XMReality Blog

Why You Need More Than Teams, FaceTime or WhatsApp for Remote Support

Written by XMReality | Sep 5, 2025 11:36:45 AM

In today's connected world, video calls have become second nature. We use them to chat with family, catch up with friends, and meet with colleagues. So, when a customer or a field technician needs remote assistance, it's tempting to reach for familiar tools like Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, or FaceTime. They're readily available, easy to use, and seem like a quick fix. But are they the right tools for the job?

XMReality vs Teams, FaceTime or WhatsApp

The fundamental difference is rooted in their core purpose. Standard video call apps are designed for people-focused communication, aiming to replicate a face-to-face conversation.

Professional remote guidance, however, is problem-focused. It's about both participants seeing and interacting with a physical environment to fix an issue.

Using a generic video call app for technical support is like using a hammer on a screw. You might get the job done, but it won't be efficient, and you'll likely cause some damage along the way. 

Excluding WhatsApp and FaceTime

While popular for personal video calls, WhatsApp and FaceTime are fundamentally unsuited for professional remote support. As consumer-grade applications, they lack the enterprise-level security, integration capabilities, and specialized visual guidance tools required in a business environment. For this reason, they will be excluded from our detailed comparison going forward.

Why Can't We Just Use Teams? XMReality vs MS Teams Explained

To understand this better, think of it like this:

  • Microsoft Teams is like a standard Sedan. It’s perfect for its intended purpose: transporting people from point A to point B comfortably and enabling conversation along the way.
  • XMReality is like a fully equipped service van. It’s designed from the ground up for a specific job. It contains all the specialized tools, equipment, and storage needed to solve a technical problem efficiently and professionally on the first visit.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what that means in practice:

Task you want to accomplish

With Microsoft Teams (The standard Sedan)

With XMReality (Fully equipped service van)

Start a support call with a customer?

Users must either log in or install Teams, and for external guests there’s no straightforward way to simply share a meeting link unless they are already Teams users or the invitation is sent via email.

You send a simple link, whatever way you prefer. The recipient click the link, and the call starts instantly in their web browser. No app, no login.

Show someone exactly what to do?

It's like explaining over the phone. You can talk and maybe draw on a screenshare.

It's like you're there with them. You can place your hands on their screen to point through AR technology, grab, and guide them in real-time.

Work with a bad internet connection?

The video becomes blurry and freezes, making it impossible to see details.

XMReality has a special feature called High Quality pause that sends a crystal-clear photo you can draw on, so you can keep guiding them even with a poor signal.

Keep a record of what happened?

You have to manually find and organize any recordings or chat files after the meeting.

It automatically creates a report with pictures, notes, and a summary of the call. Perfect for training or proof of work.

Present a professional image to the customer?

 Branding options are very limited. The customer will always see the standard Microsoft Teams interface, not your company's branding. It's a Microsoft experience. You can easily add your company logo and colors. This provides a professional, branded experience for the customer, making it feel like your own tool.

Help someone who needs their hands free?

It's difficult. They have to hold a phone or tablet while trying to work.

It works perfectly with smart glasses, so the person can see your instructions while using both hands for the task.

 

A Closer Look at XMReality's Key Advantages

While Teams is excellent for meetings and conversations, XMReality is purpose-built for solving physical problems from a distance. It overcomes common frustrations like bad internet, login delays, and the difficulty of explaining complex tasks, making remote support faster, clearer, and more effective. Here's where XMReality stands out:

  • See the Problem, Not Just the Person: XMReality's problem-focused approach means the expert sees what the person on-site sees. This eliminates confusion and miscommunication, leading to faster problem resolution.
  • Guide with Precision: Collaborate efficiently with a full suite of powerful remote support tolls: point, draw, and add instructions directly onto the live video to give clear, unmistakable guidance that solves problems faster. Add the AR-enabled hands-overlay, and you can guide with your own hands as if you were physically there.
  • Effortless for Your Customers: The "no app required" feature is a game-changer. Customers and partners can join a support session with just a text message and a tap on a web link, eliminating the friction of downloading and installing new software.
  • Built for Business: From enterprise-grade security and compliance to integrations with your existing workflows, XMReality is designed to meet the demands of a professional environment. 
  • Works Everywhere: Whether you're in the office on a laptop, in the field with a smartphone, or hands-free with smart glasses, XMReality works seamlessly across devices and platforms.
  • Automatic documentation: XMReality's integrated documentation features allow you to record entire sessions, capture high-resolution snapshots, and add notes helping your business seamlessly document the session. Session recordings and automated documentation provide a valuable resource for training, quality assurance, and knowledge sharing.

