How to Switch Between Multiple Organizations in Microsoft Teams
Introduction: If you collaborate with multiple companies, clients, or nonprofits, you’ve likely been invited to more than one Microsoft Teams organization (aka “tenant”). While Teams is a powerful tool for collaboration, switching between orgs isn’t always intuitive—and can slow you down if you’re not set up properly. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to manage and switch between multiple organizations in Microsoft Teams smoothly—on both desktop and mobile. What Is an "Organization" in Teams? Each Microsoft 365 account is tied to a single organization (or tenant). When you're added to another org’s Teams environment, you're technically a guest there. Teams allows you to toggle between these orgs, but the interface isn’t always user-friendly, and you can easily miss notifications or messages if you're not careful. How to Switch Organizations on Teams Desktop App Open Microsoft Teams (desktop or web). In the top-right corner, click on your profile picture. Under your name, you’ll see a list of all the organizations you’re a member of. Click the name of the org you want to switch to. Teams will reload in that environment. Note: Each time you switch, Teams refreshes—so it can take a few seconds. switched organization shown below Switching Orgs on the Teams Mobile App Tap your profile picture in the top-left corner. Under your name, tap the dropdown arrow to view other organizations. Select the org you want to access. Note: On mobile, switching is usually faster than on desktop, and it’s a good backup when you cannot access your computer. Other Tips for Managing Multiple Orgs ✅ Use the Web App in Parallel Open teams.microsoft.com in a browser for one org while using the desktop app for another. This is especially helpful if you're constantly jumping back and forth. 🔔 Don't Miss Notifications Teams doesn’t show notifications from orgs you’re not actively in. Use the Activity Feed in each org to catch up when you switch. On mobile, you can enable notifications for all orgs (Settings > Notifications > Accounts). 💼 Keep Track of Which Org You're In Customize your Teams theme for each org to help visually differentiate them. Add org initials or emojis in team names (if you’re an admin) to make switching less confusing. 🧹 Leave Orgs You No Longer Use If you’re no longer collaborating with a tenant, go to myaccount.microsoft.com/organizations and remove your access. 🧠 Bonus: Using Multiple Desktops or Profiles If you’re more advanced, consider: Creating browser profiles (Chrome/Edge) for each org. Running Teams in multiple desktop user accounts or Microsoft Edge side-by-side mode. Wrapping Up Switching orgs in Teams is a necessary evil for consultants, volunteers, and cross-org collaborators. With the right habits—like using browser tabs, enabling notifications, and customizing views—you can stay productive without missing a beat.Stay Organized and On Track with the Remind App in Microsoft Teams
In today’s fast-paced work environment, staying organized and keeping track of tasks and deadlines can be a challenge. Fortunately, Microsoft Teams offers a solution that can help you stay on top of everything with ease: the Remind app. What is the Remind App? The Remind app in Microsoft Teams is a versatile tool designed to help you set and manage reminders for important tasks, meetings, and deadlines. Whether you need a nudge to complete a project or a reminder for an upcoming meeting, the Remind app has got you covered. Key Features of the Remind App Personal and Group Reminders: You can set reminders for yourself or for other team members in a chat or channel. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and no important task is overlooked. Recurring Reminders: Some tasks require regular attention. With the Remind app, you can set up recurring reminders on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to stay consistent and organized. Time Zone Support: Working with team members across different time zones? The Remind app allows you to set reminders according to different time zones, making global collaboration seamless. Integration with Outlook: For those who use Outlook, the Remind app offers seamless integration. You can add the Remind tab to Outlook or Microsoft 365 and manage your reminders alongside your emails and calendar events. Easy Setup: Setting reminders is a breeze. Simply mention the bot in a chat or channel or use the scheduling interface to set up your reminders. Why Use the Remind App? Stay Organized: With the Remind app, you can keep track of all your tasks and deadlines in one place. This reduces the chances of missing important deadlines and helps you stay focused on your priorities. Improve Team Collaboration: By setting reminders for your team, you ensure that everyone is aware of upcoming tasks and deadlines. This promotes better communication and collaboration among team members. Increase Productivity: Regular reminders help you stay on track and complete tasks more efficiently. By staying organized, you can increase your productivity and achieve your goals more effectively. Reduce Stress: Knowing that you have a system in place to remind you of important tasks can reduce stress and allow you to focus on your work without constantly worrying about forgetting something. Adapt to Remote Work: In the era of remote work, staying connected and organized is more important than ever. The Remind app helps you manage your tasks and deadlines, regardless of where you are working from. How to Get Started To start using the Remind app in Microsoft Teams, follow these simple steps: 1. Open Microsoft Teams and click on the Apps icon on the left-hand sidebar. 