How to use Microsoft Teams: A guide to the collaboration application, its features, and how to join meetings

• Microsoft Teams is a live meeting platform and virtual collaboration space.
• Microsoft first launched teams as a direct competitor to Slack.
• Here's what to know about Microsoft Teams and how to use various features.

If you need to set up a remote meeting wherein you can conduct video calls, swap notes, share files, align calendars, and much more, the Microsoft Teams just might be the right platform to use. A part of the Microsoft 365 subscription service that includes programs like Word, Excel, Outlook, and more, Teams easily integrates with much of the software and many apps you are likely already using.

Teams was first created because Bill Gates was against buying Slack, the workflow management platform. In 2016, Microsoft almost made an $8 billion bid for Slack, but the company's founder and former CEO was opposed to the move.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, agreed with Gates, and the offer was never made. Instead, Microsoft would develop Teams as a competitor to Slack, releasing it the next year.

Let's take a closer look at Microsoft Teams and what it allows its users to do.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that allows users to communicate and work together in real time. It's designed to help users stay organized and connected, and can be used for a variety of purposes, including meetings, during which people can use features like PowerPoint Live, Microsoft Whiteboard, and AI-generated meeting notes.

Teams can also be used as a phone call platform. Users can make group calls, send voicemails, and transfer calls to others.

It's also a chat platform, letting users message individuals or groups, and access features like emojis and suggested replies.

Teams users can share files and share apps, and can use the program to help align and manage their calendars and schedules.

Is Microsoft Teams still free?

There is a free version of Microsoft Teams that offers many of the same functions as the paid version, albeit in scaled down form. Called "Teams for personal life," the free version limits video calls to 60 minutes, but it allows chat, file sharing, and up to five gigabytes of cloud file storage. The free version limits participants in a single session to 100 users.

How to join a Teams meeting — even without an account

You don't need to install Microsoft Teams join a meeting. You can join a meeting using your browser, or you can download the Windows app. On your computer, you need to use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome as your browser to join a Teams meeting.

You can also join a Team's meeting even if you don't have a Microsoft Teams account, and that's true on a smartphone or tablet or on a computer.

To join without an account, first find the meeting invite in your email or on your calendar, then select "Join Microsoft Teams Meeting." On a computer, choose "Join on the web," whereas on a mobile device, you will be prompted to download the Team app. Enter your name, allow the device to use your camera and microphone, then hit "Join now."

The meeting organizer will then be notified that you've joined, and someone in the meeting can admit you.

Which is better: Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet?

Each better serves different users and use cases, so it's not a matter of which platform is better, but rather which is better for a given situation. Google Meet is a stripped-down and easy-to-use platform ideal for more casual meetings, as among friends or small groups of coworkers. Zoom allows for a high number of participants, so it's good for major presentations or remote conferences.

And Microsoft Teams offers a robust suite of features, as discussed here, making it ideal for ongoing use by groups that need to regularly collaborate in productive ways.