Yes, you can use Microsoft Teams through your web browser without installing the desktop application. 

How to access:

• Go to teams.microsoft.com and sign in with your SIUE email account and password.

Supported browsers: 

Most core features are available, including:

• Chat and messaging
• Audio and video calls
• File sharing and collaboration
• Team and channel management

Limitations:

• Some advanced features may be restricted or unavailable
• Performance might be slightly slower compared to the desktop app
• Video call background effects may be more limited

Yes, Microsoft Teams has mobile apps available for both iOS and Android devices.

Key points:

• Available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
• Supports smartphones and tablets
• Offers core features like chat, video calls, and file sharing
• Allows access to teams and channels
• Provides notifications for messages and meetings

To download:

1. Open your device's app store
2. Search for "Microsoft Teams"
3. Download and install the app
4. Sign in with your SIUE email address and password

For detailed information and download links, visit the official Microsoft Teams mobile app page: Download the mobile app for Microsoft Teams

You can download and install Microsoft Teams on various devices:

For Windows/Mac:

1. Go to Download Microsoft Teams Desktop and Mobile Apps
2. Click Download for Desktop
3. Run the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts

For mobile devices:

1. Open your device's app store (App Store or Google Play)
2. Search for "Microsoft Teams"
3. Tap Install or Get

For Linux:

1. Visit Download Microsoft Teams Desktop and Mobile Apps
2. Select your Linux distribution
3. Follow the provided installation instructions

Web-version:

1. Go to Microsoft Teams
2. Sign in with your SIUE email address and password

For detailed system requirements, see Microsoft's guide: Teams System Requirements

Microsoft Teams has a user-friendly interface with these key elements:

• App Bar (left): Icons for different sections like Activity, Chat, Teams, and Calendar.
• Main Window (center): Displays content of the selected section.
• Compose Box (bottom): For typing messages and adding attachments.
• Command Box (top): Search or use commands (type "/" for options).

Tip: Use Ctrl+/ (Windows) or Cmd+/ (Mac) to view all keyboard shortcuts.

For a comprehensive guide on navigating Teams, including detailed explanations and visual aids, visit the official Microsoft documentation: Navigate Microsoft Teams

Manage Notifications:

1. Click the 3 dots near your profile picture > Settings > Notifications and activity
2. Customize for: Teams, channels, chats, meetings, and other activities
3. Use Custom settings for specific teams/channels
4. Set Quiet hours and Quiet days to mute notifications (Only the mobile app has this feature)

Pin Messages and Chats:

• Pin chat: Right-click chat > Pin
• Pin channel message: Message options (...) > Pin

Organize Messages:

• Use Filter  to find content in chats/channels
• Create chat folders: More options (...) next to "Chat" > New folder
• Utilize channel Tabs for files and notes

For detailed guides:

• Notifications: Manage notifications in Microsoft Teams
• Pinning: Pin a chat message to the top of a chat in Microsoft Teams

Do Not Disturb (DND):

1. Click your profile picture
2. Select your current status
3. Choose "Do not disturb"

Customize DND:

1. Click the 3 dots near your profile picture > Settings > Privacy
2. Under "Do not disturb," choose who can contact you

Quiet Hours/Days (Mobile app only):

1. Go to Settings > Notifications
2. Scroll to "Quiet hours"
3. Toggle on and set your preferred times

Mobile settings:

• Access via profile picture > Settings > Notifications
• Options similar to desktop version

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Manage notification settings

At SIUE, the creation process is managed centrally to ensure proper governance and avoid duplication.

To request a new Team:

1. Fill out the Teams request form at: Request Form
2. You'll be asked to choose between a Teams site and a SharePoint site:
   Teams site benefits:
   • Multiple collaboration tools
   • Group chat
   • Each Team includes a SharePoint site
   SharePoint site benefits:
   • Document sharing only
   • Custom workflow capabilities
   • Tighter security controls
3. Submit the form and wait for approval

For questions or assistance, email teamsadmin@siue.edu.

