Microsoft Teams: Quick Start Guide for Windows Users

Banner featuring the new Microsoft Teams logo with the letter T and two person silhouettes in purple, alongside a 'NEW' label in teal, against a background of interconnected network nodes in grey.

Introduction

Welcome to the new Microsoft Teams app, the hub for teamwork in Microsoft 365. The new Teams app is faster, simpler, and more adaptable than ever, allowing you to communicate and collaborate with your colleagues with ease. Whether you need to chat, call, meet, or share files, the new Teams app has you covered.

In this KB article, you will learn how to use the new Teams app and its features, such as the Activity, Chat, Teams, Calendar, Calls, OneDrive, Meet, Settings, Profile, and Help sections. You will also find links to additional resources and support to help you make the most of Teams.

Teams interface header with (9) ellipses for settings, and (10) user profile picture and status indicator.

Teams interface showing icons labeled: (1) Activity, (2) Chat, (3) Teams, (4) Calendar, (5) Calls, (6) OneDrive, (7) Meet, and (8) Apps.

QUICK START GUIDE

  1. ACTIVITY: The Activity tab consolidates and displays all your notifications, including mentions, replies, and other important updates, in one place.
  2. CHAT: The Chat tab enables direct messaging and group conversations, facilitating private and collaborative communication among team members.
  3. TEAMS: Create teams and channels to gather people together in focused spaces with conversations and files. This tab brings up a list of all the teams you are a part of. 
  4. CALENDAR: The Calendar tab organizes and displays your meetings and appointments, integrating seamlessly with your Outlook calendar.
  5. CALLS: The Calls tab allows you to make and receive audio and video calls, offering features like voicemail and call history.
  6. ONEDRIVE: Files shared in chats, meetings, or channels are consolidated under this tab. OneDrive files will appear in a list view and can be sorted by type, name,  date, or location. 
  7. MEET: The Meet tab in facilitates the scheduling and joining of virtual meetings directly from the platform.
  8. APPS: The Apps tab in Microsoft Teams allows you to browse, add, and manage third-party apps and services to enhance your team's productivity and collaboration.
  9. SETTINGS: The Settings tab in Microsoft Teams allows you to customize your experience by adjusting preferences, notifications, and account information. It provides control over various aspects of the application to suit your needs. Essentially, it allows you to tailor Teams to better fit your workflow and personal preferences.
  10. PROFILE: Selecting your profile picture shows you a menu where you can customize your profile, find saved messages, or set your status and a message people can see when they try to reach you. 

 

 

 

Quick Links to Additional Teams KB Articles 

 

Activity
  1. Filtering Activity
  2. Notification Settings
  3. Responding to a Chat

 

Chat
  1. Managing Chats
  2. Pin Important Chats
  3. Add People to an Existing Chat
  4. Open Chat in New Window

 

Teams and Channels
  1. View and Join Teams
  2. Organize and Collaborate in Teams
  3. Manage Channel Settings and Notifications

 

Calendar
  1. Calendar Filters
  2. Create an Event or Meeting
  3. Join Meetings
  4. Respond to Meeting Invitation
  5. Scheduling Assistant

 

Calls
  1. View Call History
  2. Manage Voicemail
  3. Access and Manage Contacts
  4. Make Calls

 

OneDrive
  1. Access OneDrive
  2. Upload Files
  3. Share Files
  4. Collaborate
  5. Search for Files

 

Meet
  1. Schedule Meetings
  2. Join Meetings
  3. Meeting Details
  4. Invite Participants
  5. Instant Meetings

 

Settings
  1. General Settings
  2. Privacy Settings
  3. Appearance and Accessibility
  4. Files and Links Settings
  5. Calls Settings
  6. Captions and Transcripts
  7. Device Settings

 

Profile
  1. Set Your Status, Work Location, and Status Messages
  2. Profile Settings and Details

 

Help
  1. Navigate the Help Section

 

Additional Links

What's new in the new Teams app

                  What has changed throughout each version update

Switch to the new Microsoft Teams

                  High level step by step for chat, teams, etc

Live and on demand user training

                  More in depth training videos hosted by Microsoft Employees

Get started with Microsoft Teams

                  Get started micro videos for chat, teams, etc

 

Details

Article ID: 113745
Created
Tue 3/5/24 1:12 PM
Modified
Fri 3/8/24 4:35 PM

Related Articles (11)

Microsoft Teams: Activity for Windows Users
This is a training guide that covers the Activity section in Teams. The Activity section is a feed that shows you a summary of everything that has happened in the channels you follow, including new messages, replies, and reactions. You can filter your activity feed to show specific types of notifications and even set your status to "Do not disturb" to temporarily pause notifications. To access the Activity section, click on the Activity icon in the left-hand navigation menu.
Microsoft Teams: Calendar for Windows Users
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