Library: Using Microsoft Teams From Home: Mobile Devices

Mobile Screen Sizes and Orientations

Depending on your needs, preferences and devices, you may find that one device (and orientation) works best for you. Smartphones are portable, but their small screens have limitations. Tablets can be a great companion device to a PC for chat, meetings and more. Below is a side-by-side comparison of two popular Apple devices:

The iPad Mini 4 has a 7.90-inch display with a resolution of 1536x2048 pixels.

The iPhone 11 has a 6.06-inch display.

Note: Sizes are diagonal and changing orientation of either device changes how the interface looks/works.

How to Chat

One task you'll likely want to perform is to chat with a colleague. Tap the Chat icon on the bottom toolbar and then search for or type the name or email address of the person with whom you want to chat. Select the person's name and type your message. You can then carry on a back-and-forth conversation. Using the bottom toolbar under the message field, you can attach an image, GIF, or document. You can reference someone's name and change the font style or color. Tap the ellipsis icon and you can attach content from different services, such as YouTube.

Screen capture showing the chat function in MS Teams.

How to Call

You can place a call to one or more VDOT colleagues, either via audio (tap the phone icon) or audio/video (tap the video camera icon). On an iPhone or iPad, tap the Calls icon at the bottom. On an Android device, tap the More icon and then select Calls. If the person you wish to call already appears in recent calls, tap the name. Otherwise, tap the phone icon in the left pane and type the name of the person you want to call. Tap the phone icon to place an audio-only call or the camera icon to place a video call.

Screen capture showing the call function in MS Teams.

How to "Meet"

To schedule a meeting, tap the Meetings icon. Tap the icon to Create a meeting. Name your meeting and set the start and end times. To invite participants, tap the entry to Share meeting invite or Copy meeting link and then send the meeting invitation to the appropriate people. To start the meeting, tap the Join icon and then tap the "Join Now" button.

Screen capture showing the meet function in MS Teams.

How to Share Files

You can upload and share files with a colleague. On an iPhone or iPad, tap the Files icon at the bottom and then tap Add and then Files. From here, you can access the built-in Files app to browse different cloud-based services, such as OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Browse to the service you want and select the file you wish to upload. On an Android device, tap the More icon, select Files, and then drill down to the file service you wish to use.

Using Microsoft Teams From Home

Mobile Screen Sizes and Orientations

How to Chat

How to Call

How to "Meet"

How to Share Files

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