Microsoft Teams is a powerful communication and collaboration tool that can help your business work more efficiently. However, it can be tricky to figure out how to use all of its features.

In this blog post, we will provide a beginner’s guide to using Microsoft Teams. We will cover the basics of how to create a team, how to send messages and collaborate with others, and how to use some of the more advanced features.

WHAT IS MICROSOFT TEAMS?

Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based chat and collaboration platform that combines the power of Microsoft Office 365 with the ability to easily connect with co-workers and business partners.

It’s designed to help businesses improve communication and collaboration among employees, customers, and partners. Microsoft Teams offers a variety of features that can be used to streamline workflows, including real-time chat, file sharing, video conferencing, and more. It’s also integrated with a number of other productivity tools, such as OneDrive.

This makes it easy to keep all your work in one central location and access it from anywhere. Teams is available on both desktop and mobile devices, making it convenient for employees to stay connected and collaborate no matter where they are.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Getting started with Teams is easy. All you need to do is create a free account. You can do this by visiting the Microsoft Teams website and clicking on the “Sign up for free” button. Simply follow their registration guide and you’ll have an account setup in a few minutes.

Once you have created your account, you will be able to download their desktop app or mobile app and invite others to join your team. You can also add apps and integrations to help your team work more efficiently.

If you already have a Microsoft account, simply download the Microsoft Teams desktop app or mobile app and sign in with your Office 365 account.

CREATING A TEAM

If you’re working on a project with a group of people, Microsoft Teams is a great way to collaborate. You can create a team for your project, and add all the members of your group to that team. That way, everyone has access to the same files and conversations, and you can easily keep track of what’s going on.

Here are four easy steps to create a team:

1. To create a team on Microsoft Teams, first go to the Teams tab at the top of the screen. Then, click “Join or create a team” at the bottom right corner.
2. Click ‘Create team’ on the left panel and enter a name for your team and a description, then click “Create.”
3. Once your team is created, you can invite members by clicking the “Add members” button.
4. You can add people to your team by inviting them via email or by entering their name or email address into the search bar, then click “Add.”
5. Once the recipient accepts your invitation to join the team, you’ll be able to start collaborating.

Microsoft Teams makes it easy to share files, have conversations, and stay up-to-date on what’s going on.

Public teams are visible to everyone in your organisation, while private teams are only visible to members of the team. You can also invite other people to join your private team if you want them to have access to its files and chats.

If you want to add someone to your team, click the “+” button in the chat window and select “Invite People”. You can then enter the name or email address of the person that you want to add.

MAKING CALLS ON MICROSOFT TEAMS

As a collaboration platform, you can use Microsoft Teams to chat, make video calls, and share files. You can also use it to make calls to landlines and mobile phones, if you have the right calling plan enabled.

There are a few different ways that you can make free conference calls using Microsoft Teams. The first way is to use video calling which enables you to video chat with other Teams users over the internet. There is also an audio-conferencing feature within Teams. This feature allows you to dial into a conference call from any phone, and it also includes features like caller ID, call waiting, and voicemail.

It’s free to use audio conferencing with other Microsoft Teams users, but if you’d like to make regular phone calls, you will need to buy a calling plan. Microsoft offers a Domestic Calling Plan, an International Calling Plan, and a Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan.

To learn more about the calling plans and how you can buy a plan, please visit Microsoft’s official page here.

Here are four simple steps for making a phone call on Microsoft Teams:

1. First, open the Microsoft Teams app on your computer or mobile device. Then, sign in with your work or school account.
2. Make sure that you have the right calling plan which will enable you to make phone calls from Teams.
3. Once you’re signed in, click on the “Calls” tab at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up your recent calls and your contact list.
4. To add a new contact to your list, click on ‘Add contact’ on the top right and enter the recipient’s name or number.
5. Once you’ve entered their details, they will be added to your list where you can then click on the ‘phone button’ to initiate a call.

Creating an audio conference in Microsoft Teams is easy and free! Here’s how:

1. Go to the “Meetings” tab in Microsoft Teams.
2. Click on the “Create a Meeting” button.
3. Enter the details of your meeting, including the participants (Microsoft Teams will automatically add them to the conference).
4. Click on the “Start Meeting” button.
5. Start talking! All participants will be able to hear each other through their computer’s speakers or headphones.

That’s all there is to it! Creating an audio conference in Microsoft Teams is quick, easy, and best of all, free!

