How To Use Microsoft Teams Chat (2023)

Microsoft Teams chat has become an essential tool for work and school, yet using it can sometimes seem daunting. As the modern hub for teamwork, this platform supports groups with its versatile chat features that allow users to communicate effectively.

In our post today, we’ll dive into all aspects of Microsoft Teams Chat – from sending messages to starting a one-on-one or group conversation– making your navigation through it as seamless as possible.

Ready? Let’s uncover the full potential of MS Teams Chat together!

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Key Takeaways

Microsoft Teams Chat offers various types of chats, including one-to-one and small-group chats, channel posts, and conversations.
Users can send messages, make voice calls, video calls, and share screens in Microsoft Teams Chat.
Messages can be edited or deleted if needed. Marking messages as saved or unread helps with organization.
Users can ping someone by typing “@” followed by their name in the chat box.
Advanced features include message formatting, delivery options, posting in multiple channels, and group tags for efficient communication within teams.

Types of Chat in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams offers different types of chat options, including small-group and one-to-one chats, channel posts, and conversations.

Small-Group and One-to-One Chats

In Microsoft Teams, you can use small-group and one-to-one chats. These are found on the left side of the screen. You just click on chat to start. It is easy to talk to a friend or work buddy alone.

This is called a one-to-one chat or direct message. You can also make a group for chatting with more than two people. This makes team communication better and helps get things done faster! You can even do voice calls, video calls, and share your screen in these chats too!

Channel Posts

Channel posts live in Microsoft Teams. They are talks that happen in a certain area. Each chat goes to all who come to this place. You can use channel posts for chats with your team on Microsoft Teams.

With these, you get to share your views, tips and files with everyone inside the same area. This way, everyone stays informed about what’s going on with teamwork or projects being worked on together – improving overall productivity and communication within the group.

Conversations

You can talk to others in Teams chat quite easily. Conversations are a big part of this chat feature. Just type your words and hit send. The person you message will see what you wrote right away! This makes Microsoft Teams great for instant messaging and quick talks with your team members.

In group messaging, the whole team can join in on the conversation. They just click on their notification to read the new messages.

It’s not only about typing text, though. You can use pictures, videos, GIFs, and even fun stickers too! And if something important is said? No problem! Persistent Chat keeps hold of all your past chats so nothing gets lost.

That way, old ideas stay safe until you need them again.

Sending and Managing Messages in Microsoft Teams

To send a message in Microsoft Teams, simply type your message in the chat box and press enter.

Sending a message

To send a message in Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:

Select the “New chat” icon at the top of the app.
Type the name or names of the recipients in the To field.
You can send messages to individuals or multiple people at once.
Once you’ve entered the recipients, start typing your message in the text box.
You can also format your text using different options available.
If you want to include pictures or GIFs, click on the respective icons to attach them.
Emojis can be added by clicking on the smiley face icon and selecting from the options.
If you want to attach files, click on the paperclip icon and select the file you want to send.
Finally, click on Send to deliver your message.

Editing or deleting a sent message

If you need to change or remove a message you sent in Microsoft Teams chat, here’s what you can do:

Click on “More options” (the three dots) next to the message you want to edit or delete.
Choose the action you want to take:

Modify the message: Select “Edit” and make your changes. Press Enter to save the edited message.
Erase the message: Click on “Delete” and confirm that you want to remove it.

If you accidentally deleted a message and need to get it back:

Messages can be recovered in Microsoft Teams.
Deleted messages might be permanently deleted within a day or a few days if there is no retention policy in place.

Marking a message as saved or unread

You can mark a message as saved or unread in Microsoft Teams. Here’s how:

Select the message you want to mark.
Choose the “Save this message” option.
This will flag the message as important and save it for later reference.
To access your saved messages, click on your profile picture and select “Saved.”
By marking a message as unread, you indicate that you haven’t read it yet.
This can be useful for returning to messages later or reminding yourself to respond.
To mark a message as unread, simply change its status to indicate that it still needs attention.

Reacting with an emoji

Users can express their reactions to messages in Microsoft Teams by using emoji. Emoji reactions are a fun and visual way to interact and communicate with others. Here are some important facts about reacting with an emoji in Microsoft Teams:

Emoji reactions allow users to quickly respond to messages without typing a full reply.
Users can hover over a message and select the desired emoji reaction from the available options.
Emoji reactions are available for both the free version and mobile version of Microsoft Teams.
Users can choose from a variety of emojis, including thumbs up, heart, smiley face, applause, and more.
Emoji reactions are a great way to provide quick feedback or show your support without interrupting the conversation flow.
By using emoji reactions, users can add a touch of personality and emotion to their communication.

