Technology and communication platforms—from Zoom to Slack to Microsoft Teams—have helped teams and individuals work together throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And now there is a new tool that Microsoft Teams has created for frontline workers: Walkie Talkie.

The original walkie-talkies, dating back to World War II, were battery-operated devices that enabled two-way communication. In similar fashion, this new push-to-talk (PTT) application transforms mobile devices and tablets into walkie-talkies.

"With Walkie Talkie in Teams, frontline workers can now securely communicate with a familiar PTT experience without needing to carry bulky radios, and Walkie Talkie works anywhere with WiFi or cellular internet connectivity," according to Microsoft.

The Walkie Talkie app, which is not pre-installed with Microsoft Teams, is available for Android and iOS. Enable the feature by adding it to the app list in the Setup Policies. Within 48 hours, it will be available and unlock PTT communication with others who have connected to the app. What's more, individuals can talk and receive calls via Walkie Talkie even if their phones are locked.