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.

• 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. Click the expandable icon to open and view additional content.

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

• Start a chat in Microsoft Teams ↗︎

• Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams ↗︎

• Explore the Activity feed ↗︎

• Email someone from Teams ↗︎

• See who's online ↗︎

• Invite people to use Teams ↗︎

• Use tabs in chats ↗︎

• Use @mentions to get someone's attention ↗︎

• Private channels in a Team ↗︎

• Send a file, picture, or link in Microsoft Teams

• Change the spacing of your chat messages in Microsoft Teams

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

1. From your Calendar, select Join on a meeting before it's started or one that's in progress.

2. Turn on your camera, select Background filters, and choose how you'd like to appear:

   • Select a custom background.

   • Select Blur.

3. Choose your audio settings.

4. Select Join now.

Join a Teams meeting on the web

Don't have the Teams app? You can still join a Teams meeting.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Type your name.

4. Choose your audio and video settings.

5. Select Join now.

6. 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: 

1. Hover over Turn camera on to preview your video.

2. 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.

3. When you're ready, select Apply and turn on video.

Share your screen

1. Select Share content ↗︎ and choose if you want to share your computer audio.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

Additional Feature

• Use Sign Language View in Microsoft Teams

• Create a poll in Microsoft Teams

• Use live captions in Microsoft Teams meetings

• Engagement analytics for Teams events

• Manage webinar recordings in Microsoft Teams

• Get started with Microsoft Teams webinars

• Change your background in Microsoft Teams meetings

• Schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams

• Drag and drop meetings into new timeslots

• Manage notifications in Microsoft Teams

• Set your work location in Microsoft Teams

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 ↗︎

• Microsoft Teams Classes: Quick Start Guide for Students ↗︎

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.