How to Join a Teams Meeting (From a Link, Your Calendar, a Meeting ID or as a Guest)

Someone has sent you a Teams meeting invite and the clock is ticking. Here is every way to get in, including what to do if you don't have a Teams account at all.

1. Open the email or calendar invite.
2. Click Join the meeting now (older invites say Click here to join the meeting).
3. Your browser opens. Choose Open Microsoft Teams if you have the app installed, or Continue on this browser if you don't.
4. On the preview screen, check your camera and microphone, then click Join now.

You'll either go straight into the meeting or wait in the lobby until the organiser lets you in.

If the meeting is in your own calendar:

1. Open Teams and click Calendar on the left.
2. Find the meeting. A Join button appears on it a few minutes before the start time.
3. Click Join, then Join now.

You can also click the meeting and choose Join from the details panel.

Every invite has a Meeting ID and Passcode near the bottom. This is handy if a link won't open.

1. In Teams, click Calendar.
2. Click Join with an ID at the top right.
3. Type the ID and passcode, then click Join meeting.

You don't need an account or the app to attend:

1. Click the link in the invite.
2. Choose Continue on this browser.
3. Type your name and click Join now.

You'll wait in the lobby until someone admits you. Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome work best; Safari and Firefox sometimes miss features like background blur.

If the invite shows a phone number and Phone Conference ID, you can dial in with any phone. You'll hear the meeting but won't see screens or chat. It's a lifesaver when the Wi-Fi gives up.

Install the free Microsoft Teams app from the App Store or Google Play. Tap the link in the invite and the app opens. You can join as a guest here too — just type your name.

• Turn your camera and microphone on or off with the toggles on the preview screen.
• Pick the right speakers, microphone and camera under Device settings (the cog icon).
• Choose Blur or a background under Effects and avatars.

The link does nothing. Copy the link and paste it into a new tab in Edge or Chrome. If that fails, use the meeting ID and passcode instead.

Stuck in the lobby. The organiser or a presenter has to admit you. Send them a quick message if you've been waiting a while.

"You can't join because the meeting is locked." The organiser has locked the meeting to late arrivals. Ask them to unlock it.

No sound. Click ⋯ More > Settings > Device settings and check the speaker. On a laptop, make sure Teams isn't sending sound to a monitor with no speakers.

Most of the time, clicking the link and then Join now is all it takes. Keep the meeting ID and passcode as a backup, and remember you can always join in the browser without installing anything.