Microsoft Teams basics

Chats vs. channels

• Chat: private conversations with one person or a small group
• Teams and channels: shared spaces for a department or project, where conversations and files are visible to all members

Start a chat or call

1. Click Chat on the left side of Teams.
2. Click the New chat icon and type a name.
3. Type your message, or click the video or phone icon to call.

Schedule a meeting

1. Click Calendar, then New meeting.
2. Add a title, attendees and time.
3. Click Save. A Teams link is added to the invitation automatically.

Tips for better meetings

• Join a minute early to test your camera and microphone
• Mute yourself when you are not speaking
• Use Share to present a single window instead of your whole screen
• Use background blur to keep your space private

Files in Teams

Files posted in a channel are stored in SharePoint and available to everyone in that team under the Files tab. Edit them directly in Teams instead of downloading copies.

Still need help?

If these steps did not solve the problem, our team is ready to help.