Key Features of Microsoft Teams

Purpose

The article will explain the minute differences between the Microsoft Teams features such as Teams, Channel, Membership, Roles, and Settings. 

Feature Details

Teams

  • The Teams icon or feature on the Microsoft Teams application enables collaboration among people to share content and tools in different projects and outcomes within an organization.
  • A team on Microsoft Teams can be private to a few invited users or public with up to 10,000 members within an organization. 
  • To access the various teams, you are included in - select the Teams icon on the left side of your screen, as shown below. 

Screenshot of the teams homepage

Channels

  • A team can consist of many channels that enable group members to have an open conversation. The channel is usually dedicated to a specific discussion, whether a topic, department, or project.
  • Channels are usually open to all team members unless the moderator limits a member’s access and permissions. 
  • A group member can access multiple/all the channels present in the team by navigating through the list of channels as shown below.

Screenshot of the Teams Tab highlighting the channels of a team

  • A user will be able to access all the shared files under the Files tab, and they will be automatically stored in SharePoint. 

Screenshot of the Teams Tab highlighting the files section of a team

  • Channels are most valuable when extended with apps that include tabs, connectors, and bots that increase their value to the team members. 
  • To learn more, see apps, bots, & connectors in Teams.

Chats

  • While channel conversations are public, chats are instant messages between individuals (or a small group of people) like Skype for Business or other messaging apps.

Screenshot of the Teams homepage highlighting the Chat section

Team Roles

  • There are two main roles in Microsoft Teams: a team owner, the person who manages the team, and team members, the people who they invite to join their team. 
  • Team owners can make any team member a co-owner when they invite them to the group or after they have joined the team. 
  • Having multiple team owners enables you to share managing settings and membership responsibilities, including invitations. UTD recommends at least two owners on every Team.
  • To make another team member an owner – Right-click on the three dots on a team and select Manage Team.

Screenshot of the Channels section highlighting the manage team option

  • As shown below, you can use/make changes to the various functions of a Team by selecting options in the banner. You can directly add a member by selecting the Add member button.

Screenshot of all the options in the teams section

Team Settings

  • Team owners can manage team-wide settings directly in Microsoft Teams. 
  • Settings include the ability to add a team picture, set permissions across team members for creating channels, add tabs and connectors, @mentioning the entire team or channel, and the usage of GIFs, stickers, and memes.

Screenshot of all the settings in the team options settings

 

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Details

Article ID: 328
Created
Mon 11/22/21 12:50 PM
Modified
Wed 6/12/24 5:44 PM

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Microsoft Teams is a powerful team-based collaboration tool that provides group chat, channeled conversations, instant messaging, live document collaboration, audio or video calls, and meetings (from one-on-ones to fully-featured audio/video conferences).