10 Helpful Tips Every Microsoft Teams User Should Know
Microsoft Teams is a feature-rich platform for chat, calling, video conferencing, and collaboration, offering a wide range of features and integrations with other Microsoft 365 apps. If your company uses Teams, you should know a few helpful tips to work more efficiently and get the most out of the platform.
Use email forwarding to send attachments directly to a Teams channel.
If you receive an email (and attachment) related to a Teams discussion, you don’t need to forward it to other users’ inboxes, copy and paste it, or download and upload it to the desired chat or channel. Instead, you can forward it directly from Outlook to Teams, and both the email and attachment will automatically appear for recipients, who can click the preview to see the full content in Teams. When viewing the email in Outlook on your computer, select “Share to Teams” on the toolbar and select “Open Teams app.” Then, select the destination, add an optional message, and click “Share.” You can also add or remove attachments before sending.
Pin the Teams window to seamlessly multitask.
If you’re working on other tasks during a Teams call, don’t make it too visible. You can pin the Teams window to stay visible even when switching between windows, maintaining eye contact and providing quick access to call controls. Pinning is also convenient when you’re actively chatting or need to access Teams while working in another app. Select “More options” in the upper-right corner of the window you want to pin and click “Pin window to top.” You can resize or drag pinned windows anywhere on the screen.
Turn on voice isolation to hide where you work.
If you join Teams calls and meetings from a public place—a cafe, coworking space, bar, pool, etc.—you can enable Voice Isolation to create the impression of being alone in a quiet office. This AI-powered feature recognizes your voice and blocks out other sounds, including those of other participants. (Teams also has a noise suppression feature to reduce background noise .) To use Voice Isolation, you first need to add a voice profile, which takes about 30 seconds and requires a quiet environment. The feature will remain active during calls and meetings unless you disable it.
Use real-time transcripts to catch up during meetings if you join late or experience delays.
Teams has a built-in real-time transcription feature that records audio in near real-time, with speaker information, so you can quickly review what was said if you had to join late, step away for a few minutes, or missed something while doing other things. Transcription starts automatically for recorded meetings, although hosts and presenters can start transcription in real time even when not recording by going to More Actions > Recording & Transcription > Start Transcription > Confirm . If you’re a participant and don’t see the transcription window, you may need to go to the same menu and select Show Transcription .
Create a one-on-one online meeting “Meet Now” to practice public speaking.
Teams has an instant meeting feature called “Start Now”—in just a few clicks, you can start an impromptu meeting for a channel, a group chat, or just yourself. These meetings are recorded just like scheduled ones, so you can use the time to work independently, rehearse a presentation for later review, or dictate notes for transcription. Go to Calendar and click “Start Now” in the upper right corner. Name the meeting and select “Meet Now” > “Join Now.” Recordings are saved to your OneDrive.
Use Loop components to collaborate without leaving Teams.
Loop is a Microsoft 365 collaboration feature that lets you create tables, task lists, and text content within a Teams chat and edit them in real time. You don’t have to leave the app to create a separate file or keep sending static updates that can get lost in active chats or channels. When you create a Loop component for a meeting agenda, task list, or group notes, changes are instantly synced for all participants, including other Microsoft apps like Outlook and Whiteboards. Click the Loop icon in a Teams chat or channel and select the component type. Once created and sent, any chat participant can contribute.
Group messages to forward tasks or information to other chats.
Teams includes a forwarding feature that lets you send messages from one chat to another. Instead of copying and pasting, the original message, image, or Loop component appears directly in the recipient’s chat or channel. Earlier this year, Microsoft expanded the forwarding feature to include up to five messages in a single batch, which are sent as a single message in their original order. You can use this to share multiple tasks or feedback with another chat without them getting split up or lost in the feed. Hover over a message and select More options > Forwarding > Multiple messages , then check the boxes next to the messages you want to forward. Click Next , add the recipient’s name, group chat, or channel, and click Forward .
Use visual meeting timelines to avoid having to watch the entire recording.
If you missed a meeting that was held and recorded in Teams, you likely have access to written notes from the call, such as a transcript or an AI-generated summary. But there may be situations when you really need to review the recording to get the full picture of what was discussed. Instead of watching the entire recording or rewinding the video to find specific parts of the conversation, you can see where your name was mentioned and jump directly to that section of the recording. Timeline markers are part of Teams’ intelligent meeting overview, a suite of AI-powered features available to Premium subscribers. To view your personalized timeline, along with audio and video overviews, go to the Overview tab in your Teams chat or calendar.
Use your phone as a remote control or camera during a Teams meeting.
When joining a Teams meeting on your computer, you can easily add your phone as a second device without disrupting your audio or having to sign out and back in. Your phone can then be used as a desktop webcam, to display live video, or even to control a presentation on your primary device if you need to move around the room. During a meeting on your computer, open Teams on your phone and select “Join Call” > “Add This Device.” Your camera and microphone will be automatically muted, but you can unmute one or both as needed.
Please forward calls to Copilot for further discussion if you do not have time to answer them.
If you’re busy, out of the office, or simply want to screen Teams calls before answering, you might need an AI-powered assistant. In the April 2026 update, Microsoft added Copilot, a call delegation feature to Teams that can screen your calls (and block potential spam), determine the caller’s intent, and decide how to respond. If the call is urgent, it will be routed to you. Otherwise, Copilot will schedule return calls and meetings based on your availability. This feature is currently available through the Microsoft 365 Copilot Frontier program, supporting Teams desktop and web versions (English language required).