How to create a Microsoft Teams meeting

Microsoft Teams is a great tool for collaborating 1-on-1 with a friend for colleague or in an informal small group and it can also be used in a large group or formal meeting setting.

1-on-1, small group collaboration or ad-hoc meetings

To quickly start an online video session with one or more people in an informal setting, follow these steps.

  • Click on the New Chat icon at the top of the Teams window


     
  • Being typing the name or names of the people you want to meet with in the box provided


     
  • Once all of the people have been added, click one of the three buttons in the upper-right of the Microsoft Teams window. There will be icons that look like a video camera, a telephone and a square with an arrow pointing up, as seen below

  • To start a video chat, click on the Camera icon
  • To start a voice chat only, click on the Telephone icon
  • To share your screen with the group, click on the final icon, the square with the arrow pointing up.

Create traditional meeting using Outlook for MacOS or Windows

You can use Microsoft Teams to host a more traditional, online meeting. You can either follow the same steps above if you need to make an ad-hoc meeting with a few people, but to create a traditional meeting using Teams, you can do so from within Outlook.

  • Open the Outlook app on your computer
  • Open your calendar (usually a small calendar icon at the bottom of the left column)
  • Click on Meeting in the ribbon
  • The "Teams Meeting" button should become available.
     
     
  • Click on Teams Meeting to make the meeting become an online meeting. You will see that the "Location" field will auto-fill with "Microsoft Teams Meeting"
     
  • Fill out the rest of your meeting details including subject, agenda and invitees.
  • Click Send when you're ready to send your invitation
  • Once you send the invitation, all of the Teams connection details, including a link to access the meeting from Teams or Teams Online will auto-populate for your attendees.

Create traditional meeting using Outlook Online

You can use Outlook Online to create a Teams Meeting

  • Log in to Outlook Online at https://outlook.office365.com
  • Open your calendar (usually a small calendar icon at the bottom of the left column)
  • Click New Event in the upper-left of the window.
  • Enter all of the meeting details
  • On the "Search for room or location" line, click the toggle next to "Teams Meeting" to enable your meeting for Teams.
  • Click Send when you're ready to send your invitation
  • Once you send the invitation, all of the Teams connection details, including a link to access the meeting from Teams or Teams Online will auto-populate for your attendees.

Create traditional meeting from within Microsoft Teams

You can also create a Teams meeting from inside of Microsoft Teams

  • Log in to Microsoft Teams (the same instructions work for Teams online and the Teams desktop client)
  • Click on the Calendar icon in the left column.
    • If you don't see the calendar icon, click on the ellipsis (...) to show it
  • Click on New Meeting in the upper-right corner
  • Enter your meeting details
  • Click Save when done. The meeting will be sent to your invitees with all of the Teams connection information attached automatically.
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