Get started with Microsoft Teams

Updated 24 September 2026For Microsoft 365

Microsoft Teams is where your company chats, holds online meetings and shares files. Install the Teams app, or open it in your browser at teams.microsoft.com, and sign in with your Microsoft 365 work email and password.

Get Teams

You can use Teams in three ways, all with the same account:

On your computer: on Windows, Teams usually comes with the Microsoft 365 apps; find it in the Start menu. On a Mac, open it from the Applications folder. If it is missing, download it from Microsoft’s Teams download page.
In your browser: go to teams.microsoft.com. Microsoft supports the latest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Teams on the web does not work in phone browsers.
On your phone: install Microsoft Teams from the App Store or Google Play.

Microsoft retired the old “classic” Teams in 2025, so there is now one Teams app.

Use your work email, not a personal Microsoft account.

Open Teams.
Type your work email address and select Next or Sign in.
Type your password and approve the sign-in in the Authenticator app if asked.

Find your way around

The bar on the left takes you to each part of Teams. The main ones are:

Activity: mentions, replies and other things that need your attention.
Chat: your one-to-one and group chats, and (in the combined view) your teams and channels. See chats and channels.
Calendar: your meetings, taken from your Outlook calendar. See Teams meetings.
OneDrive: your own files and files shared with you.
Apps: extra apps your company has added.

If the icons have no names, turn on Show app names in Settings > Appearance.

Set your status

Your status tells colleagues whether it is a good time to message you. Teams changes it automatically when you are in a meeting or away from your computer, but you can set it yourself.

Select your picture at the top right.
Select your current status and choose Available, Busy, Do not disturb, Be right back, Appear away or Appear offline.
To make it change back by itself, select Duration and choose when to reset it.

To add a short note, such as “At a client meeting until 3pm”, select your picture, then Set status message, type it and select Done.

Still stuck

WhatsApp our support team at +60 16-916 3324.

Common issues

The icons on the left of Teams have no names.

Microsoft hid the labels in 2026 to save space. To bring them back, select Settings and more (the three dots at the top), then Settings > Appearance, and turn on Show app names.

My colleagues cannot see my Outlook out-of-office message in Teams.

If you have set a Teams status message, Teams shows that instead of your Outlook automatic reply. Clear your status message while you are away.

I do not see Teams in my apps.

Microsoft sells some Business plans with and without Teams. Ask your admin whether your licence includes Teams, or WhatsApp Office Niaga.

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