Adding members to a team:

1. Go to the team name and click More options (...).
2. Select Add member.
3. Type the name or email address of the person.
4. If you're a team owner: Choose the person's permissions (Member or Owner), then click Add.
5. If you're not a team owner: Enter the name, and your request will be sent to the team owner for approval.

Managing existing members (for Team owners):

1. Go to the team name and click More options (...)
2. Select Manage team
3. Go to the Members tab
4. Here you can change roles or remove members

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Add members to a team in Microsoft Teams

Channels in Microsoft Teams are dedicated sections within a team to organize conversations, files, and tools. Here's a quick guide:

Creating a channel:

1. Select a team
2. Click More options (...) next to the team name
3. Choose Add channel
4. Enter a name and description
5. Set privacy settings if needed
6. Click Add

Managing channels:

• Edit: Click More options (...) next to the channel name > Edit this channel
• Delete: Click More options (...) > Delete this channel (if you have permissions)
• Manage members: For private channels, click More options (...) > Add members or Manage members

Note: Your ability to create or manage channels may depend on your permissions within the team.

For detailed instructions and best practices, visit Microsoft's official guide: Create a standard, private, or shared channel in Microsoft Teams

Starting private chats:

1. Click Chat in the left sidebar
2. Select New chat  at the top
3. Type recipient name(s) in the To: field
4. Compose message and press Enter

Starting channel conversations:

1. Select team and channel
2. Click Start a post at the bottom
3. Type your message and click Send

For group chats:

• Add multiple names in the To: field
• Or click Add people in an existing chat

Tips:

• Use Format button for text formatting options
• Use Files tab to share documents

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Chat in Microsoft Teams

@mentions:

• Notify individuals, teams, or channels
• Type @ followed by name (e.g., @JohnDoe)
• Select from the dropdown menu
• Mentioned person receives a notification

Tags:

• Group people based on attributes (e.g., role, project)
• Team owners create tags: Team settings > Tags
• Use like @mentions in conversations
• Everyone assigned to the tag is notified

How to use:

1. In a new message or reply, type @
2. Start typing a name or tag
3. Select from the list that appears
4. Complete your message and send

Tip: You can @mention or tag multiple people or groups in a single message

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Use @mentions to get someone's attention in Microsoft Teams

Optimize Communication:

• Use private chat for quick, informal discussions and channels for team-wide updates.
• Use @mentions sparingly to notify only those who need to see your message.
• Reply to conversations instead of starting new threads to maintain clarity.

Collaborate Effectively:

• Share file links instead of attachments to enable real-time co-editing.
• Organize files and folders to keep shared spaces simple and navigable.

Meetings and Notifications:

• Mute yourself when not speaking during meetings and use video for better engagement.
• Manage notifications to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.

Respect Boundaries:

• Check availability statuses before messaging colleagues.
• Use Teams for internal collaboration and email for external or formal communication.

Following these practices will enhance your Teams experience and foster a productive digital workspace at SIUE.

For a more detailed guide, please see the ITS Microsoft Teams etiquette guide.

Scheduling a meeting:

1. Click Calendar in the left sidebar
2. Select New meeting at the top right
3. Fill in the details (title, participants, date, time)
4. Click Save

Alternatively:

• In a chat, click the + button in the compose box and click Schedule meeting.
• In Outlook, choose New Teams Meeting when creating an event

Joining a meeting:

1. From Calendar: Click the meeting and select Join
2. From Chat: Click the meeting notification and select Join
3. From an invite: Click the Join Microsoft Teams Meeting link

Quick join options:

• Use the Join button next to a meeting in your Calendar
• Click Join on a meeting reminder pop-up

Tips:

• Use Meet now in a channel for immediate meetings
• Adjust audio/video settings before joining
• Use the lobby for meeting security

For more details, see Microsoft's guides:

• Scheduling: Schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams
• Joining: Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams

Making a test call:

1. Select Settings and more ... next to your profile picture at the top of Teams
2. Choose Settings
3. Choose Devices
4. Choose Make a test call under Audio settings

In a test call, you'll see how your mic, speaker, and camera are working. Follow the instructions from Test Call Bot and record a short message. The message will play back for you. After that, you'll get a summary of the test call, and you can go to your device settings to make changes. 

