Microsoft Teams Quick Start

Sign in to Teams

1. Start Teams.
   • In Windows, click Start  > Microsoft Teams.
   • On Mac, go to the Applications folder and click Microsoft Teams.
   • On mobile, tap the Teams icon.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 username and password.

Pick a team and channel

A team is a collection of people, conversations, files, and tools — all in one place. A channel is a discussion in a team, dedicated to a department, project, or topic.

The best way to get familiar with teams and channels is to pick a team and channel and start exploring!

1. Select Teams  on the left side of the app and then pick a team.

   If you’re not on a team and want to create one, see Onboard your teams.

2. Select a channel and explore the Conversations, Files, and other tabs.

Start a new conversation…

…with the whole team

1. Select Teams , then pick a team and a channel.

2. Select New conversation.

3. In the box where you type your message, say what’s on your mind and select Send .

…with a person or group

1. Select Chat > New chat .

2. In the To field, type the name of the person or people you want to chat with.

3. In the box where you type your message, say what’s on your mind and select Send .

Reply to a conversation

Channel conversations are organized by date and then threaded. The replies in threads are organized under the initial post so it’s easier to follow multiple conversations. 

1. Find the conversation thread you want to reply to.

2. Select Reply, add your message, and select Send .

Have fun with emoji, memes, and GIFs

Express yourself and impress your coworkers!

• Select Sticker  under the box where you type your message, then pick a meme or sticker from one of the categories.

The Sticker  catalog contains a wide variety of customizable stickers and memes — you can even upload your own! Check out Emoji  for smiley faces and Giphy  for animated GIFs.

Share a file

Sometimes words aren’t enough, and you need to post a file to a channel conversation.

1. In your channel conversation, select 
   Attach  under the box where you type your message.

2. Select from these options:

   • Recent

   • Browse Teams and Channels

   • OneDrive

   • Upload from my computer

3. Select a file > Share a link.

   If you’re uploading a file from your computer, select a file, select Open, and then select Send .

You can always see all the files you post to a channel by going to the Files tab.

@mention someone

An @mention is like a tap on the shoulder—a way to get someone’s attention in a channel conversation or a chat.

1. In the box where you type your message, type @, then type the first few letters of the person’s name. You can also @mention entire teams and channels.

2. Select the person. Repeat for as many people as you want to @mention.

Each person you @mention gets a notification in their Activity feed. Check for a red circle next to Activity  right now to see if someone has @mentioned you!

Stay on top of things

Notifications let you know when someone @mentions you, likes something you’ve posted, or replies to a thread you started. The Activity feed helps you stay on top of all your notifications.

1. Select Activity .

2. Feed shows you a summary of everything that’s happened in the channels you follow.

   • Select Filter  to show only certain types of notifications such as @mentions or reactions.

   • Select Feed > My Activity to see a list of everything you’ve been up to lately in Teams.