Improving readability

Improving readability is important when using Microsoft Teams chat. Here are some tips to enhance visibility and make your messages easier to read:

Use high contrast mode: Enabling high contrast mode in Microsoft Teams chat enhances color contrast and improves visibility of text and items on the screen.
Add a message subject: Adding a subject to your channel messages helps users understand the context of the message and improves readability.
Avoid tables: Tables can hinder readability in chat messages, so it’s best to avoid using them.
Add alt text to visuals: If you include visuals in your chat messages, be sure to add alt text. This ensures that users with visual impairments can understand the content.
Use an accessible font size: Using a font size that is easy to read for all users improves overall readability.
Enable read receipts: Enabling read receipts allows you to be notified when your message has been read. This improves communication and ensures your messages are acknowledged.

How to Ping Someone on Microsoft Teams

To ping someone on Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:

Open Microsoft Teams.
Go to the chat tab.
Select the specific channel or conversation where you want to send the ping.
Type “@” followed by the person’s name in the text box.
Press enter to send the ping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zn4xFEcPtg

Advanced Chat Features in Microsoft Teams

Discover the powerful features of Microsoft Teams, including message formatting, delivery options, tagging groups, managing notifications, and searching for messages. Take your chat communication to the next level with these advanced tools!

Formatting messages

Formatting messages in Microsoft Teams Chat is a useful feature that allows users to make their messages stand out and convey information more effectively. Here are some ways you can format your messages:

Use bold or italic text to emphasize certain parts of your message.
Highlight important keywords or phrases by using text formatting.
Add bullet points or numbered lists to organize information clearly.
Use headers or subheaders to break up long paragraphs and make them easier to read.
Insert hyperlinks to external websites or files for easy access.

Delivery options

Microsoft Teams offers delivery options for messages to provide users with more control over their communication. Here are some ways you can customize how your messages are delivered:

Choose message delivery preferences: You can decide whether you want to receive notifications for every message, only for direct mentions, or not at all.
Share information in chats: Microsoft Teams allows you to send links, files, and other relevant information directly in your chat conversations.
Communicate with external users: You can also use Microsoft Teams chat to communicate with people outside of your organization by adding them as guests in a specific team or channel.
Enhance chat functionalities: Take advantage of enhanced chat features such as sharing emojis, attaching GIFs, and using formatting options like bold or italics to make your messages more engaging.
Choose chat delivery choices: With Microsoft Teams, you have the flexibility to select different notification settings for each conversation or channel, ensuring that you receive updates in a way that suits your needs.

Posting in multiple channels

Users in Microsoft Teams can easily share information and updates with multiple channels simultaneously, improving communication across different teams and projects. Here’s how:

Type your message: Start by composing your message as you normally would.
Select “Send”: Once you’ve finished typing your message, click on the “Send” button to post it to the chosen channel.
Choose multiple channels: To post the same message in multiple channels, select the option to post in multiple channels.
Add more channels if needed: If you want to include additional channels for your message, simply select them from the list.

Group tags

Group tags in Microsoft Teams are an advanced chat feature that allows users to categorize and organize their chats more efficiently. With group tags, you can easily manage and communicate with specific groups of people within your team. Here are some key points about group tags:

Tag management: You can create and manage different tags to represent different groups or teams within your organization.
Automated tagging: In the Shifts app, Microsoft Teams can automatically assign tags to people based on their schedule and shift group name. This makes it easier to reach out to the right people for specific tasks or updates.
Tag selection: When composing a chat or sending a message in Teams, you can choose which tag(s) to add as recipients. This ensures that all members under the selected tag group receive the chat.
Recipient tagging: Once a tag is added as a recipient, any new member added to that tag will automatically be included in the chat conversation. This eliminates the need for manually adding individuals each time.

