This article first appeared in the What's next for tech at IU? (fall 2023) issue of The Connected Professor.
Sometimes scheduling conflicts and competing priorities mean you end up relying on your cell phone to keep things moving. Microsoft Teams Mobile can help you stay connected with colleagues and classmates while still setting some boundaries on your availability. (Tip: Use Notifications settings to establish quiet hours and quiet days. Learn how here.)
You can even transfer a call or meeting from your laptop to your phone if you need to continue a conversation as you move around campus. To switch:
- Open the calendar in Teams Mobile on your cell phone.
- Go to the meeting in progress and tap join.
- Choose transfer to this device.
For overviews of other features you're likely to use frequently, check out IT Training's Getting Started with Microsoft Teams Mobile video. If you prefer text to video, there's also an outline with detailed instructions.
Description of the video:
[music] In this video, we’ll learn how to use the Microsoft Teams mobile app to keep in touch with colleagues, co-workers, and peers at IU. When using the Microsoft Teams mobile app, you can contact others at IU without having to know or use their phone number. As a heads-up, this video was recorded using iOS. While the mobile version of Microsoft Teams behaves very similarly on Android devices, some interface elements may be in different locations or have different names. We’ll start by exploring how to chat with others and how to start a call. To find your chats, at the bottom of the screen, tap the Chat icon. The chat view will load and display a list of your chats. To view a chat, tap on it in the list of conversations. To start a chat with or call someone, all you need to know is their name. While in the Chat view, on the lower right side of the screen, tap the New Chat icon. The new chat screen will load. In the To field, type the name of the person you want to chat with. A list of suggestions will appear under the To field – this is populated by the IU Global Address List. When you see the name of the person with whom you’d like to chat appear in the Suggestions list, tap on their name to select it. If you want to start a group chat, repeat the process to add more people to the To field. After everyone is added, tap in the Type a message field and type your message, then tap the send icon to the right of the message field to send your message. It’s also possible to add people to an existing chat, whether it’s turning an individual chat into a group chat, or adding someone to an existing group chat. Instructions for doing this are available at https://go.iu.edu/4P9r or by scanning the QR code visible on the screen. To start a call from a chat, while in the chat, tap on either the start video call or start audio call icons in the upper right corner of the Teams interface. As a heads-up, if you start a call from a group chat, everyone in the group chat will be included in the call. If you want to call only one person in the chat, start a separate chat with that person and then start the call. Another way to communicate with others in Microsoft Teams is through channel conversations and meetings within a team. We’ll start by seeing how to find the teams you’re a member of, then see how to view a channel in a team. To view your teams, at the bottom of the screen, tap on the Teams icon. A list of the teams you are a member of will appear, with a list of channels underneath each team’s name. If a team’s channels aren’t displaying, tap on the team’s name to expand the channel list. If you can’t locate a particular team, it may be hidden. If this is the case, to view all your teams, scroll to the bottom of the team list and tap on “See all teams.” To view the contents of a channel, tap on its name. The channel will display, and show the contents of the Post tab. To start a conversation, while in a channel, at the bottom of the Teams app interface, tap New Post. Type the message you want to post, then tap on the Send icon to post the message. To reply to a discussion, below the conversation to which you’d like to reply, tap on Reply. The full conversation will display on screen – type your reply in the Reply text entry field, and tap Send to post your reply. Now, let’s see how to start a meeting. To start a meeting, while in a channel, tap the New Meeting icon in the upper right corner of the screen. The meeting options screen will display – adjust your settings as needed here, then tap Join now to start the meeting. [meeting started audio notification] Keep in mind that when you start a meeting within a channel, everyone who can see that channel within the team will receive a notification that you have started a meeting in the channel and may join, should they choose. [music]
Here are some of the highlights:
- When using the Microsoft Teams mobile app, you can call or chat with others at IU without having to know or use their phone number or username.
- If you're in the midst of a chat and realize it would be easier to talk through things in real-time, you can start a call right from the chat.
- Tap the Teams icon to find your teams and channels, New Post to start conversations, and the Meeting icon for impromptu gatherings.
IT Training also offers a variety of resources for learning more about Microsoft Teams (not to mention Microsoft Teams Calls and other Microsoft 365 apps). Find Microsoft training here.
