Due to the ongoing global pandemic, everyone is forced to embrace the work-from-home setup. To cope up with such a challenging work environment, many employers are taking advantage of the cloud-based application to establish a connection with their employees even if they are working at home. Microsoft Teams is a mobile application that is officially distributed by the Microsoft Corporation. The core function of the app is to establish a virtual workplace allowing users to communicate through video chats, share files, and many other interesting features. The app is also integrated with Office 365 and other Microsoft products. Whether you are looking for a communication tool for personal or business purposes, Microsoft Teams is surely a great fit.

How Does Microsoft Teams Works?

Just like Zoom and other leading competitors, Microsoft Teams is also packed with an overwhelming number of great and useful features. Microsoft Teams allows you to create a virtual workplace. However, unlike the aforementioned apps, Microsoft Teams is integrated with Office 365 (a fee-based Microsoft product). Users must be subscribed to Office 365’s fee-based plans in order to get full access to Microsoft Teams. Interestingly, even if you are not subscribed to Office 365, the free version of Microsoft Teams still comes with equally impressive features that you can take advantage of. Simply download the app from Google Play or Apple Appstore to get started.

Once downloaded, the app will ask you to sign in using your Microsoft account. If you do not have a Microsoft account, you can always create a new one. Before you start, the app will give you three options to choose from; For School, For Family and Friends, or For Work. Select the option that fits your need. Generally, the setup will vary depending on how you want to use the app. If you choose “For Friends and Family”, the app will ask you to integrate Teams with Skype. If you picked “For School”, the app will ask you to configure your online classroom, and if you picked “For Work”, you will be asked to set up your virtual workplace.

Creating a Virtual Workplace

Interestingly, using Microsoft Teams will not be as complicated as it sounds. The app comes with a simple and user-friendly interface with easy-to-navigate working tools. Located below the screen are five icons that will give you access to  Activity, Chat, Teams, Calls, and Files. Each comes with its own purpose. Activity Page is where you get all the notifications from all the activities you do including mentions, likes, and replies from your colleagues. Enter the Chat page to start a conversation. This is where all the interactions will take place. You can either set a private chat or a group conversation for your team.

The Team page will list down all the existing teams that you are part of. You can start a group conversation by tapping your selected team from this page. If you want an audio or video conversation, you can access the Call page, select your preferred contact, and tap the call button to start either a call or video conversation. Files page, on the other hand, allows you to integrate important files from your OneDrive.During the conversation, you can do many things from inputting text messages to sending images and GIFs to make the conversation more interesting. You can also input files and voice images too.

Verdict

The free version of Microsoft Teams may not provide you the full access and enjoy all of its amazing features but still surprisingly useful and beneficial in many ways. Aside from creating a virtual workplace, the app can also become an ideal tool to establish an online classroom setup. The app allows teachers to distribute, provide feedback, and grade student assignments turned-in via Teams using the Assignments tab. Generally, this is a great app and something you can confidently add to your device. Microsoft Teams is currently available for both Android and iOS devices and you can download this app for free.

Download Microsoft Teams