

Step 2: Get the MSTeams plugin on the endpoint

As the New VDI optimization needs the SlimCore engine on the endpoint, you need to install the MSTeams plugin. This plugin is responsible for managing and downloading SlimCore media engine. Citrix provides multiple ways to get the plugin installed on the endpoint

Requirements

• Make sure that the Citrix Workspace app is installed in administrator (system-wide) mode

• In options 1, 2 and 3 below, Citrix Workspace app fetches the MSTeams plugin from Microsoft CDN. Hence, make sure that the endpoint has access to Microsoft CDN for smooth installation. 

Locations of the dll plug-in when the plug-in is installed through below options with Citrix Workspace app admin install: On a 64-bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\ICA Client, On a 32-bit OS: C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client

Option 1: Install the plugin through Citrix Workspace app

The installation through GUI can be used if you have unmanaged client devices and the CLI method can be used in managed device scenarios

• Citrix workspace app provides the option to install the MSTeams plugin through GUI during a fresh install or a manual upgrade scenario. 

• In addition, administrators can also deploy the MSTeams plugin through CLI 

  • Use the following command-line switch: /installMSTeamsPlugin Example: CitrixWorkspaceApp.exe /installMSTeamsPlugin

• For a fresh installation, the minimum requirement is - Citrix Workspace app for Windows 2402 LTSR. For in place upgrade scenarios, the minimum requirement is - Citrix Workspace app for Windows 2405 CR.

• From Citrix Workspace App 2508 for Windows, MSTeams plugin is installed by default and no additional action is necessary other than just performing an installation of Citrix Workspace App to get the plugin onto the endpoint. For more information, see Citrix Workspace App documentation

Option 2: Install the plugin through Client App Management (previously GACS)

This installation method can be used if you have managed or unmanaged endpoints

Steps to configure Client App Management

• Sign in into Citrix cloud. In the left hamburger menu, click on Workspace configuration

• Click on the App configuration tab

• Select your store and click on configure

• Change the Workspace URL channel from Production to Test Channel in case you want to test

• In the Updates and plugins section, filter with Windows

• Expand Citrix Workspace App Version, select Windows, and click Edit.

• Uncheck. Use default settings, select Update type Current Release (CR), and select Fast for Delay group. Click Save Draft and click on Save settings when the pop-up window appears

• Click on Publish drafts and save settings when the pop-up window appears

Configure MSTeams plugin Install

• Expand Microsoft Teams plugin management

• Select Windows and Edit

• Uncheck Use default settings, select Install and update, and check Install the plug-in before the end user logs in. Click Save Draft. Click on save settings when the pop-up window appears

• Click on Publish drafts and save settings when the pop-up window appears

For additional context and screenshots for the steps above, refer to the POC guide for GACS and Client App Management documentation

Option 3: Install the plugin through Virtual channel plugin manager

Customers can also use Virtual channel plugin manager to easily deploy MSTeams plugin across their endpoint base.

Virtual channel plugin manager is designed to deploy plugins across client endpoints for specified applications which require endpoint components to provide an optimized experience (e.g., New VDI Optimization for Teams). The plugin manager detects Teams application running on the VDA and pops a notification to the user to install the plugin on the endpoint to achieve the best experience when running the application.

This feature is configured by a Studio policy by the administrator and allows administrators to deploy the plugin in BYOD scenarios as well. For more information, see Virtual channel plugin manager

Option 4: Install the plugin manually

This installation method can be used if you have managed endpoints and especially if your endpoints don’t have reachability to the Microsoft CDN

• If you’re not on the latest versions in which the plug-in installation through CWA is supported (or) unable to use Client App Management, you can download the plug-in MSI MsTeamsPluginCitrix.msi from Microsoft and deploy using tools like SCCM on top of any existing supported Citrix Workspace app versions mentioned in the main requirements section

Information about Plugin installation & updates 

• In some cases, Microsoft can update the plugin and the newer version of the plugin is needed for proper operation of this new VDI solution. So, make sure that you always have the latest plugin in your environment. See plugin releases in Microsoft Documentation

• To make sure you receive the plugin updates properly, install the plugin only through Options 1,2,3. If plugin is installed manually (Option 4), Citrix Workspace app doesn't handle the update of the plugin

• Citrix Workspace App auto-update must be turned on in order for plugin updates to happen. Ensure you're using Citrix Workspace App 2405 and above for proper plugin update management

• If plugin is installed through Options 1,2,3, Citrix Workspace App updates the plugin - when it detects a new plugin available from Microsoft and also during a Citrix Workspace App update process.

• Even though the plugin is installed through the Citrix Workspace App, uninstalling the Workspace App doesn't uninstall the plugin. Hence, make sure to clean up the plugin separately in case of Citrix Workspace App uninstalls

• In case you are installing Citrix Workspace App offline package, Citrix Workspace App will still fetch the plugin from Microsoft CDN. In case, the CDN is not accessible, the Citrix Workspace App installation will proceed but the plugin installation is expected to fail.

• Citrix Workspace App doesn't manage the updates for SlimCore media engine. Media engine updates are handled by the plugin and is managed by Microsoft

Step 3: SlimCore MSIX staging and registration

Ideally, this step would be silent and the MSTeams plugin takes care of the SlimCore installation. The staging and registration relies on the App Readiness Service (ARS) on the endpoint. It's possible that the MSIX package installation is blocked by registry keys set by a Group Policy or a third-party tool. 

Hence, refer SlimCore MSIX staging to ensure that SlimCore staging and registration is not blocked.

Step 4: Verify New VDI Optimization

• Once all the above steps are done, Teams will first launch in WebRTC optimization. For first run experiences, a Teams app restart is required to get the new optimization

• You can check in the Teams client that you are optimized with the new architecture by going to the ellipsis (three dots ...) on the top bar, then selecting Settings > About. The Teams and client versions are listed there

• If you're optimized, you can see MsTeamsVdi.exe running on your endpoint

• For more troubleshooting details, refer Microsoft documentation

Benefits

• Additional features

  • As the new VDI solution for Teams is based on SlimCore, the same engine that is used for native Microsoft Teams, it allows you to achieve feature parity between native and VDI

  • Some of the features that are not available on Citrix HDX / WebRTC Optimization are now available in New VDI Optimization for Teams. See Feature List and Differences

• Performance improvements

  • These include reduced joining time in a meeting, stability and an overall faster and better user experience

• Auto-updates and decoupling

  • Now, you no longer have to wait for the new Citrix Workspace app to get released in order to receive updates. As the components of Teams Optimization are now independent from Citrix releases, new features are released faster and in a much more seamless way

• Streamlined support

  • As there is little dependency on Citrix stack, administrators only need to reach out to Microsoft in case of any issues. This reduces the time to resolution for issues and makes it easy for the administrator to work with a single party instead of two.

Change Log

• 08/12/2024 - Creation of the article
• 11/05/2024 - Updated Teams versions to support SlimCore, clarified support of seamless applications, added more links. Added information about Virtual channel plugin manager. Updated information about plugin updates
• 12/09/2024 - Updating information on General availability for SlimCore. Updated Teams versions. Removed information on public preview as the solution is now generally available
• 07/30/2025 - Updated information about offline package install. Updated Key issues section
• 12/15/2025 - Removed the outdated naming convention. Updated the missing links to Microsoft documentation.

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This is a step-by-step guidance on how to enable the New VDI Optimization for Teams i.e., Microsoft SlimCore Optimization