How to Get Started with Microsoft Teams

Introduction

Microsoft Teams is the hub for teamwork in Microsoft 365. It brings chat, meetings, calls, files, and apps into one place so your team can work together without juggling different tools. Whether you’re joining your first team, running a meeting, or sharing files with colleagues, this guide will help you start fast and work confidently.

You’ll learn how to sign in, set up your profile, understand the layout, start chats and channels, schedule meetings, share files, and keep your notifications under control. We’ll also cover simple admin tips, mobile use, and time-saving shortcuts.

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1) Sign in and set up your profile

Install and sign in

• Desktop: Download the Teams app from Microsoft (Windows/Mac).
• Mobile: Install from the iOS App Store or Google Play.
• Web: Use Teams in a browser at teams.microsoft.com.

Sign in with your work or school Microsoft 365 account. If multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled, complete the prompt (e.g., Authenticator app or text message).

Complete your profile

• Click your avatar (top-right) > Manage account.
• Add a photo, check your display name, and set your working hours and time zone (this helps with meeting invites).
• Add a short about me or pronouns if your org enables it.

Set your status

• Click your avatar to set Available, Busy, Do not disturb, or Be right back.
• Add a Status message (e.g., “Working from home today” or “On client calls 9–12”).
• Use Focus assist (Windows) or Do Not Disturb (macOS) during deep work.

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2) Understand the Teams layout

The left sidebar (desktop and web) contains:

• Activity: Mentions, replies, reactions, and missed calls.
• Chat: 1-to-1 and small group conversations.
• Teams: Team spaces that contain channels.
• Calendar: Your meetings (syncs with Outlook).
• Calls: Dial pad, contacts, and voicemail (if your org has Teams Phone).
• Files: Recent files from OneDrive and SharePoint.

Use the Search bar at the top for people, messages, and files (press Ctrl/Cmd+E to jump there).

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3) Join or create a team

Teams are logical workspaces for groups, projects, or departments.

• Join a team:
  Go to Teams > Join or create a team. You may see discoverable teams or enter a code provided by IT.
• Create a team (if allowed):
  Choose From scratch or From an existing Microsoft 365 group.
  Pick Private (invite only) or Public (anyone in your org can join).
  Name your team and add a short description (e.g., “Marketing Campaign Q1”).

Tip: Use clear, short names (e.g., “Finance – Month End” or “Project Phoenix”).

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4) Channels: where conversations live

Each team has channels. Think of a channel as a topic or workstream.

• Standard channels: Visible to all team members.
• Private channels: Only visible to specific people within the team.
• Shared channels: Collaborate with people outside the team (and in some cases outside your org) without switching tenants (if enabled by IT).

Channel tabs

Across the top of a channel you’ll see tabs like:

• Posts (conversations)
• Files (connected to SharePoint)
• Wiki / Notes / OneNote (your org may use OneNote)
• + to add tabs (Planner/Tasks, Power BI, SharePoint pages, websites, and more)

Best practice: Create channels for major topics (e.g., “General”, “Planning”, “Design”, “Testing”) so messages and files stay organised.

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5) Post, reply, and format messages

Start a new conversation

• Go to Teams > a channel > Posts.
• Click New conversation.
• Use Format (A icon) to add headings, bullets, numbered lists, quotes, and code formatting.
• Use @mention to notify people or the whole channel (e.g., @Design Team).
• Add attachments, stickers, emojis, or loop components (collaborative checklists and tables, if enabled).

Reply in the thread

• Always click Reply under a post to keep conversations threaded.
  This prevents new posts from scattering context.

Tip: Use concise titles like “Draft v2 – feedback by Friday” to make threads easy to scan.

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6) Chat for quick conversations

Use Chat for direct messages and small groups.

• Start a chat: Chat > New chat, type names, write your message.
• Pin important chats so they stay at the top.
• Pop out a chat to a separate window (double-click the chat or use the pop-out icon).
• Share files directly into a chat; they save to OneDrive (sender’s) with permissions granted to recipients.

When to use Chat vs Channel:

• Chat: quick, short-lived, private.
• Channel: visible, searchable, part of the team’s knowledge.

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7) Files: save, share, and co-author

Teams integrates with SharePoint (for teams/channels) and OneDrive (for chats).

• Channel files live in SharePoint: Teams > Channel > Files.
• Chat files live in the sender’s OneDrive: Files > OneDrive (permissions are set automatically).

Upload and co-author

• Drag files into Files or into a message.
• Open in Teams, Open in Desktop App, or Open in Browser.
• Edit simultaneously with colleagues in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint—changes save automatically.

