10 Microsoft Teams Clues
When we received beautiful feedbacks on our previous blog, we wanted to publish the new Microsoft Teams Tips blog immediately!
Collaboration and teamwork applications gained great importance during the remote working period. Microsoft Teams became such an indispensable application as it has multiple layers and integrations with other Office 365 products.
I have been working from Kartepe for the past month through and these clues can really be lifesaving. When creating a content, even though my internet connection is cut off, I am not scared as the AutoSave option is always on, and my colleagues can take over from where I left.
Let’s check the new clues. We are sure you will love this blog as much as the previous one.
Let’s start!
1) Pin Your Chats
Important chats will not escape your notice anymore!
Pin option is one of the very useful features of Microsoft Teams. You can Pin your chats that are under the Teams section or within the Chat section. The chats you pin are automatically moved to the top of the chatting section (Teams or Chat).
To disable this feature, all you have to do is to repeat this procedure but this time choose Unpin.
How to: Click on Other Options (…) that is next to your channel > Click on Pin and pin your important channels and chats to the very top.
2) Enable Live Captions
We invite those who have hard time listening to what is being spoken over here!
Microsoft keeps supporting users about accessibility. Thanks to the Live Captions feature of Microsoft Teams, you can read what is being spoken synchronously with the live captions during the meeting.
To disable this feature, you can follow the steps on the picture. Live Captions is valid only for English for now.
How to: Start a Teams meeting > Click on Other Options (…) on the top panel > Choose Turn on live captions and enable the captions.
3) Use Together Mode or Large Gallery Mode
Meetings that are held on Microsoft Teams are more fun and more sincere now!
You can view the participants as you like with the Together Mode and Large Gallery Mode two of which are the new features on Microsoft Teams. Moreover, you can fit all of the users within a frame with Large Gallery Mode; you can create a classroom environment with Together Mode to have an intimate working picture, and have a more sincere meeting.
We advice you to try Together Mode and Large Gallery Mode your next meeting, which were created with the motto ‘Stay together although you are separated!’.
How to: Start a video meeting > Click on Other Options (…) that is on the top panel of the screen > Click on Large Gallery or Together Mode.
4) Benefit from the Breakout Rooms
Get ready to move your crowded meetings to small rooms!
Thanks to the Breakout Rooms feature of Microsoft Teams, that was activated as of the end of November, meeting hosts can break participants out to small rooms. You can create new rooms independent from the main meeting with the number of participants you have chosen, navigate through these rooms and make mass announcements, and you can go back to the main meeting when you end the rooms.
How to: Start a Teams meeting > Click on Breakout Rooms that are on the top panel > Choose the room number you like > Invite any people you like.
5) Try Spotlight
Get ready to have spotlights on you during meetings!
If you are the host in a Microsoft Teams meeting, you can put the focus on a specific participant or yourself with Spotlight. In other words, you can put that participant’s video or screen on the full screen so that everyone can see only that participant.
How to: Click on Participants within a Teams meeting > Click on Other Options (…) next to you or the participant you want to put the focus on > Click on Spotlight.
6) Leverage Whiteboard
Those who want to express their ideas through shapes, come over here!
You can express your ideas through shapes with the Whiteboard feature during your Microsoft Teams meetings. As a person who uses visual design very much when creating a content, this feature can be lifesaving.
How to: Open your Microsoft Teams meeting > Click on Share content on the top panel > Click on Whiteboard from the pop-up section.
7) Save Your Messages
Stop saying “What was that?”
You can save the messages you like now. You can see the messages you have saved on the Saved section that appears after you click on your Microsoft Teams profile picture. Additionally, if you remember what you have written, you can write that word on the Search section.
How to: Move your cursor on the message > Click on Other Options (…) > Click on Save this message and save your message.
8) Set a Status Message
Do you remember the status messages from MSN? You can bring them back to life!
Thanks to the setting a status message feature, you can show people who wants to send you a message what you are busy with. For example, if you are studying for a Microsoft Certificate, you can say “I am studying”.
How to: Click on your profile picture that is on the top panel > Click on Set status message > Write your message > Set the time and publish it.
9) Conduct a Survey During a Meeting
No answer will remain ‘unquestioned’!
During Microsoft Teams webinars, trainings, or meetings, you can ask questions from the Chat section. To professionalize this, you can get support from Microsoft Forms. With this feature, you can conduct surveys during or after a meeting, and collect the answers or requests.
How to: Find your meeting from Microsoft Teams Calendar > Click on your meeting and then Edit > Click on Add a tab (+) that is on the top panel > Select Forms and create your questions.
10) Grab the Mic
You will not be cut in even accidentally during a meeting!
You can prevent the participants from enabling their microphones from Microsoft Teams meeting settings. It can be hard to check every participant’s microphone one by one or ask them to disable their microphone during a seminar, training, exam etc. You can take precautions beforehand thanks to this clue.
How to: Find your meeting from Microsoft Teams Calendar > Click on your meeting and then Edit > Click on Meeting options on the top > Change the Allow attendees to unmute option to No from the pop-up window.
Bonus: Digitalize Your Approval Process
No need to rush between rooms to get a signature or an approval anymore!
Thanks to the new Approvals feature of Microsoft Teams, you can follow your processes on Teams. After downloading Approvals from Apps and set it up, you can send the documents to the person you need the approval of, and complete your approval process on Teams.
Setting up: Click on More added apps (…) on the left on Microsoft Teams > Write Approvals on the Search section > Click on Add from the pop-up window.
How to: Move your cursor to Approvals > Click on New approval request on the top right corner > Write the name of the request, the person who will approve, your notes, and your document > Click on Send.
We come to the end of another Microsoft Teams Clues blog. If you want to know when there are new updates, do not forget to follow us from the social media and follow our newsletter!
Additionally, did you know that you can use any Microsoft 365 package you want for free for a month? Contact us to get support!
Idil Bilikozen Digital Operations Specialist https://www.linkedin.com/in/idilbilikozen/