Getting Started with Microsoft Teams

Table of contents

• First steps

  • Initial setup

  • Helpful links

• Basic features

  • Teams and channels

  • Participating in a Teams meeting

  • Creating a Team

  • Calendar

  • Chat

First steps

• What is Microsoft Teams?

• Microsoft Teams Demo (video hosted on Panopto)

• Video training series

Initial setup

• To get the most out of Teams, you should install the  Microsoft Teams app  on your computer. The installation works on both University-owned and personal computers. Mobile versions also are available from the Apple and Google Play stores.

• If you must access Teams in a web browser, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox. Log into  teams.ohio.edu  with your OHIO email address and password.

• On Mac devices, make sure to allow Teams access to your camera and microphone if it asks. This is needed for video/audio chats and remote meetings. 

• You can also  change the settings in Microsoft Teams  to suit your individual needs.  

Helpful links

• Start a chat with someone

• Join a Teams Meeting

• Explore the Activity feed

• Email someone from Teams

• See who's online

• Invite people to use Teams

• Use tabs in chats

• Use @mentions to get someone's attention

• Private channels in a Team

Basic features

Teams and channels

• A  Team is a place in the Microsoft Teams app for a group of people to collaborate inside of channels. 

• A  channel is a dedicated section within a Team to keep conversations and files organized. Everyone on a Team has access to each of the Team's channels. 

Participating in a Teams meeting

• Select  Join to get started. Once you have joined, you will see the other participants when they have joined. 

• Each meeting has a chat that participants can use if they do not have a microphone. 

• You can  share content in a meeting , including: 

  • Your desktop screen 

  • A specific window you have open 

  • A PowerPoint or other file 

  • The  Whiteboard  (OIT recommends using a device with a touch screen) 

• You can  record meetings , and  play and share  them afterward. 

• You can add participants after a meeting has started. 

• Use the Mute Allfunctionality to help reduce unwanted noise. (Don't worry: participants will be able to un-mute themselves if they need to.) 

  • Participants who join the meeting after it has started will be prompted to mute themselves so they don't disturb the meeting in progress. 

Creating a Team

Like the sound of having a Team? Follow the directions to request a Team . 

• Pros: 

  • You have a ready-made group of people to text and video chat with

  • You can organize chat conversations by topic (e.g. by unit, project, homework, etc.) 

  • You can have a Teams meeting in a channel, which is automatically available to all members of the Team 

  • Everything you need for a particular group of people is all in one place

• Cons: 

  • You have to  manually request the creation of a Team. 

    • Note: If you are requesting a Team for an OHIO course, you can use the self-service  Team Auto Creation form  to create the Team right away. 

  • You have to manually add each of the Team members yourself (but once you've done it once, you're done!). 

    • Note: If you are requesting a Team for an OHIO course, we are able to add your students for you automatically. 

Calendar

• Your Teams Calendar is linked with your Outlook Calendar. Anything you put in one automatically appears in the other.  

• From the calendar, you can schedule Teams meetings, which will create a meeting link that you can share with others. 

  • You must add at least one attendee for a meeting link to be generated. (You can add your own OHIO email if you plan to just share the link with others rather than invite them as attendees.) 

  • The meeting will also create a phone number for people to join via phone call. 

• You can invite anyone to a meeting from anywhere with a valid email address, even if they do not have Microsoft Teams. 

  • Attendees do not need to have the Teams app installed to join and participate in the meeting. However, OIT recommends everyone install the Teams app for the best possible experience. 

Chat

• You can start a chat with anyone at Ohio University. They do not need to be a part of your Team. 

• You can start chats with multiple people as well, and you can name those chats for easy identification. 

• You can also  start a video call from a chat  and  share content  (such as files or your screen) once the call has started. 

  • Mac users: For video calls, you may need to update your security settings to allow Teams to access your camera

    • Mojave (Mac OS 10.14) instructions

    • Catalina (Mac OS 10.15) instructions

Get help from OIT

• Visit the Microsoft Teams page to create a ticket

• Visit the Help and Resources article for further assistance with Microsoft Teams

• Visit the Technology Resources and Training page for an OIT training

Additional resources

• Visit  Microsoft Teams help & learning  page for learning opportunities directly from Microsoft