Like it or not, the video conference is here to stay. Over the last year, small businesses have seen how communication and collaboration can be successful via web conferences, which probably means more video meetings for you. That is why we have created this list of tips and shortcuts for our favorite collaboration app, Microsoft Teams!
Use Teams Anywhere –
Microsoft Teams provides you access to your chats, channels, and teams anywhere you have internet access. This allows you to move from your office computer to your smartphone seamlessly, keeping the collaboration going. You can download the desktop app here, login to your Office 365 account from a web browser and download the app for iPhone or Android.
Search All Conversations –
The more you use Teams, the more information will pile up. Finding that one specific conversation or can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. To search all your conversations, simply type what you are looking for in the “Search” bar at the top of the screen. Any message, person or file will be displayed.
Commands –
The search bar can do more than just find files or chats; you can also use it for commands. You can set your status, join a team, or bring up all your unread messages. Just type “/” in the search bar to see the list of available commands.
Need Someone’s Attention? –
@ them! To notify a colleague, simply type the @ symbol followed by their name. This will bring up their tag in drop down menu. Select their name from the drop-down menu and they will be notified once you send you message. You can @ entire groups too!
Disable Notifications –
Teams chats can get very noisy if you do not manage your notifications. To adjust your notifications for a specific channel:
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Hover over the channel you want to adjust
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Click “More Options” (…) to the right of the channel name
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Click Channel Notifications
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Then choose from “All activity,” “Off,” or “Custom”
Saving Messages –
Teams makes it easy to save messages and come back to them later. Click “More Options” (…) next to any message and then choose “Save this message.”
To pull up your saved messages, type “/saved” in the search bar and press enter. All your saved messaged will show up on the left hand side of your screen.
Keyboard Shortcuts –
Microsoft Teams has tons of keyboard shortcuts to make your day-today much easier. You can use Ctrl+E to search or Ctrl+N to start a new chat. You can view the whole list here: Teams Keyboard Shortcuts.
File Upload –
If you need to share a Word document or pdf into a chat, you can simply drag and drop the file into the chat box at the bottom of the screen. You can also browse your computer or OneDrive for the file you need by clicking the paper clip icon under the chat box.
Temporary Mute –
To quickly mute/unmute your microphone in Teams, press Ctrl + shift +M.
Disable Video When Joining a Meeting –
Not every meeting requires face to face interaction. In teams, you will have the option to turn your camera on/off when you join each meeting. You can always turn on your video once the meeting has begun.