2. Search for "Remind" and click on the app to install it. 3. Once installed, you can start setting reminders by mentioning the bot in a chat or channel by using @remind, or by using the scheduling interface. In conclusion, in a world where staying organized and managing tasks efficiently is crucial, the Remind app in Microsoft Teams stands out as a valuable tool. By offering features like personal and group reminders, recurring reminders, and seamless integration with Outlook, the Remind app ensures that you and your team can stay on track with ease. It not only enhances productivity but also fosters better collaboration and reduces stress, making it an essential addition to your workflow. Whether you're working from the office or remotely, the Remind app helps you maintain a smooth and organized work environment. Give it a try and experience the difference it can make in managing your tasks and deadlines. Happy Organizing!How to Turn Off Teams Notifications During Meetings
How to Turn Off Teams Notifications During Meetings (and Avoid Awkward Pop-Ups While Sharing Your Screen) Introduction: We've all been there—you’re sharing your screen in a Microsoft Teams meeting, and a chat notification pops up from a coworker, your manager, or even worse… your group chat. While Microsoft Teams doesn’t automatically suppress all notifications during meetings or screen sharing, you can take control of what appears and when. In this post, I’ll show you a few easy ways to keep notifications silent and off-screen while you're presenting, focusing, or just trying to stay distraction-free. Do Notifications Automatically Mute During Screen Sharing? Short answer: No. By default, Teams will still show toast (pop-up) notifications during meetings and even while you’re sharing your screen. That includes messages, reactions, and call alerts—unless you proactively change your settings. Option 1: Turn on Focus Assist (Windows Only) If you're on Windows, Focus Assist can automatically suppress notifications system-wide—including Teams. How to Use It: Click the notification icon in the bottom-right of your taskbar. Click Focus Assist until it shows "Alarms only" or "Priority only." OR go to Settings > System > Focus Assist to set rules like: Turn on automatically when duplicating your display During specific hours When using an app in full screen Note: Users can set up a rule to enable Focus Assist during meetings automatically from your calendar. Option 2: Use Teams’ Built-In Do Not Disturb Mode Click your profile picture in Teams. Set your status to Do Not Disturb. While DND is on, Teams suppresses all toast notifications. Want to still get alerts from your boss or a specific team? Go to Settings > Privacy > Manage priority access Add individuals whose messages will bypass DND Option 3: Mute Notifications Per Meeting (Temporary) If you just want to mute notifications for a short time: Go to Settings > Notifications Scroll to Meetings and Calls Set “Mute notifications during meetings and calls” to On ⚠️ This doesn’t always prevent all pop-ups, so DND is more reliable for screen sharing. Option 4: Close the Chat Window When Sharing If you’re only worried about chat pop-ups, consider: Closing the Chat pane before sharing your screen Sharing a specific window, not your entire desktop That way, even if a notification comes in, it won’t be shown to everyone watching. Quick Checklist Before You Present: Task Why It Helps Set Teams to "Do Not Disturb" Blocks all notifications Turn on Focus Assist (Windows) Mutes all pop-ups Share specific window, not full screen Limits what viewers see Close Chat pane in Teams Avoids preview messages showing up Mute notifications in Settings Extra layer of safety Conclusion Whether you’re leading a webinar, pitching a client, or just trying to focus in a meeting, managing Teams notifications is a small tweak that saves a lot of headaches (and awkward moments). Set up your preferences once—and thank yourself later.Integrating Microsoft Whiteboard: Connecting the Dots with Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and More
