Microsoft Teams Video Conference Guide 2023.
Given the skyrocketing rise in the number of people working from home in 2020, it should come as no surprise that the use of video conferencing software has also skyrocketed. Bosses love video conferencing. Face-to-face meetings have now become video conferencing. Like it or not, video conferencing is on the rise.
Microsoft Teams is a venerable Seattle-based software company that has gone to war with video conferencing, and it has a lot of features. In this article, we’ll focus on Microsoft Teams video conferencing, including how to join meetings and gain access to all the features Teams meetings have to offer.
How to Join a Microsoft Teams Video Conference
When someone invites you to a Microsoft Teams video conference, they send you a link to join the meeting. The link can come to you in a variety of ways, such as in a calendar invitation, email, or as a link in a text message or chat app. Click the link to join the meeting.
If you are using a desktop computer, you will be prompted to choose between joining the meeting through a browser or installing the Teams desktop client for the first time. Android and iPhone users can download the Teams app.
Audio and Video Settings in Microsoft Teams Meetings
If you join using a computer, you will be prompted to select your video and audio options.
You can turn the video on and off on this screen, or select a video background filter.
Background filters include blurring the background or virtual background. You can even upload your own virtual background image by choosing Add.
When you join a team meeting, there are several sound options to choose from.
Selecting a computer sound means that the application will use your computer’s microphone and speakers by default. You will see options for adjusting volume and sound levels.
you If choose Phone Sound, you’ll be given a phone number to call, or you can have the Teams app call your phone directly.
If you’re joining from a Team’s room, you can select Audio Rooms. If you choose the last option, “Silent”, you will join the meeting without sound.
Regardless of which audio option you choose when joining a meeting, you can always toggle through the device settings, which are accessible through the More Options icon in the toolbar.
In the device settings panel, you can change which devices you want to use.
When you’re satisfied with your choice, click the Join Now button.
Once you join a Microsoft Teams meeting, you have access to various features during the meeting.
Features of Microsoft Teams Video Conferences
Microsoft Teams features during a meeting are available through the toolbar at the top of the meeting window.
Members
Clicking the first icon on the toolbar opens the Participants panel.
The panel displays a list of meeting attendees. Note. If you are the meeting organizer and the lobby is open to people outside of your organization, you can use the attendee panel to receive attendees who are waiting in the lobby.
You can invite additional people to the meeting by name in the Attendees Panel, but only if they are from your organization. Alternatively, you can enter a phone number and Teams will call that number.
Chatting
Click the chat icon in the toolbar to open the chat panel.
Microsoft Teams chat is feature-rich. You can format text, insert emoticons and stickers, and search for gifs with Giphy.
To react to a message in the chat panel, hover over the comment and select from the reactions menu.
Mobile app users can press and hold on a chat comment to open the reactions menu.
Raise your hand
To let others in the meeting know that you want to speak, select the Raise Hand icon in the toolbar.
When you do, a hand icon appears next to your name in the Participants panel.
After you have been called, do not forget to lower your hand by clicking the hand icon in the toolbar.
Screen sharing
Screen sharing in Microsoft Teams video conferencing works in a similar way to other video conferencing apps. Click the Share Content icon in the toolbar.
You will be prompted to choose what you want to share: a screen (if you have multiple monitors, they will be listed separately), a specific window you open, or a recent PowerPoint presentation. Select the Turn on computer audio switch if you want meeting attendees to hear the audio clip or audio from the video you share.
Content sharing is also where you can share your Microsoft Whiteboard, a whiteboard that everyone in the meeting can view and edit.
Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms for Microsoft Teams meetings finally arrived in early December 2020. Meeting hosts can now create breakout rooms, give them names, and automatically or manually assign meeting attendees to breakout rooms. To create and manage breakout rooms, click the Breakout Rooms icon in the toolbar.
Choose how many breakout rooms you want to create and whether you want groups to automatically assign people to breakout rooms, or if you want to manually assign participants to breakout rooms yourself.
Clicking the Create Rooms button will create rooms, but not yet send participants to rooms. To do this, you need to click the Start Rooms button in the Breakout Rooms panel.
Currently, meeting hosts can only create breakout rooms after the meeting starts but don’t be surprised if Microsoft Teams rolls out breakout rooms configuration soon.
Additional actions
The More Actions icon on the toolbar contains several more functions.
From the More Actions menu, you can access things like Meeting Notes, a shared note-taking document available to all meeting attendees.
Depending on the number of people in the meeting, use the More Actions menu to enable Large Gallery mode, which allows you to view video streams from 49 meeting participants at the same time. In “Together” mode, the background from the video streams of the participants will be removed, and everyone will be in the virtual classroom.
Choose Live Subtitles for amazingly accurate subtitles as each attendee speaks, or select Start Recording to record your meeting.
Leaving a Microsoft Teams Video Conference
To leave the meeting, click the red Leave button on the toolbar. If you are the meeting organizer, you will also see the option to end the meeting for everyone.
Getting Better and Better
Clearly, Microsoft is serious about improving Microsoft Teams video conferencing. They regularly release new features and respond to feature requests through Microsoft Teams UserVoice, a website where you can submit suggestions and vote on future features and improvements.
If you like Microsoft Teams, you’ll want to learn more Teams tips and tricks.
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Microsoft Teams Video Conference Guide 2021
Microsoft Teams Video Conference Guide 2021