For more details, see Microsoft's guides:

• Microsoft Teams Test Call

Sharing your screen:

1. In a meeting, click Share content (rectangle with arrow) in the meeting controls
2. Choose what to share:
   • Desktop: Share your entire screen
   • Window: Share a specific application
   • PowerPoint: Share a presentation
3. Click Stop sharing when finished

Recording a meeting:

1. In a meeting, click More actions (...)
2. Select Start recording
3. To stop, click More actions (...) again and select Stop recording

Tips for screen sharing:

• Use Include system audio to share computer sound
• Give control allows others to interact with your shared screen
• Blur background or use Custom background for privacy

Tips for recording:

• Inform participants that the meeting is being recorded
• Recordings are saved to Microsoft Stream (or OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Only organizers and presenters can start/stop recordings

For more details, see Microsoft's guides:

• Screen sharing: Present content in Microsoft Teams meetings
• Recording: Record a meeting in Microsoft Teams

Key meeting settings and options in Microsoft Teams include:

Before the meeting:

• Meeting options: Click Meeting options when scheduling
  • Who can bypass lobby
  • Who can present
  • Allow attendees to unmute
  • Enable meeting chat

During the meeting:

• Audio and video: Mute/unmute, turn camera on/off
• Background effects: Blur or choose virtual background
• Raise hand: Signal you want to speak
• Chat: Open meeting chat panel
• Participants: View and manage attendees
• Breakout rooms: Create smaller discussion groups
• Live captions: Turn on real-time captions
• Recording: Start/stop meeting recording

For presenters/organizers:

• Sharing controls: Manage who can share content
• Lobby controls: Admit or deny entry
• Manage participants: Mute all, remove attendees

After the meeting:

• Meeting notes: Access in the chat or channel
• Recording access: Share or restrict access to recordings

Note: Available options may vary based on your role in the meeting.

Tip:

Many settings can be adjusted mid-meeting. Click More actions (...) to see additional options.

For detailed information, visit Microsoft's guide: Meetings and calls in Microsoft Teams

Breakout rooms allow splitting meeting participants into smaller groups:

Creating breakout rooms:

1. In a meeting, click Breakout rooms icon
2. Choose number of rooms or participants per room
3. Select automatic or manual assignment

Managing rooms:

• Open rooms: Start breakout sessions
• Close rooms: End all breakout sessions
• Reassign participants: Move people between rooms
• Join/leave rooms: Organizers can enter/exit any room

Features:

• Participants can share screens and use whiteboard
• Main room chat remains accessible
• Organizers can broadcast messages to all rooms

Note: Breakout rooms are available only in scheduled meetings.

For detailed instructions, see Microsoft's guide: Use breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams meetings

Making calls in Teams is straightforward:

Start a call:

1. From chat: Click the phone icon at the top for Audio Call, click the down arrow to select Video Call
2. From contacts: Click More options (...) > Call

During a call:

• Toggle camera/mic: Click camera/mic icons
• Share screen: Click Share content button
• More options: Click ... for background effects, device settings, etc.

Group calls:

1. Start a call with one person
2. Click Add people to include others

Tips:

• Use background blur for privacy
• Test audio/video before important calls
• Use headphones to reduce echo

Note: Call quality depends on internet connection and device capabilities.

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: First things to know about calls in Microsoft Teams

Voicemail in Teams is automatically set up for users with a Phone System license.

