How to Create a New Team in Microsoft Teams

You can create a new team in Microsoft Teams if your account isn’t restricted from doing so by your organization. With an organizational account and specific permissions, you’re free to create up to 250 teams per account in the Microsoft Teams web or desktop client and mobile app. This tutorial shows how to create a team in Microsoft Teams in each platform.

Important note: to create a new team in Microsoft Teams, your Microsoft account needs to be a part of an organization. You also need the permission of that organization to create a new team in the platform.

Create a Team in Microsoft Teams Desktop and Web App

The app is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and you can download it from the official page. If you need guidance to install Microsoft Teams on Linux, we have a dedicated article on the matter.

You can also access Microsoft Teams using your web browser in any operating systems mentioned above. The steps for creating a new team are the same in the web and desktop clients:

1. Launch the Microsoft Teams desktop app and sign in to your organization’s Microsoft account.
2. Click on “Teams” in the menu on the left.

3. Click on “Join or create a team” at the bottom left of the Teams screen.

4. Click on “Create team” under “Join or create a team.”

5. To create a new team, click on “From scratch.” You can also create a team from existing teams or groups in your organizational account or with the use of a template.

6. Select whether you want to create a “Private” or “Public” team.

7. Add a team name and description, then click “Create.”

8. Start adding team members or skip this step by clicking on “Skip.” You can add team members at any point.

9. You can add channels, team members, and more to your team by clicking the three dots beside the team name.

Tip: start using keyboard shortcuts to increase productivity when using Microsoft Teams.

Create a Team in Microsoft Team Mobile App

Do you tend to use Microsoft Teams quite often on your iOS or Android phone? You can create a new team in the mobile app by following the steps below:

1. Launch the Microsoft Teams mobile app and sign in to your Microsoft organizational account.
2. Tap on “Teams” from the menu at the bottom.

3. Tp on the plus icon at the top right of the Teams screen

4. Tap on “Create a team.”

5. Add a team name, description, and set the team privacy, then tap on “Done.”

6. Add team members or skip this step by tapping on “Skip.” You can add team members at any point.

7. Tap on the three dots next to your team’s name in the list of teams.

8. You can add members, channels, and more at any point.

Good to know: want to make your emails fun? Here’s how you can use emoji in Microsoft Outlook for Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are channels within teams?

Channels are like meeting rooms inside a team. You can hold virtual meetings, have text conversations, post images with text, and work on shared files, links, and other shareable items with your team. Like teams, they can be set to private or visible to everyone in your team. Channels are also a part of Telegram, although they have a slightly different function on the app.

Can I add team members outside of my organization?

You can only add team members from the same organization. This means that the people you can add need to have the same email suffix (@abcde.fgh) as the account you used to create the team.

How can I create an account for my organization?

No matter the platform, the ability to create teams in Microsoft Teams is only available for organizational accounts. This applies to both free and paid Microsoft 365 accounts. These organizations can be educational institutions, government agencies, companies, etc. For more help, download a guide showing how to create an organizational account.

Image credit: Pixabay. All screenshots by Natalie dela Vega.