Microsoft Teams (opens new tab) allows workers to easily check in with clients, colleagues, and partners.
Teams is more than a way to make video calls. It offers a variety of features that individuals can enjoy. These features include channel-based work, customizable alerts and audio conferencing. Screen-sharing is another option.
To remain competitive against the likes Google Meet and Zoom, Microsoft has continually updated Teams over the past year, adding features such as locked meetings, automatic recordings and AI-powered live transcribing. The updates appear to have paid off, with Teams almost doubling its user numbers between April 2020 and the same time this year, reaching href=”https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033742/worldwide-microsoft-teams-daily-and-monthly-users/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20daily%20active,million%20as%20of%20April%202021.&text=Microsoft%20Teams%20is%20part%20of,services%20launched%20in%20July%202017. “>145 million users (opens in a new tab).
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Many people will access Teams via its desktop app (or the smartphone app), but the easiest way to use the platform is through your browser (opens new tab). This guide will help you learn how to use Microsoft Teams online if you are not an experienced user of Teams or if you’re migrating to it from another video conferencing tool.
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Step 1: Go to the Team’s website
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The first step in using Microsoft Teams online is to visit the correct URL. Open your browser and navigate to the following link Teams.microsoft.com (opens new tab). You could also type “Microsoft Teams Online” into the search engine of your choice. Teams is supported in a number of browsers (opens new tab).
Step 2: Sign up/sign in
(Image credit: Microsoft)
After you have reached the Microsoft Teams webclient, you will be asked for your Teams credentials. Signing up for the software may be necessary if this is your first use of the program. If you don’t already have one, you will need to create a Microsoft Account. Simply enter your Microsoft account name (opens in new window) and password.
Step Three: Select your Teams environment
Sometimes it is forgotten that Microsoft Teams can be used for more than just the office worker. One of the first questions Team users will receive is “At a School, with friends and family, or in a business” While each environment will have its own unique characteristics, the technology behind the software will be the same.
Step 4: Create a video chat
(Image credit: Microsoft)
When people search for a video conferencing tool such as Microsoft Teams, the first thing they think about is making a video conference. This is easy to do with the web app.
Users can click on “Meet Now” to instantly start a meeting. Users will be able to choose a meeting name, and they’ll also receive a link that can be shared with others. Then, click “Start meeting” to start engaging with colleagues and friends remotely.
You won’t want to open a meeting right away unless you and your fellow participants are very flexible. It’s likely that you will want to schedule another meeting. Click “New Meeting” to open a new page where you can set up your meeting details. Fill in details such as the meeting tile, date and time. The invitation will be sent to them and they can then wait for the meeting’s start.
Step 5: Form your team
Microsoft Teams has a core feature that allows you to create a team. It is easy to use existing Microsoft 365 groups to create new teams. You can also create one from scratch.
Once you have formed your team you can make it private, public or org-wide. The next step is to give your team a name and a description. Once your team has been created, it will be added to the Team list. You can view the members of your team and any activity.
Step Six: Create a channel
Users of Microsoft Teams online might also wish to create a channel, similar to creating a team. These are conversations you have with your team members, each channel being dedicated for a particular topic, department or project.
A channel must have a title, description, and you can also set it private or standard, just like a team. To create a standard channel user must first visit the team listing. Click on the team name you are interested in and then click “More Options” followed by “Add Channel”. Over the life of a team you can create as many as 200 channels, including those channels that you delete or create.
A private channel is a way to have a conversation with someone on your team without sharing it with others. It is only accessible by the owners and members of the channel. This makes it an ideal place to discuss sensitive topics such as budgets, HR issues, and so on. A team can have up to 30 channels.
After creating your channel, you can upload posts, load files and interact with other members of the team. This is a great way to keep your interactions separate from the general team interactions.
Step Seven: Turn on notifications
There are pros and cons to Team online. The web version has a limited functionality compared to the mobile and desktop apps. You are less likely to experience sign-in problems.
Turn on notifications if you don’t want to miss out on Team interactions when you use the web version. These notifications will be displayed in the tab that you use Teams. Some browsers also provide desktop notifications, provided you have enabled teams.microsoft.com in your browser notification settings.
