Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that organizations can use to create teams, share and work on files, communicate effectively, share screen and even have video meetings. The ability to have video meetings using a collaboration platform is a boon for many organizations.
But Workstream Collaboration apps like Microsoft Teams are relatively new to the scene and it can be difficult trying to figure out their many features. And when the stakes are as important as a meeting, you definitely don’t want to take any risks and be late or worse, not show up in the meeting at all. So we have compiled a breakdown of the various ways you can use to join a Microsoft Teams Meeting, so you never have to find yourself in such a situation.
You can join a Teams meeting using the desktop app, web app, or the mobile app. Teams even allow users to join a meeting as guests without requiring a Microsoft account.
Join a Teams Meeting from the Desktop App
The Microsoft Teams desktop app is probably the best way to use the application, and it certainly is the best way to join a meeting.
Open the desktop app, and go to ‘Teams’ from the navigation bar on the left. It will list all the teams you are a part of. All teams will have a list of channels underneath it. If a meeting has started in any of the channels, you will see a ‘video camera’ icon on its right. Go to that channel.
The channel will have a ‘Meeting started’ post on it in the ‘Posts’ tab. It will also show a list of all the people already in the meeting on the right in circles. Click on the ‘Join’ button to enter the meeting.
A screen will appear on your screen where you can choose your audio and video settings before entering the meeting. After selecting your preferred choices, click on ‘Join now’ to enter the meeting.
If someone invites you to join the meeting, you will also receive a notification on your desktop. You can join the meeting directly from there.
Note: Notifications about a meeting are only received if someone explicitly invites you. Otherwise, there are no notifications.
Join a Teams Meeting from the Web App
If you do not have the Microsoft Teams desktop app or don’t have access to it at the time, there’s no need to fret. Microsoft Teams can also be used from any web browser as a web app, but the recommended browsers would be Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, especially for joining a meeting.
Other browsers don’t support all functionalities that Microsoft Teams has to offer and these two browsers are the only ones that currently support meetings in the web app.
Open either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge and go to teams.microsoft.com and log in to your account. You will be directed to a page asking to either get the desktop app or use the web app. Click on ‘Use the web app instead’.
The Teams web app will load. Go to ‘Teams’ from the navigation bar on the left. In the list of teams, the channel in which the meeting is going on would have a ‘video camera’ icon next to it. Go to that channel.
The channel would have a post about the ongoing meeting in the ‘Posts’ tab, just like the desktop client. Click on ‘Join’ to enter the meeting.
Now, your browser would ask for permission for the Microsoft Teams website to access your camera and microphone. Click on the ‘Always allow https://teams.microsoft.com to access your camera and microphone’ to give it access. You can block this access at any point later on.
Sometimes the browser won’t open the permissions menu directly, but instead shows you a message: “Are you sure you don’t want audio or video?” If this happens, click on the ‘video camera’ icon with a cross on it on the address bar to bring up the permissions menu, and then proceed with the above step.
Giving the camera and microphone permissions would direct you to the ‘Choose your audio and video settings’ screen. Click on ‘Join now’ after selecting your settings to enter the meeting from the web app.
Join a Teams Meeting from iPhone or Android
Microsoft Teams is also available as a mobile app for both iPhone and Android devices. Using the mobile app, you can join a Teams meeting at any time from anywhere even when you are outside and don’t have access to your computer or laptop.
Get the Microsoft Teams app for your device from the respective store links below.
Open the Microsoft Teams mobile app on your phone, and tap on the ‘Teams’ tab at the bottom of the screen to go to the list of all the teams you are a part of.
The teams would also have their particular channels listed underneath them. The channel with an ongoing meeting would have the ‘video camera’ icon on the right side. Go to that channel.
Then, tap on the ‘Join’ button in the channel post about the ongoing meeting.
It will open the screen for choosing your audio and video settings. By default, both audio and video are turned off in the mobile application meeting. Select your settings, and tap on ‘Join now’ and you will enter the meeting.
Join a Teams Meeting as a Guest
You don’t have to be a member of the organization to join a Teams meeting. In fact, you don’t even need a Microsoft Teams account to join a meeting on Teams. It lets you join a meeting as a guest.
To join a meeting as a guest, you need to have an invite link for the meeting. Click on ‘Join Microsoft Teams Meeting’ in the link you received.
On the computer, it will redirect you to a page where you can choose to use either the desktop app or the web app. You can choose to proceed either way.
If you open the link on your mobile phone, you need to have the Microsoft Teams mobile application to be able to join a meeting.
You don’t have to sign in or create an account no matter whichever platform you choose to enter as a guest. Tap on ‘Join as a guest’ button to proceed.
Whether you choose the desktop app, the mobile app or the web app to join a Microsoft Teams meeting as a guest, the process will be the same to join the meeting as a guest.
Enter your name, select the video and audio settings you’d prefer and click on ‘Join now’ to enter the meeting. The name you enter will be how the people in the meeting will know that it’s you.
Based on the settings of the organization, you’ll either directly enter into the meeting, or you’d enter a lobby where you can wait while someone from the meeting admits you in.
Note: When you join a Microsoft Teams meeting as a guest, you will access to limited functions of the software.
Conclusion
Microsoft Teams is the perfect tool to collaborate with colleagues and teammates outside of the office. You can easily organize and join meetings with your colleagues or clients in Teams. The versatility that Microsoft Teams provides in meetings allows the users to join meetings from any platform – the desktop app, web app, or the mobile app. All they need is a viable internet connection. Teams even allow users without a Microsoft account to join a meeting as a guest.
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