Set up voicemail greeting:

1. Go to Settings > Calls
2. Under Calls, scroll down to "Manage Voicemail" and choose Record a Greeting.
3. Choose to record a new greeting or upload an audio file

Customize voicemail settings:

• Set up call answer rules
• Enable/disable transcription
• Choose notification preferences

Access voicemail messages:

1. Click Calls in the left sidebar
2. Select the Voicemail tab
3. Click on a message to play, read transcript, or delete

Forward voicemail:

1. Open the voicemail message
2. Click More options (...)
3. Select Forward
4. Choose recipient and add optional message

Tips:

• Use keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Space to play/pause)
• Set up out-of-office greeting for extended absences

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Check your voicemail in Microsoft Teams

Uploading and sharing files in Microsoft Teams can be done in several ways:

In a chat or channel:

1. Click the + button in the compose box, click Attach (paperclip icon).
2. Choose Upload from this device or Attach Cloud files
3. Select the file and click Open
4. Add a message (optional) and hit Send

Alternatively:

• Drag and drop files directly into the chat or channel conversation

In the Files tab:

1. Go to the desired team/channel
2. Click the Files tab at the top
3. Select Upload > Files
4. Choose your file and click Open

Sharing options:

• Get link: Create a shareable link to the file
• Attach copy: Send a copy of the file
• Upload from OneDrive: Share files stored in OneDrive

Tips:

• Use @mentions to notify specific people about shared files
• Edit files directly in Teams using Office online apps
• Use the Files section in chats for easy access to shared files

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Share files in Microsoft Teams

Teams allows real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations:

To start collaborating:

1. Open a chat or channel
2. Click New (next to the paperclip icon)
3. Choose the type of file (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
4. Name your file and click Create

To collaborate on an existing file:

1. Share the file in a chat or channel
2. Click the file to open it
3. Select Edit in Teams

Real-time collaboration features:

• Simultaneous editing: Multiple users can edit at once
• Real-time changes: See others' edits as they happen
• Comments: Add and reply to comments in the document
• Chat: Use the side chat panel for discussions

Tips for effective collaboration:

• Use @mentions in comments to notify specific team members
• Turn on Track Changes in Word for better revision management
• Use the Version History to review or restore previous versions

Note: Collaboration capabilities may vary based on the apps installed.

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Collaborate on files in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams seamlessly integrates with OneDrive and SharePoint for efficient file storage and sharing:

OneDrive integration:

• Files shared in private chats are stored in your OneDrive
• Access OneDrive files directly within Teams
• Share OneDrive files in chats or channels

SharePoint integration:

• Each team has a SharePoint site for file storage
• Files shared in channels are stored in the team's SharePoint site
• Team members can access and edit these files collaboratively

Key features:

• Files tab: Access team files stored in SharePoint
• Cloud storage: Add other cloud storage services
• Co-authoring: Edit Office documents simultaneously
• Version history: Track and restore previous versions

How to use:

1. In a chat or channel, click Files tab
2. Select Add cloud storage to connect OneDrive or other services
3. Upload, share, or create new files directly in Teams

Tips:

• Use Sync to access team files offline via OneDrive desktop app
• Share link to OneDrive/SharePoint files for easy collaboration
• Set appropriate permissions when sharing sensitive documents

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Collaborating with Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive

File permissions in Teams are based on SharePoint settings:

Channel files:

• Stored in team's SharePoint site
• All team members have access by default
• Permissions inherited from team/channel settings

Private chat files:

• Stored in sharer's OneDrive
• Automatically shared with chat participants

Permission levels:

• View: Read-only access
• Edit: Can modify files
• Owner: Full control, including permission management

Changing permissions:

1. Open file in Teams
2. Click Share > Manage Access
3. Adjust permissions as needed

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Share Your Documents

Microsoft Teams allows you to add and use various apps to enhance productivity:

Adding apps:

1. Click Apps in the left sidebar
2. Browse or search for the app you want
3. Select the app and click Add or Add to a team

Using apps:

• Personal apps: Access via the left sidebar
• Team apps: Find in the top navigation of channels
• Chat/Meeting apps: Use the + icon in chats or meetings

Common app locations:

• Tabs: Top of chats, channels, or meetings
• Message extensions: Compose box in chats or channels
• Connectors: Automate updates from external services

Managing apps:

1. Right-click an app icon
2. Choose Manage to pin, remove, or configure settings

Tips:

• Use the App bar (left side) for quick access to frequently used apps
• Some apps may require additional sign-in or configuration

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Access your apps in Microsoft Teams