Version history: Right-click a file > Version history to restore older versions (SharePoint/OneDrive feature).

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8) Schedule and run meetings

Schedule a meeting

• Go to Calendar > New meeting.
• Add a title, attendees, date/time, and channel (optional; posting to a channel keeps the meeting and recording with the team).
• Use Scheduling Assistant to find a slot.
• Add an agenda in the description to keep things focused.

Join a meeting

• Click Join from Calendar, a channel post, or the meeting invite.
• Choose your camera, microphone, and background (blur or branded image).
• Use Test call in Settings > Devices to check audio/video.

Host like a pro

• Share your screen or a specific window (avoid showing notifications).
• Use PowerPoint Live to present slides with speaker notes only you can see.
• Turn on Live captions for accessibility.
• Manage participation: Participants panel > Mute all, Allow mic/camera, Meeting options for lobby, presenters, and who can record.
• Use Raise hand, Reactions, and Chat for questions.
• Record the meeting (if policy allows). Recording and transcript are saved to OneDrive/SharePoint and linked in the chat/channel.

Security tip: For external attendees, check Who can bypass the lobby and Who can present in Meeting options.

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9) Calls and voicemail (if enabled)

If your organisation uses Teams Phone:

• Access Calls in the left rail.
• Use the Dial pad, view history, manage contacts, and check voicemail.
• Set call queues, forwarding, and simultaneous ring in Settings > Calls.

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10) Control your notifications

Stay informed without overload.

• Channel notifications:
  Go to a channel > More options (⋯) > Channel notifications. Pick All activity, Mentions, or Custom.
• Personal notifications:
  Click your avatar > Settings > Notifications. Decide how you’re alerted for mentions, replies, reactions, missed calls, and meeting reminders.
• Quiet hours/Quiet days (mobile):
  In the mobile app settings, set times when Teams won’t notify you.

Pro tip: Follow (or unfollow) channels to match your role and focus.

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11) Add tabs and apps to work smarter

Bring tools into the place where you chat and meet:

• In any channel or chat, click + to add tabs like Tasks by Planner, OneNote, Power BI, SharePoint pages, Forms, Website, and more.
• Pin your most used apps on the left rail: Apps > find the app > Add.
• Use Approvals, Approvals templates, and Lists for lightweight processes.

Tip: Keep tabs tidy—name them clearly and remove or archive unused ones.

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12) Manage guests and external collaboration (admin-aware)

Your organisation may allow guest access (people with external email accounts) or external access (B2B chat/meetings). If you invite guests:

• Add them to a team or shared channel.
• Share files in the team/channel so permissions are handled by SharePoint.
• Label sensitive content with your organisation’s sensitivity labels (if enabled) for encryption and sharing rules.

Always follow your company’s data policy.

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13) Mobile app essentials

The mobile app is great for quick replies, calls, and meetings on the go.

• Join meetings with audio-only to save data.
• Share photos or scan documents directly into a channel or chat.
• Use Quiet hours to protect your personal time.

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14) Troubleshooting basics

• No audio/video: Check Settings > Devices; select the right mic/speakers/camera and run a Test call.
• Can’t find a file: Use the top Search bar; filter by Files. Also check the right team/channel.
• Meeting lag: Turn off HD video or close other heavy apps; use a wired connection if possible.
• Permissions: If you can’t share your screen or record, ask IT—your policy may restrict it.
• Reinstall/clear cache (as a last resort) if the app gets stuck.

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15) Time-saving shortcuts (Windows/Mac)

• Search: Ctrl/Cmd + E
• Start new chat: Ctrl/Cmd + N
• Toggle mute: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M
• Toggle video: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + O
• Raise hand: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + K
• Share screen: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E
• Open Settings: Ctrl/Cmd + ,

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16) Best-practice checklist

• Use channels (not huge group chats) for work that needs visibility and searchability.
• Keep threads tidy: Reply under the original post.
• Use clear post titles, @mentions, and due dates in messages.
• Store files in channel Files so the whole team can find them later.
• Record and summarise meetings with actions/owners.
• Tune your notifications so you see what matters.
• Use tabs and apps to keep work in one place.
• Respect privacy and security—share only what’s needed.

Conclusion

Microsoft Teams brings your people, conversations, meetings, and files together in one workspace. With a few simple habits—posting in channels, sharing files in the right place, scheduling structured meetings, and managing notifications—you’ll work faster and communicate more clearly.

Ready to level up with hands-on guidance and pro tips? Join our expert-led course:

• Microsoft Teams (Instructor-Led) – Practical training on Teams fundamentals, meetings and webinars, channels and file governance, best-practice collaboration, and productivity shortcuts.

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