Microsoft Teams – Getting Started and Learning

You can connect to Teams and O365 in any of the following ways:

1. On a managed government furnished laptop or tablet
2. On a managed government furnished mobile phone that can access work email
3. On a personal laptop connected to AppGate
4. On a personal laptop connected to the Secure Access Virtual Environment – Desktop (SAVE-D)

Exception: Employees, external attendees, and business partners without Office 365 accounts will still be able to participate in unclassified Teams meetings as an external attendee using any device. However, to do so, they will need to have been sent a Teams meeting invite from an ESDC employee or have forwarded such a meeting invite to their device.

You will not be able to interact with or collaborate on documents.

Please visit the Restricted Devices iService page for more information.

This section provides guidance on how to get started with Teams. Training and learning resources are provided in the next sections.

• Start the Application (On a computer)

  The Teams application icon should be on your desktop. If not, click Start or the Windows logo at the bottom left of your screen, scroll down to the "M" section, and find Microsoft Teams. If you cannot find it there, please follow these steps at the end of your workday:

  1. Select the Windows icon in the bottom left of your screen to access the Start Menu.
  2. On the far-left side of the Start Menu, select the small person icon.  
  3. Select Sign out and wait for the process to complete. You will eventually see the initial CTRL-ALT-DELETE login screen. Please let your laptop or tablet sit here overnight.
  4. The next day, restart your computer prior to using your laptop or tablet. Select the Power icon in the bottom right corner of your screen and select Restart.
  5. Signing out of Windows (instead of restarting or shutting down) keeps your computer connected to the VPN so that updates can be downloaded and installed.
  6. If you have followed these steps and Teams still does not show in your apps, you will have to submit a ticket with the National Service Desk.
• Confirm you have a valid license

  • If Teams opens, then your license is valid. If you receive a message indicating "you are missing out", this indicates that your account does not have an Office 365 license. You can request a license via the Office 365 License Request form.  
• Requesting membership to your organizational or operational workspaces

  • Contact your supervisor or administrative resource to request membership of your work unit's teams, group chats, etc. Any member of your team (or work unit) can add you as a member to your team's workspace. They can also provide you with a hyperlink so that you can join automatically.
• Installing the Application (On a mobile device)

  Installing the Application (On a mobile device)

  Government furnished mobile devices

  Note: If you have a managed government furnished mobile phone that can access work email, please follow the instructions provided below.

  Android mobile devices

  1. Launch the UEM Client application.
  2. Select Assigned Work Apps.
  3. Tap on the Microsoft TEAMS icon then tap on the Prepaid button.
  4. Sign in using your ESDC account details.

  Apple mobile devices

  1. Launch the Work Apps application.
  2. Tap on the Microsoft TEAMS icon then tap on the Prepaid button.
  3. Sign in using your ESDC account details.

  Personal mobile devices

  Note: Government furnished mobile phones that do not have access to work email and/or are a replacement for desktop phones are considered personal devices.

  Android mobile devices

  1. Head to the Google Play store, and search for Microsoft Teams. This will require an account.
  2. Select Microsoft Teams from the results and select Get.
  3. Once installation is completed, open the Teams app and it will take you to the sign-in screen.
  4. Sign in using your personal account details (not your ESDC details).
  5. Note: A personal Teams account is not required to join Teams meeting as a Guest.

  Apple mobile devices

  1. Head to the App Store and search for Microsoft Teams.
  2. Select Microsoft Teams from the results and select Get.
  3. Once installation is completed, open the Teams app and it will take you to the sign-in screen.
  4. Sign in using your personal account details (not your ESDC details).
  5. Note: A personal Teams account is not required to join Teams meetings as a Guest.
• Testing audio and video devices (Computer or Mobile device)

  1. To make a test call, select your profile picture, then Settings > Devices.
  2. Choose Make a test call under Audio devices.
  3. 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.
• Information Management best practices in Microsoft Teams

  Microsoft Teams - Managing Information

  Learn how to manage your information:

  • Information Management Best Practices in Microsoft Teams
  • Where files are stored and how Microsoft Teams works
  • Tips and Tricks

For short video tutorials on key features, go to the Microsoft Teams video training page. You will find tutorials on everything in Teams, including the basics, planning meetings, apps, chats and more.

Below you will find an ordered and curated essential reading list to help you get started using Microsoft Teams.

For information on hosting live events, please visit the Microsoft Teams – Video and Audio Conference page.

Microsoft is also hosting online training sessions in English and French for Government of Canada employees and hosted on GCcollab. These aim to help build the skills needed to support the adoption of Teams.

In addition to live training sessions, GCcollab offers training products by application and learning materials by type, including guidance on Accessibility within Teams.