SCHEDULING MEETINGS

Did you know that you can schedule meetings in Microsoft Teams? It’s easy to do and only takes a few steps. Here’s how:

1. Open the Microsoft Teams app and click on the “Calendar” tab.
2. Click on the “New Meeting” button.
3. Enter the required information such as the meeting subject, date, time, and attendees.
4. Click on the “Schedule” button to save your meeting.

Once you’ve scheduled a meeting, if you have an outlook account, your meeting invite should automatically appear in your calendar. From there, you can easily access the meeting invite and join the meeting.

CHATTING ON MICROSOFT TEAMS

You can use Teams to have real-time conversations with your colleagues, share files and resources, and stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your work.

Here are the steps for using the chat feature in Microsoft Teams:

1. Click on the “Chat” tab in the left sidebar of your screen.
2. In the “To:” field, type in the name or email address of the person you want to chat with.
3. Type your message in the box below and hit “Enter” to send it.
4. To add an emoji to your message, click on the smiley face icon next to the “Send” button.
5. To upload a file, click on the paperclip icon next to the “Send” button.

To start a video call, click on the video camera icon next to the “Send” button, and to end a chat, click on the “X” in the top right corner of the chat window.

Once you’ve sent a message, Teams will automatically add the recipient to the ‘Recent’ chat log on the right side. From here, you can easily resume your conversations.

SHARING FILES ON TEAMS

There are a few different ways that you can share files on Microsoft Teams. You can either use the “Attach file” option in the compose box when you message someone, or you can use the “Files” tab in the channel.

The “Attach file” option is the quickest way to share a single file. Simply start a message to your recipient and click on the paperclip icon in the compose box. Then, select the file that you want to attach and the file will be uploaded and shared in the conversation.

If you want to share multiple files, or if you want to keep a file in the channel for future reference, you can use the “Files” tab. To upload a file, click on the “Files” tab and then select the “Upload” option. You can either drag-and-drop files into the window, or you can select them from your computer. Once the files are uploaded, they will be visible to everyone in the channel.

You can also use the “Files” tab to create a new folder. To do this, click on the “New folder” option and give the folder a name. Then, you can upload files into that folder just like you would any other folder.

SHARING FILES FROM ONEDRIVE

If you want to share a file from OneDrive, you can use the “Share from OneDrive” option. This will open up a window where you can select the file that you want to share. Once you’ve selected the file, it will be shared in the conversation just like any other file.

You can also use Microsoft Teams to share files with people outside of your organisation. To do this, click on the “Share” icon in the top-right corner of the screen. This will open up a window where you can enter the email address of the person that you want to share the file with. Once you’ve entered their email address, they will receive an email with a link to the file.

ADVANCED FEATURES IN MICROSOFT TEAMS

Did you know that there are even more advanced features and capabilities that you can take advantage of in Microsoft Teams? To keep things simple in this article, we’ll just be introducing you to these features and we’ll create another article in the future that will go into more depth to cover these advanced features.

CONNECTORS

One of the most powerful features in Microsoft Teams is its ability to integrate with other applications and services. With the help of so-called “connectors,” you can connect Teams to a wide range of different apps and services, including Twitter, Facebook, Dropbox, and more. This allows you to receive updates and notifications from these services right within Teams, making it easier to stay on top of what’s going on.

CUSTOM BOTS

Another useful feature in Teams is its support for custom bots. Bots are essentially small programs that can perform various tasks, such as answering questions or providing information. You can find a wide variety of different bots that have been created by third-party developers in the Microsoft App Store, or you can even create your own custom bot using the Bot Framework from Microsoft.

PLUGINS OR ADD-ONS

Finally, one of the most under-utilised features in Teams is its support for third-party plugins. There are a number of different plugins that you can install on your Teams instance that will add new features and functionality. For example, there are plugins that allow you to integrate Teams with popular project management tools like Trello, or add support for popular chat clients like Slack.

These are just a few of the advanced features that you can take advantage of in Microsoft Teams. By taking the time to explore all that Teams has to offer, you’ll be sure to find even more ways to make it an indispensable part of your work.

CONTACT US FOR BUSINESS MICROSOFT TEAMS

If you’re looking to switch to Microsoft Teams and you need a specialist who can help, get in touch with us today. With years of experience in supporting businesses, we have the knowledge to help you get set up with the best Microsoft Teams support.

Call us on 01384 887733 or drop us an email at sales@wearemint.tech.