Chats | Beginner

Chats | Beginner

Start a chat

 Chat is at the center of communication in Microsoft Teams. You can have one-on-one chats, group chats, or even chat with yourself to take notes or transfer files between devices.

  1. Click New message (at the top of your chat list).
  2. Enter the name of the person or group you want to chat with.
  3. Type your message and press Enter or click Send.




Start a one-on-one chat

Click New message, type the person’s name, compose your message, and send it.

Chat with yourself

  1. Enter your own name in New message.
  2. Use it for notes, drafts, or transferring files between devices.

Start a group chat

  1. Click New message.
  2. Optionally enter a group name and add up to 100 people.
  3. To message an entire team, use a channel conversation instead.




                Note: If you want to start a conversation with the entire team, try a channel conversation.

Manage Groups Chats

Add people

  1. Click Add people in the top-right corner.
  2. Type names, select how much chat history to include, and click Add.

Remove people from a group chat

Important: Only possible if allowed by your admin. If the option is not visible, your organization’s messaging policy may restrict it.
  1. In a chat with 3+ participants, hover over a name, click X/Remove, and confirm.
  2. Removed users can view previous messages but cannot send or react to new messages.

See who's in a group chat

Hover over the number of participants in the chat header to see the full list

Name a group chat

  1. New chat: enter the group name when starting the chat.
  2. Existing chat: click Name group chat near the participant list.
Names can be updated anytime.

Leave a group chat

You can find the chat in your list, click More options > Leave.
                                            

Send a message to a channel

  1. Channels act as large group chats with threaded conversations.
  1. Use Reply to keep conversations organized, or start a new message to begin a new thread.

Reply to a channel message

  1. Click Reply below a message to keep the conversation attached to the original post.

Send a message to a channel

  1. Select the channel.
  2. Click Reply to respond to an existing thread or type in the compose box to start a new message.
  3. Click Send. Your message is now visible to the entire channel.

If you only want to talk to one person or a small group, see Start a chat in Teams.


Send a file, picture, or link

When you're in a chat, you can send messages that include files, links, and pictures.

  1. Click Expand under the compose box, select Insert link, add display text and URL, then click Insert.
  2. Links include a preview thumbnail (can be closed if desired).

Attach a file or picture

  1. Click Choose file under the compose box.
  2. Upload from your computer, OneDrive, or search in the Files tab for that channel.

Pin, Mute, or Mark Messages

Pin a Chat 

  1. Open your chat list, find the chat, click More options > Pin to keep it at the top.
  2. To unpin, click More options > Unpin.

Mute a Chat

  1. Click More options > Mute to stop notifications.
  2. Messages still arrive; an icon shows the chat is muted.
  3. Unmute anytime via More options > Unmute.

Mark a Message as Unread

  1. Click More options > Mark as unread to flag a message for later.

Format a message

Click Expand under the compose box for formatting options:
  1. Bold, italic, underline, highlight
  1. Change font size and color
  1. Bulleted or numbered lists
  1. Add links
  1. Mark as important
The expanded compose box lets you add paragraphs without accidentally sending, and even includes a subject line.

Mark a message as important

  1. In the expanded compose box, click Mark as important.
  2. A red exclamation mark appears, and the message is prefixed with “IMPORTANT!” for visibility.

    • Related Articles

    • Chats | Advanced

      Use Markdown formatting With Markdown, you get a live preview of your formatted text inside the compose box as you type, and you can undo your formatting at any time by pressing Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac). Most basic formatting actions are still available ...

    • Meetings | Beginner

      Joining Meetings Meetings in Teams include audio, video, and sharing. And because they're online, you'll always have a meeting space and never need a room or projector. Teams meetings are a great way to come together with your colleagues and clients ...

    • Calling| Beginner

      Start a call from a chat You can make one-on-one or group calls with anyone in your organization directly from a chat without having to host a team meeting. These calls are private and won't appear in any team conversation. Entries for the calls will ...

    • Files | Beginner

      Explore the Files list Click Files to see all your important files, which are sorted into the following categories: The Recent view shows you every Office 365 document you’ve viewed or edited in recent history. Note: Another way to view your recent ...

    • Getting started

      Sign-in to Teams Start Teams. Go to https://teams.microsoft.com/ In Windows, click Start button > Microsoft Corporation > Microsoft Teams. On Mac, go to the Applications folder and click Microsoft Teams. On mobile, tap the Teams icon Sign in with ...