08 Mar A Step-by-Step Guide To Microsoft Teams 2023 UPDATED

As a result of COVID-19, many companies are now required to adopt virtual communication platforms like Microsoft Teams to cooperate efficiently!

But how can you get started with Microsoft Teams?

After all, while Microsoft Teams is a useful tool, it can sometimes be perplexing!

This article provides a step-by-step instruction on how to utilize Microsoft Teams for your video conferencing and communication requirements to help you get started quickly. We’ll highlight the important features and price of the product to help you decide if it’s the best match for your team.

We’ll also go over three pointers to help you get the most out of Microsoft Teams!

Microsoft Teams is a Microsoft Office 365 Suite online communication and team collaboration solution. While it is mostly used for video conferencing by remote workers, it is capable of much more.

You can get support from the following groups:

Set up separate channels for various projects or teams.
Meetings should be recorded on audio and video.
You may easily share your screen with team members for in-depth explanations.
With its command box, you may quickly search through archives.
How to Make Use of Microsoft Teams (Step-by-Step Guide)
Utilizing a remote communication solution, such as Microsoft Teams, ensures that your team remains connected even if they are thousands of miles apart.

But, if you are unfamiliar with the tool, this can be difficult.

Don’t worry if this is the situation for you!

To utilize Teams correctly, simply follow this simple step-by-step instructions.

We’ll go over the actions you’ll need to do on desktop and mobile platforms:

How to Begin with Microsoft Teams
How to Form Groups and Channels
How to Construct a Video Conferencing System
How to Plan Meetings

A. How to Begin Using Microsoft Teams
Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough to get you started with Microsoft Teams:

1. Register for an account A) For desktop

Step 1: Go to the Microsoft Teams website and choose the profile icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Step 2: On the “Sign in” screen, click the “Create one!” option to create a new account.

Step 3: On the “Create account” page, type in your email address (ideally a work email address) and press the “Next” button.

Step 4: Follow the on-screen directions to create a password and enter your information on the subsequent screens.

Visit the Microsoft Teams homepage once you’ve input all of your information and validated your email to get started with the Teams web app.

A) For mobile devices

Download the app and follow the same processes as previously to establish a Microsoft account on your mobile device.

2. Install the Microsoft Teams App A) on your PC.

Step 1: Return to the Microsoft Teams web page and click on “Download Teams” at the top of your screen to download the Microsoft Teams desktop app.

Step 2: Depending on your system, click the “Download for desktop” option to get to the download URL for Mac OS or Windows.

This link will be labeled “Download Teams.”

To continue with your download, click here.

Step 3: To install Microsoft Teams, open the downloaded file and follow the instructions.

A) For mobile devices

Step 1: Download the Microsoft Teams app for iOS or the Google Play Store for Android.

Step 2: After installing the program, launch it and sign in to your Microsoft account to begin using Microsoft Teams.

A. Creating Teams and Channels
A Team in Microsoft Teams is a collection of individuals who collaborate together, typically the entire enterprise.

Meanwhile, Channels are separate dialogues that may be assigned to a department, project, or even a job.

The following are the steps for creating teams and channels in Microsoft Teams:

1. Form a group
A) For desktop computers

Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Teams app and select “Join or create a team” from the Teams sidebar on your left side.

Step 2: On the newly shown screen, click the “Create team” button.

Step 3: In the next screen, you can select:

Create a team from the ground up.
Build a new group or team from an existing Office 365 group or team.
If your team previously used Office 365 before signing up for Teams, you may have existing groups that may be imported using the “Create from…” option.

Instead, choose “Create a team from scratch.”

Step 4: Determine who will be on the Team.

Choose based on how you want your platform to be organized:

Choose Private if the team should only have a few particular members.
Public: Ideal for teams with fluctuating membership.
Org-Wide: This option is great if you want to host your whole organization as one “team” on the platform and utilize channels to split departments.

Step 5: Once you’ve decided on the sort of team you want to form, you must name it.
Choose a suitable team name, such as “Marketing” or “Social Media,” and then click the “Create” option at the bottom right.

Step 6: Your new team will now display in the Teams app’s left sidebar (“Marketing” in the screenshot below).

To add team members, click the three dots next to the team name and then select “Add member.”

You might find this article interesting too!: Phishing and Social Engineering

Step 7: Enter the names of the members you’d want to add.

If they are “guests,” such as external users from outside your company, you may instead grant them guest access via their email address.

A) For mobile devices

Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Teams application.

Step 2: At the bottom of the screen, tap the “Teams” symbol, followed by the “two persons and a plus sign” icon in the upper right. You should be sent to the Manage teams page.

Step 3: To begin, give your new team a name, a description, and privacy settings.

