Microsoft Teams is one of the most useful tools available to conduct meetings, whether for personal use to chat with a group or professional use to connect with colleagues and customers. Here we'll go over what exactly Microsoft Teams is, how to join a Microsoft Teams meeting on desktop and mobile devices, and how you can use the BlueJeans Gateway to connect existing conference rooms to Teams.

What is a Microsoft Teams meeting?

Microsoft Teams meetings enable two or more users to connect with audio, video, and screen sharing capabilities. Individuals don't need to have an account with Teams or be part of an organization to join a meeting in Teams. In most cases when a person is invited to join a meeting in Teams, instructions are automatically included to guide users along. However, this may not always be the case.

Using Teams, users can connect their audio, webcam, and share their screen with other users based on their preferences. Additionally, they can use the application to share files, conduct surveys, and chat via text with other users. Ultimately, there's a lot you can do in a Microsoft Teams meeting.

How to join a Microsoft Teams meeting?

If you want to learn how to join a meeting on Microsoft Teams, there are different steps you will need to take depending on the device you're using to access the application.

Desktop

To find out how to join a meeting on Microsoft Teams using a desktop device, simple follow these steps:

  • Join by Link: Typically, users can join a meeting by simply clicking on a link to the meeting. All they need to do is click on the Click here to join the meeting link within the invite, which will take them to a page on which they can download the desktop or mobile app if needed. Otherwise, the app opens automatically.
  • Join from Calendar: Users can also join a meeting from their calendar. Simply choose the calendar on the left-hand side of the Teams app and locate the meeting. Click on Join to enter the meeting if it's active.
  • Join in a Channel: Meetings can also take place in channels, in which case users will see a join invitation and can select Join to enter the meeting.
  • Join from Chat: Once a meeting has started, it will show up in the user's recent chat list. The user can then click Join above the chat to enter the meeting.
  • Call in: If users can't join the chat through the browser-based version of Teams or the app, they may be able to join via a phone number and conference ID.

Mobile

If you're using a mobile device to access Microsoft Teams, all of the above methods mentioned for desktop devices work with the mobile application, which you can download for iPhone and Android devices. Additionally, users can:

  • Join from a Notification: If a scheduled meeting begins, users on the meeting will receive a mobile notification that they can tap on to take them to the meeting. At this time, this feature is only available for iPhones, but Microsoft plans to make it available to Android users in the future.
  • Dial-in: If users are unable to use the Teams app, they can dial the phone number using their mobile device if a number is included with the meeting. Users can also choose to locate a local number if the number in the invite isn't local to them.
  • Join on Multiple Devices: Users can also join a meeting on more than one device if they want additional options for content sharing and collaboration. This can entail connecting laptops and mobile devices, controlling presentations via phone, and other tasks. To connect multiple devices, they all need to be connected to Teams using the same account. The next step is to join a meeting on one device. Mobile users can then see a message on their mobile device enabling them to join the meeting and share content from that device.

Room systems

Microsoft Teams Native Rooms (MTRs) can be used to join Teams Meetings. You can add a room of choice to your Teams Calendar invite to include the room in your Teams Meeting. The meeting will show up on the Teams Room touch panel. You can click join and start the meeting. Additionally, third-party standards-based room systems can also be added to Teams Meetings using a Cloud Video Interop (CVI) like BlueJeans Gateway. Using BlueJeans Gateway with Microsoft Teams BlueJeans users can easily connect their existing conference rooms to Microsoft Teams for video conferencing using BlueJeans Gateway. This software is a Microsoft-certified cloud video interop (CVI) tool that enables users to channel Teams video meetings through BlueJeans. Using BlueJeans, you can connect nearly any conference room configuration such as Poly, Cisco, and Lifesize to make the most of Teams without the need to change hardware.

If you want to learn more about how to use BlueJeans Gateway to connect with Microsoft Teams and supercharge your conferences, you can read more here. Also, check our pricing for BlueJeans Gateway or sign up for a 30 day free trial . You can also quickly test drive BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams by signing up for a one time meeting.