Creating a team takes three steps: open Microsoft Teams, click the "Teams" tab, and select "Create or join a team"

A team in Microsoft Teams is a workspace where a group of people can message, share files, and hold video calls together. You might create one for a work project, a class, a volunteer group, or any situation where the same people need to stay connected. Once you create a team, you invite others to join it, and everyone sees the same channels, files, and conversation history.

The process is straightforward and takes about two minutes. You do not need special permissions or administrator access on your computer — you just need a Microsoft Teams account, which is free. If your workplace or school gave you a Teams account, you can use that one. If not, you can sign up for a personal Microsoft account at no cost.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Microsoft Teams, click the "Teams" tab on the left sidebar, and select "Create or join a team" to start a new team.
  • Give your team a name and description, choose whether it is public or private, and decide if you want to add an owner or co-owner.
  • After creating the team, you can add members by typing their email addresses or by sharing a join link with them.
  • Teams come with a default "General" channel where everyone can message, and you can create additional channels for specific topics or projects.
  • Private teams require an invitation to join, while public teams let anyone in your organization discover and join them.

Step-by-step: Creating your first team

Start by opening Microsoft Teams on your computer or phone. On the left side of the screen, you will see a sidebar with tabs. Click the "Teams" tab — it looks like a small group of people. Below that, you will see a list of any teams you already belong to.

At the bottom of the Teams list, click "Create or join a team" or look for a plus sign (+) icon. A window will pop up asking whether you want to create a team from scratch or create one from an existing group. For a new team, select "Create a team." You will then be asked to choose between "From scratch" or "From a group" — choose "From scratch" unless you are converting an existing Microsoft 365 group.

Next, you will name your team. The name should be clear and describe what the team is for — for example, "Marketing Campaign Q1" or "Book Club 2024." You can add a description below the name to give people more context about what the team does. Both the name and description can be changed later, so do not worry about getting them perfect right now.

Choosing privacy settings and adding owners

After naming your team, you will see two privacy options: Public or Private. A public team can be discovered and joined by anyone in your organization without an invitation. A private team requires you to send an invitation or a join link to add members. For most situations, private is the safer choice because it keeps your conversations limited to people you have invited.

You will also have the option to add an owner or co-owner at this stage. An owner can manage the team, add or remove members, delete channels, and change team settings. If you are creating the team for a group project, you might add a co-owner so that someone else can help manage it if you are unavailable. You can add owners later, so you do not have to decide right now.

Once you have set the privacy level and decided on owners, click "Create." Your team is now live, and you will see a default channel called "General" where team members can start messaging.

Adding members to your team

To add people to your team, click the team name at the top of the screen and select "Add member" or look for a plus sign next to "Members." A box will appear where you can type email addresses. Type the email address of each person you want to add, separated by semicolons if you are adding multiple people at once. As you type, Microsoft Teams will suggest names from your organization's directory.

You can also share a join link instead of typing individual email addresses. Click the three dots (menu) next to your team name, select "Add member," and look for a "Copy link" or "Share" option. You can send this link to people via email or messaging, and they can click it to join the team without you having to add them manually.

When you add someone, they will receive a notification that they have been added to the team. They can then open Teams and see all the channels and messages in that team. If your team is private, people can only join if you send them an invitation or a join link.

Creating channels within your team

By default, every team starts with a "General" channel where everyone can message. But you can create additional channels to organize conversations by topic, project, or department. For example, a marketing team might have channels for "Social Media," "Email Campaigns," and "Design Feedback."

To create a channel, click the three dots next to your team name and select "Add channel." Give the channel a name and optional description. You can choose whether the channel is standard (everyone in the team can see it) or private (only invited members can see it). Click "Create," and the new channel will appear in your team's channel list.

Channels help keep conversations organized so people can find the information they need without scrolling through hundreds of unrelated messages. You can create as many channels as you need, and you can delete or rename them later if your team's needs change.

Managing team settings after creation

Once your team is created, you can adjust settings by clicking the three dots next to your team name and selecting "Manage team." From here, you can change the team name or description, adjust privacy settings, manage members, and control what features are available to your team.

You can also set rules for how your team works. For example, you can require that all messages be approved before posting, or you can allow members to delete their own messages. These settings are found under "Settings" in the team management menu. Most teams work fine with the default settings, so you only need to change these if you have a specific reason to do so.

If you need to remove someone from the team, click "Manage team," select the person's name, and click the X next to their name. They will no longer see the team or its messages. You can also promote a regular member to owner or co-owner from this same menu if you need to share management responsibilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a team on my phone?

Yes. Open the Microsoft Teams app on your phone, tap the "Teams" tab at the bottom, and look for a plus sign or "Create or join a team" option. The process is the same as on a computer, though the layout looks slightly different on a smaller screen.

What is the difference between a team and a channel?

A team is the overall workspace that contains multiple channels. A channel is a conversation space within a team focused on a specific topic. For example, you might have a "Sales Team" with channels for "Leads," "Closed Deals," and "Training." Everyone in the team can see all standard channels, but private channels are only visible to invited members.

Can I delete a team after I create it?

Yes. Click the three dots next to the team name, select "Delete team," and confirm. Deleting a team removes all channels and messages in that team. Only team owners can delete a team, and the action cannot be undone, so be certain before you proceed.

Do I need to pay for Microsoft Teams to create a team?

No. Microsoft Teams is free for personal use, and you can create unlimited teams. Your workplace or school may provide you with a Teams account as part of a paid subscription, but creating and managing teams does not cost extra.

What happens if someone leaves the team?

If a member leaves the team, they will no longer see the team in their Teams list and cannot access any of its channels or messages. However, their past messages in the team remain visible to other members. If a team owner leaves, another owner must be assigned before the team can continue to function normally.