Microsoft Teams is a strong company chat, collaboration, and assembly utility. Because it’s included with most Microsoft 365 and Office 365 enterprise and enterprise subscriptions, many corporations already use it as a main method to maintain their workforce — each in-office and distant — in contact.Teams enables you to arrange a number of channels (dialogue areas) in your workforce, share and retailer recordsdata, and conduct voice and video conferences. As a part of Microsoft 365/Office 365, Teams integrates effectively with the household of Microsoft enterprise apps and companies that encompasses Excel, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, Planner, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Word.To get began utilizing Teams in a enterprise setting, see our Microsoft Teams cheat sheet. After you’ve gotten a deal with on the fundamentals, attempt the guidelines on this information to get extra out of this highly effective collaboration software.This information focuses on the Teams desktop app for Windows or Mac below a enterprise subscription. There are additionally Teams cellular apps for Android and iOS, in addition to an internet app. But these apps emphasize chatting with out lots of the superior options of their desktop counterparts. Likewise, a shopper model of Teams is on the market, but it surely doesn’t embrace all of the options for enterprise customers coated on this story.Also notice that though this information features a few ideas for video conferences, it focuses primarily on the chat and group collaboration options of Teams. To be taught extra about videoconferencing in Teams, see “11 best practices for Microsoft Teams video meetings” and “The 10 best new Microsoft Teams meeting features.”Take management of the interface1. Organize your groups and channels.In the sidebar on the left facet of the app, click on the Teams icon to open the Teams pane. You’ll see the groups that you just’re a member of, with a number of channels beneath every workforce title. By default, groups (and the channels beneath every workforce) seem within the order that you just joined or created them. But as you employ Microsoft Teams over time in your every day work, some groups and channels will turn out to be extra necessary to you than others — and never essentially within the order that the Teams app locations them.Pinning a channel strikes it towards the highest of the Teams pane for simple entry. To do that, click on the three-dot (More choices) icon to the best of the channel title and choose Pin from the menu that opens. (Do this course of once more to unpin a channel.) IDG
Pinning channels to the highest of the Teams pane makes them extra simply accessible. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
To change the order of your pinned channels, click-and-hold a channel title and drag it up or all the way down to the place you’d prefer it to be within the checklist of pinned channels.You also can do that to vary the order of your groups: Click-and-hold a workforce title and drag it up or all the way down to the place you’d like to maneuver it on the checklist.2. Hide low-priority channels or groups.You can tidy up your Teams workspace by hiding channels or groups that aren’t necessary to your work in the intervening time.To conceal a channel or workforce, click on the three-dot icon to the best of its title, then click on Hide from the menu that opens. (Note that you just can’t conceal the General channel for any workforce.) To unhide a channel, take a look at the checklist of channels below a workforce title. At the tip of this checklist is a hyperlink saying what number of hidden channels that this workforce has; click on this hyperlink to open a menu revealing the hidden channels. Move the pointer over the title of the channel that you just need to unhide, and click on the Show icon to the best.To unhide a workforce, look or scroll all the way down to the tip of the checklist of your groups, the place you’ll see a Hidden groups hyperlink. Click this to open the checklist of hidden groups. Click the three-dot icon to the best of a hidden workforce, then click on Show on the prime of the menu that opens.3. Quickly discover conversations that you just’re a member of or messages that you just’re tagged in.In Teams, it’s simple to see all of the conversations (message threads inside a channel) and messages that you just’re part of at a look.At the highest of the left sidebar, click on the Activity icon. This opens the Feed pane to the best. To the best of the Feed pane title bar, right-click the Filter icon (three horizontal strains in a funnel form) and choose @ Mentions from the menu that opens. (Or sort /mentions into the search bar on the prime of the Teams app.) Conversations that you just’re a member of, and messages that you just’re tagged in, shall be listed within the Feed pane. 4. Save particular messages.This trick might be useful if you wish to compile a listing of messages to make amends for or confer with later. Move the pointer to the upper-right of a message that you just need to save, click on the three-dot (More choices) icon, and click on Save this message from the menu that opens.To see a listing of your saved messages, click on your profile headshot or icon on the higher proper of the Teams app and click on Saved from the menu that opens. (Or sort /saved into the search bar on the prime of the Teams desktop app.) The messages that you just saved will seem within the Saved pane towards the left facet of the Teams app. IDG
Saving messages bookmarks them for simple entry later. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Tip: It might be helpful to save lots of messages which have connected recordsdata (equivalent to necessary paperwork that it’s worthwhile to take a look at later) with out having to obtain the recordsdata.Make conversations and messages stand out5. Get somebody’s consideration.Channels sometimes include many conversations — and plenty of messages inside these conversations — so it may be simple to miss a message. To be certain a selected individual in your workforce sees a selected message, tag them as you write your message by typing @username. (Replace “username” with the individual’s consumer title, after all.) Or: After you sort @, a menu opens itemizing the names of individuals in your group. Click a reputation on this checklist to tag them in your message.) Once you put up the message, the individual will get a notification as a immediate to learn it and reply to it.You also can use this @ operate to ship a direct message (a one-on-one message) to a workforce member. Inside the search field on the prime of the Microsoft Teams desktop app, sort @ and their title (or sort @ and click on their title from the checklist that opens). Type a brief message within the search field and press Enter or click on the best arrow on the proper finish of the search field.6. Title your conversations.One approach to assist a dialog thread stand out among the many different conversations in a channel is by giving it a title. Another plus: You can enter the title into the search field of the Teams desktop app to seek out the dialog later. You don’t must title each dialog. It’s greatest to present titles to solely a very powerful conversations that you just need to monitor.To add a title as you’re composing a brand new dialog: Click the Format icon (an “A” with a pencil) on the left finish of the toolbar beneath the textual content entry area. The message composing window will develop up. On the road that claims “Add a subject,” sort in a title, then sort your message beneath. Click the Send arrow on the backside proper of the message composing window to put up your dialog with its new title to the channel. IDG
