Microsoft Teams: Settings for Windows Users

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

Additional Links

Quick Links

Settings

The Settings section in the new Microsoft Teams allows you to customize and configure various aspects of the application to suit your needs. In the Settings section, you can manage your general settings, privacy settings, appearance and accessibility settings, files and links settings, calls settings, captions and transcripts settings, and devices settings. You can also access the app settings to customize your Teams experience.

1. Access Settings: Click on the ellipses (…) next to your profile picture or initials at the top right corner of the Teams window. This will open a dropdown menu.
2. Open Settings: From the dropdown menu, select "Settings". This action will open the Settings window, where you can adjust various preferences related to Teams.

General Settings

1. General Settings: In the Settings window, look for a tab labeled "General". Click on it to access general settings options.
2. Adjust General Preferences: Within the General section, you’ll find a variety of settings to customize. 

Privacy Settings

You can choose who can contact you directly, who can find you in search, and who can mention you in group chats. You can also manage your blocked contacts and data settings.

1. Navigate to Privacy Settings: Look for a tab or section labeled "Privacy" within the Settings window. Click on it to view and adjust your privacy settings.
2. Adjust Privacy Preferences: Within the Privacy section, you'll find various options to manage your privacy settings. These might include:
   • Managing your contact list: Control who can contact you directly.
   • Read receipts: Choose whether to send read receipts for messages you've seen.
   • Mentions: Adjust settings related to how others can mention you in chats and team conversations.
   • Blocking: View and manage a list of blocked contacts, if applicable.
   • Tagging: Control settings for how you can be tagged in posts and notifications.

Appearance and Accessibility

1. Navigate to Appearance and Accessibility: In the Settings window, look for the "Appearance and Accessibility" tab or section and click on it.
2. Adjust Appearance Settings:
   • Theme: Within the General settings, you can select your preferred theme. Options usually include “Default”, “Dark”, and “High contrast”. Choose the one that best suits your visual preference for a comfortable viewing experience.
   • Chat Density: The new Teams allows you to adjust the scaling or font size for better readability. Look for any options labeled "Comfy" or "Compact".
   • Layout: This choice allows users to select the layout that best suits their preference for visual organization and accessibility.
     1. Grid: Arranges items (such as teams, channels, or OneDrive files) in a series of rows and columns, offering a more graphical overview with larger icons and potentially thumbnails. 
     2. List: Presents items in a single column with smaller icons and more compact information, focusing on text details for efficiency and easier navigation through longer lists.
   • Language: Select your primary language.
   • Translation: Select a language from the dropdown to translate messages from your primary language.
     1. After selecting a language translation, you can right click on a message and select “Translate”. The message will now appear in the selected language.

Files and Links Settings

To manage your files and links settings, click on the Files and links tab in the Settings window. You can choose how to open files and links, such as in Teams, in the browser, or in the desktop app. You can also manage your download location and file preview settings.

Calls Settings

To manage your calls settings, click on the Calls tab in the Settings window. You can choose your voicemail greeting, call answering rules, call forwarding options, and call park settings. You can also manage your secondary ringer and caller ID settings.

Captions and Transcripts

To manage your captions and transcripts settings, click on the Captions and transcripts tab in the Settings window. You can also enable or disable features such as speaker attribution, profanity filtering, and "always on" toggle for live captions in meetings.

Device Settings

1. Navigate to Devices: In the Settings window, look for a tab or section labeled "Devices". Click on it to access the device settings options.
2. Check and Select Your Devices: Within the Devices section, you'll find options to configure your:
   • Camera: If you have more than one camera connected, select the one you wish to use for video calls and meetings.
   • Microphone: Choose your preferred microphone from the list of available devices. This is crucial for ensuring clear audio quality during calls.
   • Speakers: Select the speakers or headphones you want to use for audio output. You can test the speaker to ensure it’s working correctly.
3. Test Call: Teams often provides a feature to make a test call to check the setup of your audio devices. This can help ensure that your microphone and speakers are working properly and that your network settings are optimized for Teams calls.
4. Configure Additional Settings: Look for additional settings that include noise suppression, automatically adjusting mic sensitivity, and enabling high-fidelity music mode. Adjust these settings based on your preferences and needs.

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

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