How to Use Microsoft Teams Step-by-Step for Beginners

Find out how to use Microsoft Teams, from start to finish. You’ll learn how to sign up, what devices it works on, and how to start using Teams for meetings, private chat, file sharing, and calendar scheduling. Whether you’re on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, or just using a browser, these beginner-friendly instructions for using Microsoft Teams will walk you through it all step by step.

How to Use Microsoft Teams from Start to Finish

What Is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform used for chat, video calls, file sharing, and team management. It is widely used by businesses, schools, and remote teams to stay organized and communicate in real time.

No matter if you’re using Teams for work or study, it supports private messaging, video conferencing, and document collaboration across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web browsers.

Getting Started with Teams

To begin using Teams, follow these steps:

• Download and install Microsoft Teams on your device or visit teams.microsoft.com to use the Web version.
• Sign in with your Microsoft account, or create a free one.
• You can also use Teams in supported browsers like Edge or Chrome without downloading anything.

If you’re using a Chromebook, follow this guide on how to use Microsoft Teams on Chromebook. For Android users, see our full walkthrough on how to install and set up Teams on Android.

Once logged in, you’ll see tabs like Activity, Chat, Teams, Calendar, and Files. You can set your status (Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb) by clicking your profile picture at the top right.

Creating and Managing Teams

A Team is a workspace for a group such as a department, project group, or class.

To create a new team:

1. Click the Teams tab
2. Select Join or create a team
3. Click Create team, then choose to start from scratch or from an existing group
4. Name your team, add members, and set privacy options

You can also join existing teams with a code or an invite link.

Organizing Work with Channels

Each team can include multiple Channels, which help organize conversations by topic.

To add a channel:

• Click the ••• next to the team name
• Choose Add channel
• Name the channel and set privacy (Standard or Private)

Channels include tabs for Posts, Files, and Meetings. Use them to keep discussions focused and content organized.

Using Private and Group Chats

The Chat feature allows direct messaging between individuals or small groups.

To start a chat:

1. Click the Chat tab
2. Select the New chat icon
3. Enter names and begin messaging

You can also start voice or video calls, share files, and schedule meetings within any chat. Use @mentions to get someone’s attention, and view read receipts to confirm messages were seen.

Scheduling and Joining Meetings

The built-in Calendar helps you organize and join meetings easily.

To create a meeting:

1. Go to the Calendar tab
2. Click New meeting
3. Add a title, invite participants, set the time and date
4. Click Save to send invites

In meetings, you can:

• Share your screen
• Use chat and reactions
• Enable live captions
• Record the meeting for future playback
• Start a Microsoft Whiteboard for collaborative brainstorming

If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can still join a Teams meeting without signing in. Want to join from an Android phone? Here’s how to create or join a Teams meeting on Android.

Sharing Files and Collaborating on Documents

Microsoft Teams makes it easy to upload and work on files with your team.

• Use the Attach icon in any chat or channel to upload files
• Files shared in chats are stored in OneDrive
• Files shared in channels go to SharePoint

You can collaborate in real time on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents without leaving Teams.

Using the Whiteboard

To create a shared space for drawing or planning:

• Click Share during a meeting
• Select Microsoft Whiteboard
• Everyone can sketch, write, or draw together

This tool is perfect for brainstorming, diagrams, or visual explanations.

Managing Presence and Notifications

You can control how and when you appear available to others.

• Click your profile image to set your status manually (Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb, etc.)
• Add a custom status message if needed
• Go to Settings > Notifications to control alerts for chats, mentions, and meetings

Presence indicators let others know your availability, and read receipts give you insight into message delivery.

How to Use Microsoft Teams Integrations and Advanced Features

Microsoft Teams becomes even more powerful when you connect it with Microsoft 365 apps and third-party tools. Here’s how to make the most of these features.

Microsoft 365 Integrations

• Outlook: Use Outlook to schedule or join Teams meetings directly from your calendar.
• OneDrive: Access and edit files shared in chats through the Files tab or OneDrive.
• SharePoint: Open channel files in SharePoint to manage folders and permissions.
• Planner and Tasks: Add the Tasks by Planner and To Do tab to track assignments in channels.
• Power BI: Use the + button in a channel to embed live Power BI dashboards.
• Power Automate: Automate tasks such as posting a message when a form is submitted or syncing calendars.

Third-Party App Integrations

• Project management: Install apps like Trello, Asana, or Jira from the Apps menu
• CRM tools: Connect Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho to manage leads and customers inside Teams
• Cloud storage: Go to Files > Add cloud storage to connect Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box
• Bots and productivity tools: Add Polly for polls, Karma for peer feedback, or other helpful bots to automate tasks and improve engagement

Advanced Capabilities

• Whiteboard: Share and draw in meetings for group collaboration
• Breakout rooms: Divide large meetings into smaller sessions by clicking Breakout rooms in the meeting toolbar
• Webinars and live events: Schedule a Webinar from the Calendar tab to manage registrations and run professional presentations
• Custom tabs: Pin important tools like apps, files, or websites to any channel using the + icon
• Power Apps: Build or connect low-code apps using Power Apps and add them as tabs inside your workspace

If you’re using a Linux machine, follow this guide to install Microsoft Teams on Linux. If you’re an administrator, we have a great article on how to log in and use Microsoft Teams Admin Center, so feel free to check it out.

Conclusion

Using Microsoft Teams effectively means more than just sending messages or joining meetings. Once you understand how to create teams, manage channels, collaborate on files, and connect third-party tools, Teams can become a useful digital hub for productivity and collabs.

FAQs