When you’ve formed the team, hit the three-dot “More options” symbol and choose “Add members.” To add your team members, enter their names.

To add groups of people/multiple persons at the same time, utilize the desktop or browser app.

2. Make a desktop channel A)

Now that you’ve formed a group, It’s time to start adding channels.

Microsoft Teams automatically generates a generic channel for all team members.

To add more channels, follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Select the three dots next to the Team in which you want to establish a new channel, then select the “Add channel” option.

Step 2: In the resulting pop-up window, you can:

Choose a channel name.
Add a description to the channel.
Set the privacy settings to give access to all team members or just a few.
After you’re finished with these options, click the “Add” button to create the channel.

A) For mobile devices

Step 1: At the bottom of the mobile app, click on the Teams button.

Step 2: For the team you wish to add to the channel, tap the three dots (“More choices” symbol). Next, select “Manage options.”

Step 3: Choose “Add +” to start building a new channel. If you want, give the channel a name and a description.

Step 4: Just touch “Done” to create a regular channel. To make a private channel, go to “Privacy,” pick “Private,” and then return to “Done.”

Step 5: If you selected to establish a private channel, the “add members” box will appear immediately. You may either add members at this stage or skip it and add them later.

D. Configuring Video Conferencing in Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams makes video conferencing a breeze.

Here’s how to go about it:

A) For desktop computers

Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Teams app and navigate to the team/channel with which you wish to arrange a video conference.

In the compose box, click the little camera icon.

Step 2: You can add a subject to the video conference if you wish. Then, to begin, click the “Meet now” option.

Step 3: On the video call page that displays, use the toolbar to switch on/off your camera and microphone, as well as share your screen with everyone who joins the call.

A) For mobile devices

Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Teams mobile app and navigate to the conversation with which you wish to begin a video conference.

Step 2: Tap “Video call” in the selected conversation to begin video calling. Participants can answer from any of their desktop or mobiles.

You may simply have online meetings and chats with your team members now that you know how to set up video calls!

C. How to Plan Meetings
It’s advisable to plan ahead of time for critical meetings that require everyone’s presence. People may clear their schedules for the meeting and connect it with their calendars this way.

Here’s how to set up meetings in Microsoft Teams:

A) For desktop computers

Step 1: Click the “Book a Meeting” (calendar icon) button to the right of the compose box.

Step 2: In the left pane, navigate to “Calendar” and click on “Create meeting,” which is placed at the top right.

Step 3: When you’ve chosen a time period from the calendar, a form will appear to assist you.

Step 4: Give the meeting a title, invite attendees, and provide any further information. The Scheduling Assistant can assist you in determining everyone’s availability.

Step 5: Strike “Save” to finish the procedure. An invitation will be delivered to each participant’s Outlook mailbox!

A) For mobile devices

Step 1: Touch the Calendar at the bottom of the app and proceed to “Book a meeting” in the top-right.

Step 2: Choose “Add participants” to invite everyone you require.

Step 3: Determine the meeting’s start and finish times. Also, include a description.

Step 4: Click “Done” to complete the scheduling of your Teams meeting!

Three More Microsoft Teams Features
These are three characteristics that make Teams a good communication tool for both remote and in-office teams:

1.Live occasions
The live events of teams are televised for huge audiences.

Live events, unlike video conferences and calls, are a method of communication in which audience engagement is confined to merely watching the stuff you’re putting out (like those free concerts musicians are hosting on social media).

You can do the following using Microsoft Teams:

Organize live events for up to 10,000 people.
Record live events for viewers to watch after the broadcast.
Allow for restricted access to the broadcast or make it public.

2. Text Messaging
Microsoft Teams offers an instant messaging capability to keep the team connected because it is a collaboration tool.

It enables you to:

Start a fast group chat or a video call.
Email answers from your Outlook inbox should be moved into a short chat.

Use gifs and stickers to have casual discussions.

3. Application Integrations
Microsoft Teams connects with a wide range of business products to help you communicate more effectively across many platforms.

It works with apps such as:

MeisterTask is a task management designed for agile team communication.
Boards in Azure: A project management tool that includes kanban boards, scrum boards, and dashboards.
Nimble Contacts: A CRM that allows teams to access customer information.
Price for Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is part of the Office 365 package, which offers a variety of options based on your need.

Here’s a closer look at the Teams-related plans:

Microsoft Teams (Free): Basic services such as instant messaging, audio and video chat are available.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5.00 per user per month – Provides “Microsoft Teams (Free)” services as well as video conferencing for up to 250 users.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user per month – Includes “Business Basic” functionality as well as desktop versions of MS Excel, Word, Access, and other applications.
Office 365 E3: $20.00 per user/month — Provides “Business Standard” functionality as well as unlimited file storage on OneDrive.