student participating in a virtual collaboration session

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a unified communications tool that allows for persistent 1:1 or group chat, video/audio calls and conferencing, and has integration with the full suite of O365 applications we've come to rely upon at NIU. If you're familiar with Slack or Discord, Teams has many similarities.

Teams licenses have been enabled for all faculty, staff and students that currently have an Office 365 license.

Accessing Microsoft Teams

If your device is supported by an IT administrator, they should be able to assist you with getting access to the Teams application. If Teams is already installed you can find it on your computer by locating the Desktop icon, searching "Microsoft Teams" in the search bar, or navigating to it in the Start menu located under the "Microsoft Corporation" folder.

The Microsoft Teams web client will prompt you to download the desktop client for macOS or Windows. If you're on Linux, the web client will be required.

Mobile users can download the app on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use Microsoft Teams?

Teams licenses has been enabled for all faculty, staff and students that currently have an Office 365 license.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a unified communications tool that allows for persistent 1:1 or group chat, video/audio calls and conferencing, and has integration with the full suite of O365 applications we’ve come to rely upon at NIU. If you’re familiar with Slack or Discord, Teams has many similarities.

How do I access Microsoft Teams?

If your device is supported by an IT administrator, they should be able to assist you with getting access to the Teams application. If Teams is already installed you can find it on your computer by locating the Desktop icon, searching “Microsoft Teams” in the search bar, or navigating to it in the Start menu located under the “Microsoft Corporation” folder.

The Microsoft Teams web client will prompt you to download the desktop client for macOS or Windows. If you’re on Linux, the web client will be required.

Mobile users can download the app for Android or iOS here:

How is this different than O365 Groups?

In many ways, it’s not. When you create a Team, you’re also creating an Office 365 Group. You manage group Ownership and Membership similar to an O365 Group. Teams do not, by default, show up in the O365 Global Address List (GAL) and are much less public than an O365 Group.

Login to Teams

Teams Help Center

New Features in Teams | October 2021

New presenter modes available - you can now use a presenter mode such as Standout, Side-by-side, or Reporter in a Teams meeting instead of sharing screen or window content only

Read more

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