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Microsoft Teams (often abbreviated as MS Teams) is a collaboration platform developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity tools and is designed to facilitate communication and collaboration within UMBC.
Getting Started with Microsoft Teams
To maximize your Teams experience, installing the Microsoft Teams application on your computer, whether a University-owned or personal device, is recommended. Mobile versions are additionally accessible through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
If accessing Teams via a web browser is necessary, we suggest using Chrome or Firefox. Simply log in to UMBC Teams using your UMBC email address and password.
For Mac users, grant Teams permission to access your camera and microphone when prompted; this is essential for video/audio calls and remote meetings.
Customize your Microsoft Teams settings to align with your specific preferences ↗︎ for an enhanced user experience.
External Microsoft Teams Resources
Links marked with a ↗︎ symbol go to Microsoft Teams documentation.
How to download Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is available for download and installation on various platforms, including Windows, ↗︎ macOS, ↗︎ iOS, ↗︎ and Android. ↗︎ If you don't want to install the application, you can also use the web version of Microsoft Teams. ↗︎
Microsoft Teams Chats and Channels
Teams and Channels
A Team serves as a designated space within the Microsoft Teams application where a group of individuals can collaborate through channels.
A Channel is a space within a Team to keep conversations and files. Every member of a Team has access to all of the Team's channels.
Join a Teams meeting
Join a Microsoft Teams meeting ↗︎ from your calendar, or sign in as a guest on the web.
Join a Teams meeting from the app
From your Calendar, select Join on a meeting before it's started or one that's in progress.
Turn on your camera, select Background filters, and choose how you'd like to appear:
Select a custom background.
Select Blur.
Choose your audio settings.
Select Join now.
Join a Teams meeting on the web
Don't have the Teams app? You can still join a Teams meeting. ↗︎
In your email invite, select Click here to join the meeting.
You can also use a dial-in number and conference ID from the email to call in.
You have three choices:
Download the Windows app: Download the Teams desktop app.
Continue on this browser: Join a Teams meeting on the web.
Open your Teams app: If you already have the Teams app, go right to your meeting.
Type your name.
Choose your audio and video settings.
Select Join now.
Depending on the meeting settings, you'll get in immediately or go to a lobby where someone in the meeting will admit you.
Participating in a Teams meeting
In Microsoft Teams, you can show your desktop, a specific app, a whiteboard, or a presentation in a meeting. ↗︎
Preview your video
Enhance and customize your meeting experience in Microsoft Teams with these audio, video, and collaboration tips.
When you're in a meeting, preview your video before you turn on your camera:
Hover over Turn camera on to preview your video.
Preview how you'd like to appear:
Select Blur my background to blur your background.
Select More background effects to preview a custom background or add your own.
When you're ready, select Apply and turn on video.
Share your screen
Select Share content ↗︎ and choose if you want to share your computer audio.
Select what you want to share:
The screen lets you show everything on your screen.
PowerPoint Live lets you share a PowerPoint presentation.
Microsoft Whiteboard and Freehand by Invision lets you share a whiteboard where participants can sketch together.
The window lets you share an open window like a specific app you have open.
After you select what you want to show, a red border surrounds what you're sharing.
Meeting participants won't see any notifications that might come in.
Select Stop sharing to stop showing your screen.
Manage meetings
View, schedule, and manage appointments and meetings ↗︎ in Microsoft Teams to keep your team on track.
View meetings
Select Calendar to view your appointments and meetings for the day or work week.
These appointments stay synchronized with your Outlook calendar.
Select a meeting invite to see what the meeting's about, who's attending, and to respond to the meeting.
Schedule a meeting
Select New meeting.
Type in a meeting title and enter a location.
An online meeting is created by default.
Choose a start and end time, and add details if needed.
Enter names in the Invite people box to add them to the meeting.
Note: To invite someone outside your organization, type in their email address and they'll get an invite to join as a guest — even if they don't have Microsoft Teams.
See everyone's availability in the Attendees list and, if needed, choose a suggested time or select Scheduling assistant to see more available times in a calendar view.
Under Select a channel to meet in, select the drop-down arrow to manage your meeting's privacy settings:
Select None to keep your meeting private.
Select a channel to open the meeting to team members.
If your meeting gets posted in a channel, it'll appear under the Posts tab. Team members can set agendas, share files, or add comments.
Raise your hand and show reactions
Under Reactions, choose how to engage in a meeting:
Select Raise hand to let others know you'd like to speak up without interrupting the conversation.
Choose a reaction like Applause or Heart to show how you feel.
Spotlight a video
When a featured speaker's talking, spotlight their video so it's the main one everyone sees.
Right-click whose video you want to spotlight, select Spotlight > Spotlight once more to confirm.
Choose a video layout
There are different video layouts for your meeting. On the meeting controls, select More options (...) and choose one:
Gallery: This is the default view that shows a 3x3 video layout.
Note: If there's more than nine people, Teams prioritizes anyone with their video turned on, or those speaking the most.
Large gallery: This is a 7x7 video layout that lets you see up to 49 other people at once.
Note: 10 people must have their camera turned on. If no one's sharing video, Large gallery cannot be selected from the menu.
Together mode: This layout lets you feel like you're in the same shared space with everyone in the meeting. Select Change scene to change the background for everyone.
Note: Together mode is available if there's at least five people in a meeting.
Create breakout rooms
Create and open breakout rooms to let attendees hold smaller, more focused discussions.
On the meeting controls, select Breakout rooms.
Choose how many rooms you need and how to assign participants.
Select Create rooms > Start rooms.
Create a poll in Microsoft Teams
In Microsoft Teams, you can create a poll ↗︎ in a community, group chat, or meeting chat to get your group's help with a decision or to get feedback on your ideas.
To create a poll:
In Microsoft Teams (free), go to the community, group chat, or meeting chat where you want to create the poll.
Select Polls underneath the Type a new message field.
On the Polls screen, enter your question and options. You can select Add option for a total of six choices.
Tip: To allow people to select more than one option, turn on the Multiple answers toggle.
Select Save to see a preview of your poll.
Select Edit if you want to make additional changes, or if your poll is ready, select Send.
To respond to a poll:
Simply select your choice(s) and then select Submit vote.
Additional Feature
Microsoft Teams for Blackboard
Microsoft Teams for Blackboard is available for Blackboard Ultra courses. This integration allows instructors to create Teams meetings and asynchronous Teams Classes.
Getting Started
Microsoft Teams Classes: Quick Start Guide for Instructors ↗︎
Microsoft Teams Meetings: Quick Start Guide for Instructors ↗︎
Troubleshooting Microsoft Teams
There are different types of messages you might encounter when you're joining a Teams meeting. Here are helpful articles ↗︎ on how to resolve them.
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