How to Start an Instant Meeting in Teams (Meet Now)
Sometimes a chat has gone on long enough and you just need to talk. Meet now starts a meeting on the spot: no calendar, no invite, no waiting.
Meet now from the calendar
1. Click Calendar on the left of Teams.
2. Click Meet now at the top right.
3. Give the meeting a name if you like, check your camera and microphone, and click Start meeting.
2. Click Meet now at the top right.
3. Give the meeting a name if you like, check your camera and microphone, and click Start meeting.
You're in a meeting on your own. Now bring people in.
Invite people to the meeting
Once it's running:
• Click People and type a name under Invite someone. They get a ringing call.
• Or click People > Share invite > Copy meeting link and paste the link into a chat or email. Anyone with the link can join.
• Or click People > Share invite > Copy meeting link and paste the link into a chat or email. Anyone with the link can join.
Meet now from a chat
Open the chat (one-to-one or group) and click the Video call or Audio call button at the top right. Everyone in the chat is called at once. For a group this is effectively an instant meeting.
Meet now in a channel
1. Open the channel.
2. Click the arrow next to Meet at the top right and choose Meet now.
2. Click the arrow next to Meet at the top right and choose Meet now.
A post appears in the channel saying a meeting has started, and any team member can click Join. The recording and chat stay in the channel afterwards.
Get a meeting link without starting a meeting
Need a link to send someone for later, but don't want to schedule anything?
1. Click Calendar > Meet now.
2. Click Get a link to share.
3. Click Copy meeting link or Share via email.
2. Click Get a link to share.
3. Click Copy meeting link or Share via email.
The link works whenever anyone clicks it.
While you wait
An instant meeting has all the normal controls: share your screen, chat, record, reactions. People who join from the link may land in the lobby depending on your organisation's default settings; click Admit when they appear.
Troubleshooting
Meet now is missing. Your organisation may have turned off private meetings. Try calling from a chat instead, or ask IT.
The person I invited didn't get a ring. They're on Do not disturb, or offline. Send them the link in a chat.
Nobody can join from the link. Check the meeting is still running: when the last person leaves, the meeting ends and the link is dead. Start a new one.
Wrapping up
Calendar > Meet now > Start meeting, then People > Invite someone. From a chat, just click the camera. In a channel, Meet > Meet now. And Get a link to share gives you a reusable link without touching your calendar.