Why Integrate Microsoft Whiteboard? Streamlined Collaboration – Access Whiteboard directly within Teams meetings. Centralized Document Storage – Save and share whiteboards in OneDrive or SharePoint. Enhanced Productivity – Reduce the need for switching between apps. Real-Time Teamwork – Enable distributed teams to work together effortlessly. How to Integrate Whiteboard with Microsoft Teams Using Whiteboard in a Teams Meeting: Open a Teams meeting and click on "Share Content." Select "Microsoft Whiteboard." Participants can draw, write, and collaborate in real-time. After the meeting, access the Whiteboard from the meeting chat. 2. Creating a Persistent Whiteboard for Teams Channels: Open your Teams channel. Click on the "+" button to add a new tab. Search for "Whiteboard" and add it to the channel. Team members can access and edit the Whiteboard anytime. Saving and Accessing Whiteboards via OneDrive Whiteboards are automatically saved to the cloud for easy access. To find your saved boards, visit whiteboard.office.com or your OneDrive files. Share links with team members for continued collaboration. Leveraging Whiteboard with SharePoint Embed Whiteboards into SharePoint pages for organization-wide visibility. Use it to document brainstorming sessions, strategic plans, and meeting notes. Use Cases for Nonprofits Grant Planning & Proposal Writing – Teams can collaboratively outline proposals in real-time. Board Meetings & Stakeholder Discussions – Share ideas and take collective notes. Training & Workshops – Interactive training sessions using visual aids. Conclusion By integrating Microsoft Whiteboard with Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint, nonprofits can unlock the full potential of collaborative planning and execution. Whether used for virtual meetings, project management, or brainstorming, these integrations help create a seamless, efficient workflow. Get started today and empower your team with connected, interactive collaboration tools! whiteboard.office.com soon to be whiteboard.cloud.microsoft.com
How to Enable Transcription in Microsoft Teams: A Quick Guide to Smarter Meetings
Transcription in Microsoft Teams transforms your meetings into searchable, readable text—making it easier to review conversations, follow up on decisions, and stay organized. Whether you're using it for accessibility, documentation, or productivity, enabling transcription is simple once a few key requirements are met. Requirements Before Enabling Transcription: Scheduled Meetings Only: Transcription is available only in meetings scheduled through the Teams Calendar—not ad-hoc calls. Desktop App Required: You must use the Windows or macOS desktop version of Microsoft Teams. Transcript Storage: Transcripts are automatically saved to the meeting organizer’s OneDrive for Business. Premium Features: If your organization has Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot, you may also gain access to Intelligent Recap and auto-generated meeting summaries powered by AI. Once these requirements are met, you can enable transcription during your meeting or configure it to start automatically by adjusting settings beforehand. Enable Transcription and Recording Before the Meeting Step 1: Schedule Your Meeting in Teams Go to the Calendar tab in Teams. Click New Meeting. Add title, participants, and time. Click Send to schedule. Step 2: Enabling Transcription and Recording: Open the scheduled meeting in your calendar. Click Meeting Options. Toggle Recording & Transcription toggle to On. This will automatically start recording and transcription when the meeting begins. Step 3: Start the Meeting Join the meeting using the Teams desktop app. Step 4: Access Notes After the Meeting Go to the meeting chat or calendar event. Click the View Recap button and go to the Transcription tab. Enable Transcription and Recording During the Meeting Step 1: Start the meeting Join the meeting with the Teams desktop app. Step 2: Start Live Transcription Only Select More actions *** in your meeting controls. Select Record and transcribe > Start transcription Confirm the language everyone is speaking in the meeting. Select Confirm. All participants will see a notification that the meeting is being transcribed Step 3: Access Notes After the Meeting Go to the meeting chat or calendar event. Click the View Recap button and go to the Transcription tab. Downloading a Transcript After the meeting ends, the transcript is available in the meeting event on the calendar. By default, organizers and co-organizers can download it as a .docx or .vtt file. You may also be able to give others permission to download a transcript, depending on policies set by your IT admin. To download a transcript: Select Chat in Teams Open the past meeting chat. Select View Recap. Go to the Transcript tab and click Download. Choose the file format you prefer. Want to Hide Your Identity in Captions or Transcripts? No problem! Microsoft Teams allows users to anonymize their name in meeting captions and transcripts. This can be configured in your Teams settings or by your IT admin, depending on your organization's policies. In conclusion, make Every Word Count with Teams Transcription! Whether you're leading a project, hosting a training session, or simply trying to stay organized, enabling transcription ensures that every word is captured, searchable, and actionable. From setting it up before your meeting to downloading transcripts and customizing privacy settings, Teams make it easy to turn conversations into lasting insights. So go ahead—start transcribing and let your meetings work smarter for you.
