Using Microsoft Teams for a Traditional Conference Call

Questions

  • Can I use Microsoft Teams to make a conference call?
  • How do I use Teams for a dial-in (phone) conference call?
  • Does Teams only do video calls, or can people join by phone?
  • How do guests join a Teams meeting by telephone?
  • How do international guests find a local dial-in number?

Environment

This article applies to all Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students. Microsoft Teams can replace a traditional conference-bridge system: every meeting created with Teams includes a dial-in telephone number and a meeting-specific Phone Conference ID.

Note: Teams conference calls support both on-campus and off-campus guests, domestic and international. International guests can choose a more local dial-in number when joining.

Resolution

Create the meeting

Create a Teams meeting the same way you would create any Teams video meeting. (For creating and scheduling Teams meetings, see the Related Articles section.)

Join by telephone

  1. Open the Teams meeting invitation from your Outlook Calendar, the Teams Calendar view, or the original meeting invitation.
  2. Note the telephone number and the Phone Conference ID shown in the invitation.
  3. Dial the number on any telephone and follow the voice prompts.
  4. Enter the Phone Conference ID when prompted — usually a series of 9 numbers followed by #.
Screenshot of a calendar entry in Microsoft Teams showing the Dial-in Phone number. Microsoft Teams Dial-In Information.

The dial-in number provided is Maine-based. To find a number more local to an attendee, select Find a local number in the invitation — this includes numbers in many countries outside the US.

Pro tip: To host a phone-only conference, schedule a Teams meeting with just yourself invited. Open the saved meeting, copy the telephone number and Phone Conference ID, and send those two items to your attendees — useful when you want everyone to join by phone rather than by camera or computer.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
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Related Articles (1)

Create a Microsoft Teams Meeting
Explains the different ways to start or schedule a Microsoft Teams meeting, including an ad-hoc video, voice, or screen-sharing session from a chat, and scheduled meetings created in the Outlook desktop app, Outlook on the web, or the Microsoft Teams calendar. Applies to Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students using Microsoft Teams.