Titling key messages may help them stand out and make them simpler to seek out later. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
You also can add a title to an current dialog by transferring the pointer to the higher proper of the message, clicking the three-dot icon that seems, and clicking Edit from the menu that opens. Click the Format icon on the left finish of the toolbar beneath the textual content entry area. On the road that claims “Add a subject,” sort in a title. Click the checkmark on the backside proper of the message composing window to put up your dialog with its new title again to the channel.7. Control the dialog.The expanded message composing window that seems if you click on the Format icon has extra neat tips up its sleeve.If you need to make a dialog actually stand out, you’ll be able to flip it into an announcement. In the expanded message formatting window, click on the New dialog drop-down on the prime left and choose Announcement. A area seems the place you’ll be able to sort a big headline in your put up and optionally embrace a background picture or coloured background to make it stand out much more.Tip: By default, everybody in a channel can reply to conversations, however you won’t need that for an announcement. If you click on the Everyone can reply drop-down on the prime of the message composing window, you’ll be able to choose You and moderators can reply to restrict responses to solely these individuals.If you need your dialog to seem in a couple of channel, choose Post in a number of channels, click on the Select channels button, and on the panel that opens, examine the containers subsequent to the channels you need to put up your dialog to.8. Mark a message as necessary.One final choice for drawing consideration to a message in a channel dialog is to mark it as necessary. Once you put up it, Teams will instantly alert the opposite individuals within the chat to learn your message. They shall be reminded to take action each two minutes for 20 minutes. Obviously, you need to solely use this operate for a really pressing matter.To mark a message necessary, click on the Format icon. The message composing window will develop up. At the best finish of the textual content formatting toolbar, click on the three-dot (More choices) icon, and from the menu that opens choose Mark as necessary.All 4 of those choices must be used sparingly, just for conversations and messages of prime significance.Chat extra effectively9. Reply to a selected message.While conversations in workforce channels are accessible to all members of that workforce, non-public chats happen between two or extra people and are accessible by clicking the Chat icon within the left sidebar.In a bunch chat, all messages seem within the order they had been posted, irrespective of who posted them. If you see an earlier message you need to reply to immediately, transfer the mouse pointer over that message. A toolbar of emoticons seems; click on the three-dot (More choices) icon and choose Reply on the small menu that opens. Your reply will present the message you’re replying to for context.10. Pin a message.You can pin a message to the highest of the chat window, bringing it to the eye of others within the chat. Move the mouse pointer over the message you need to pin. The emoticons toolbar seems; click on the three-dot icon and choose Pin on the small menu that opens.11. Start a chat in a brand new window.Normally, if you begin a brand new chat, it opens in the primary window of the Teams desktop app. You can change this so {that a} new chat opens in a separate window: At the highest proper of the Teams app, click on the three-dot (Settings and extra) icon and click on Settings from the menu that opens. Under “Open new chat in,” click on New window.12. Poll your colleagues.This characteristic is at present accessible solely when your Teams app is switched to your private account. Open the chat the place you need to create the ballot. Below the field the place you sort in a message, click on the polls icon (represented as three vertical bars). On the panel that opens, sort in your ballot query and reply decisions.By clicking Add choice, you’ll be able to add as much as six reply decisions. If you need to enable individuals to pick out greater than as soon as reply alternative, click on the change subsequent to Multiple solutions.Click the Save button to see a preview of your ballot. On this preview panel, you’ll be able to click on the Edit button to make modifications to your ballot. Otherwise, click on the Send button. The individuals on this chat will see this ballot and have the ability to reply to it. IDG
Posting a ballot is a fast method to get suggestions from others in a chat. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Manage notifications13. Follow necessary channels.If you need to be up to date of your colleagues’ newest actions in particular channels, open the Teams pane and click on a workforce title to see its channels. Move the pointer over the title of the channel you need to be up to date on, click on the three-dot (More choices) icon to the best, choose Channel notifications, and click on All exercise from the menu that opens.This menu lists an alternative choice, Custom. When you click on this, the “Channel notification settings” panel opens. Here you’ll be able to set if you wish to be notified each time a brand new message is posted to this channel and/or each time the channel is talked about by somebody in Teams. If you flip both notification on, you’ll be able to specify if you wish to be notified via your Activity pane feed and as a banner, or solely via your Activity pane feed.14. Adjust different notifications.By default, Teams sends you notifications that replace you on a number of actions — @mentions, new messages, modifications to workforce membership statuses, and extra — via numerous strategies equivalent to banner alerts, your Activity pane feed, and electronic mail. To alter or change what you’re notified about:Click your profile pic or initials on the higher proper of the Teams desktop app, after which click on Manage account. On the Settings panel that opens, click on Notifications.This switches to an intensive checklist of actions which you could be notified about, letting you select what sort of notification you need to obtain for every (banner and electronic mail, banner solely, feed solely, or off). IDG
You can minimize down on distractions by ratcheting down Teams’ notifications. (Click picture to enlarge it.)
You could must experiment with the assorted settings to seek out the best stability of notifications that works greatest for you. But when you’ve figured it out, you’ll be glad you made the changes.