Enhanced Comparison: XMReality vs MS Teams for Remote Support

Feature

MS Teams

XMReality

Analysis

Guest Joining Experience

Web Client or App Required  Guests must join through a web browser or by downloading the Teams application if you join from a phone.

No App or Login Needed
Guests join instantly via a web link sent by SMS or email.

XMReality offers a more frictionless experience for external guests, which is a significant advantage in time-sensitive support scenarios.

Annotations & Mark-up

On Shared Screens or Snapshots
Annotations are available when sharing a screen or on static images via Microsoft Whiteboard integration.

On Live or Frozen Video
Draw and place markers directly on the live video stream or on high-resolution snapshots.

XMReality's ability to annotate directly onto a live video feed provides a more dynamic and interactive support session.

Smart Glass Compatibility

Limited / Third-Party Dependent Support for smart glasses is possible but often requires third-party integration solutions to connect to a Teams meeting.

Extensive Native Support
Optimized for a wide range of smart glasses (e.g., RealWear, Vuzix, HoloLens 2).

For hands-free industrial applications, XMReality has a distinct advantage with broader and more direct support for smart glass hardware.

Documentation & Reporting

Manual Process
Meeting recordings, chat files, and whiteboard snapshots must be manually collected and organized by users.

Automated & Integrated
Automatically generates post-call reports with recordings, snapshots, notes, and AI-powered summaries.

XMReality is built to streamline the documentation workflow, saving significant administrative effort after a support session.

Custom Branding

Limited
Branding options are generally confined to the broader Microsoft 365 environment and meeting lobby.

Yes
Offers options to apply company logos and colors for a branded customer experience.

XMReality provides more direct control over branding within the remote support interface itself.

Augmented Reality (AR) Guidance

No Native AR
AR features like spatial annotations require a separate Dynamics 365 Remote Assist license.

Native AR Hands-Overlay
Experts can superimpose their hands onto the live video feed to demonstrate actions intuitively.

XMReality's built-in AR is designed for immediate, practical guidance, while Teams requires an add-on for similar, but not identical, functionality.

Integration Philosophy

Microsoft 365 Ecosystem
Deeply integrated with Microsoft's suite of applications (Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint).

API-First & No-Code Options
Provides powerful REST APIs and Zapier integration for custom workflows with various business systems (e.g., Salesforce).

XMReality is designed for flexible integration into diverse software environments, whereas Teams is strongest when kept within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Bandwidth Performance

Standard Video Conferencing Performance is dependent on stable, high-quality network conditions for clear video.

Optimized for Low Bandwidth
Features a high-quality "pause" function that sends a clear snapshot for annotation, even in poor network conditions.

XMReality includes specific features designed to overcome the real-world challenge of low-bandwidth environments common in field service.

 

Summary of Key Differences Between XMReality and MS Team

  • XMReality is a purpose-built remote guidance tool. Its key strengths lie in its superior frictionless guest access, robust smart glass support, and automated documentation. It is specifically designed for industrial and field service environments where practical, hands-on guidance is critical, even in challenging network conditions.
  • Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive communication and collaboration platform. Its primary advantage is its deep integration within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it a convenient option for organizations already heavily invested in those tools for general communication.

By choosing a tool that is purpose-built for the task, you'll empower your teams to solve problems faster, reduce downtime, and deliver a superior customer experience. Try XMReality out for yourself with our free trial, or request a demo to dive deeper into the differences with our product specialists.
View full post