What is Microsoft Teams?

The short answer

Microsoft Teams is an app from Microsoft that lets you chat, make video calls, and share files with coworkers — all in one place.

How does it work?

Teams is organized around channels and chats. When your company sets it up, you get access to different team spaces (like “Marketing” or “Engineering”), each with their own channels for specific topics. You can also send direct messages to individuals or small groups.

The main things you can do in Teams:

• Chat — send messages, GIFs, and files to individuals or groups
• Video and audio calls — join meetings with screen sharing, backgrounds, and recording
• File sharing — upload and collaborate on documents without leaving the app
• Collaborate on Office files — edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents together in real time

Is it free?

Teams has a free version for personal use and small groups, which includes chat, video calls (up to 60 minutes), and 5 GB of storage. Most people encounter Teams through work, where their company pays for it as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Teams vs Zoom vs Slack

• Zoom is mainly for video calls. Teams does video calls and chat, file sharing, and document collaboration.
• Slack is mainly for chat. Teams covers chat too, but adds built-in video meetings and tight integration with Microsoft Office apps.
• Teams tries to be the all-in-one solution, which is its biggest strength — and sometimes its weakness, since it can feel overwhelming at first.

Do you need it?

If your workplace uses Microsoft 365, you almost certainly need Teams — it’s where meetings, conversations, and shared files live. For personal use, it works fine for group video calls and family chats, though simpler options like FaceTime or WhatsApp may be easier for casual conversations.