In the digital workplace, efficiency is king. Microsoft Teams has rapidly risen to prominence as a collaboration tool, providing an intuitive platform for communication. One of its key features is the chat function, and in this post, we’ll guide you through starting a new chat on both desktop and mobile devices, complete with handy keyboard shortcuts.
Starting a New Chat on the Desktop
Step 1: Access Microsoft Teams
Launch Microsoft Teams on your desktop. If you haven’t already done so, log in with your credentials. You’ll find yourself on the Teams dashboard, your command centre for all your communication and collaboration needs.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Chat’
On the left-hand side of the Teams dashboard, you’ll see a vertical menu bar with several icons. To access your chats, click the ‘Chat’ icon, which resembles a speech bubble.
Step 3: Initiate a New Chat
At the top of the Chat pane, you’ll notice an icon of a pencil on a sheet of paper. This is the ‘New Chat’ icon. Clicking on this opens a new field where you can type in the name or email address of the individual you want to chat with.
Keyboard Shortcut: The keyboard shortcut to start a new chat is Ctrl + N.
Starting a New Chat on Mobile Devices
Step 1: Open Microsoft Teams
Start by launching the Microsoft Teams app on your mobile device. If you’re not logged in, enter your login credentials.
Step 2: Access ‘Chat’
Once you’re in the app, you’ll see a menu at the bottom of your screen. Tap on the ‘Chat’ icon to open your chat window.
Step 3: Start a New Chat
To initiate a new chat on your mobile device, tap the compose icon, which looks like a pencil in the top right corner of the ‘Chat’ screen. This will take you to a ‘New chat’ screen where you can type in the name of the person with whom you want to start a chat.
Adding More People to the Chat
Whether you’re on desktop or mobile, you may want to add more people to your conversation to transform it into a group chat. In the chat window, click or tap on the ‘Add people’ icon (it looks like two people with a plus sign). Then, type in the names of the individuals you wish to add.
Keyboard Shortcut: On a desktop, you can add more people by pressing Ctrl + Shift + I.
Starting a new chat in Microsoft Teams, whether on desktop or mobile, is a straightforward process to streamline communication. With these steps and keyboard shortcuts in your toolkit, you can initiate conversations and foster collaboration within your team. Happy chatting!