Managing chat and post notifications

To effectively manage chat and post notifications in Microsoft Teams, users can take the following steps:

Customize notification settings: Users have control over how, when, and where notifications appear. They can adjust settings for channels and chats, and customize appearance and sound preferences.
Minimize unnecessary notifications: It is recommended to only follow chats and channels that are relevant to the user. This helps reduce unnecessary notifications and keeps the focus on important conversations.
Indicate availability for communication: Users can change their status in Microsoft Teams to indicate when they are available for communication or need to focus. This helps others know when it’s appropriate to message them.
Engage in chat during meetings: Chatting is possible during Microsoft Teams meetings by selecting the Calendar tab, right-clicking the meeting event, and choosing the “Chat with participants” option. This allows for real-time collaboration during meetings.
Control meeting chat interactions: The Meeting chat setting in Microsoft Teams provides control over the level of interaction during meetings. Users can choose whether meeting participants can read and write chat messages, ensuring a streamlined meeting experience.
Adjust chat and notification settings: Users have the flexibility to adjust their chat and notification settings based on their preferences. They can customize appearance, sound, and other preferences to suit their needs.
Manage messaging policies: Messaging policies in Microsoft Teams allow administrators to control available chat and channel messaging features for users, such as editing and deleting messages. Administrators should set policies that align with organizational requirements.

Searching for messages

To find messages in Microsoft Teams, use the search function. Here’s how:

Press Ctrl+F to open the search bar.
Choose where you want to search, like a recent chat or a specific channel.
Enter a person’s name or keywords related to the message you’re looking for.
Filter your search to narrow down results by date, type of message, or other options.
Use advanced search options like eDiscovery (Premium) or the Microsoft Graph Explorer for more specific searches and to delete unwanted chat messages.

Best Practices for Effective Chat Communication

Utilize chat etiquette, organize chats with folders or tags, use threads and replies, and utilize @mentions for better collaboration.

Using chat etiquette

Proper chat behavior is essential for effective communication in online meetings and chats. It’s important to remember appropriate chat etiquette when interacting with colleagues. This means refraining from using excessive emojis or GIFs, as they can be distracting.

Additionally, it is crucial not to over-invite team members to Microsoft Teams, as this can clutter their notifications and hinder productivity. Renaming teams or channels without notifying members can also cause confusion.

Instead of starting a conversation with just a simple “hi,” it’s best to provide context and be specific about your message. By following these guidelines, you can ensure clear and professional communication in your chats.

Organizing chats with folders or tags

Organizing chats with folders or tags is a helpful way to keep your conversations in Microsoft Teams neat and easy to find. Here are some tips for organizing your chats effectively:

Categorize your chats: Create folders or tags to categorize your chats based on projects, teams, or any other relevant criteria. This helps you quickly locate specific conversations when needed.
Use descriptive titles: When starting a new chat, give it a descriptive title that reflects the topic or purpose of the conversation. This makes it easier for you and others to identify the content of the chat at a glance.
Include keywords: In addition to using descriptive titles, include relevant keywords or phrases in your chat messages. This can help when searching for specific information later on.
Keep content relevance in mind: To maintain organization, make sure the content within each chat remains focused and relevant. Avoid going off-topic or including unrelated discussions within a single chat.

Using threads and replies

Using threads and replies in Microsoft Teams allows for organized and cohesive communication.

Replies to a channel message stay attached to the original message, creating threaded conversations.
Individuals can reply to any message at any time, ensuring organized and coherent communication.
Threads enable grouping of messages per topic or sub – topic, making organization and retrieval of information easier.
Conversations in chats, whether with one person or a group, are continuous and not broken up into smaller conversations.
Microsoft Teams offers features such as managing notifications, setting status messages, and using avatar symbols for seamless platform communication.

Utilizing @mentions for better collaboration

@mentions in Microsoft Teams can help improve collaboration among team members.
With @mentions, you can notify specific individuals or groups in a chat conversation.
Simply type “@” followed by the person’s name or the name of the group you want to mention.
When someone is mentioned, they receive a notification and the message stands out for them.
This helps ensure important messages don’t get missed and encourages active participation.
@mentions also make it easier to direct questions or requests to specific people.
By using @mentions effectively, you can enhance communication and teamwork in Microsoft Teams.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Microsoft Teams Chat is a powerful tool for communication and collaboration in teams. It allows you to send messages, have one-on-one or group chats, and discuss files all in one place.

With its user-friendly interface and advanced features, Microsoft Teams Chat makes team communication efficient and organized. Start using Microsoft Teams Chat today to enhance your teamwork!