How to Add Teams to Outlook and Troubleshoot Problems

Do you love the convenience of Microsoft Teams but prefer using Outlook for your email? Well, the good news is you can enjoy both at the same time! Adding Microsoft Teams to Outlook can help bring all your communication channels in one place and eliminate the need to juggle between the two.

Thankfully, both Teams and Outlook are Microsoft products, so integrating one with the other isn’t too complicated. This blog post will show you how to add Teams to Outlook and how to use it effectively.

But before we dig deeper into the how part of this guide, let’s understand the why first.

How to Add Microsoft Teams in Outlook on Windows and macOS

Adding Microsoft Teams in Outlook is rather simple; all you need is the Teams Add-in – a feature that allows you to schedule meetings from Outlook. But how to install Teams? The Teams Add-in is usually automatically installed if your device fulfills specific requirements. But if it isn’t installed, you can find the Teams Add-in on the Outlook app for Windows and Mac, mobile, and Web.

How to Add Microsoft Teams in Outlook On Windows

For automatic installation of Teams Add-in, you need Outlook and Teams apps installed on your PC. But the Add-in will automatically install and appear on your Outlook Calendar Ribbon only if your computer Windows has Office 2013, 2016, 2019, or 2021.

If the Teams Add-in doesn’t install automatically, you can do it manually by following these steps:

1. Open your Outlook app and enter the Calendar view by clicking the calendar icon on the bottom left of the navigation bar.
2. In the Calendar view, you will see the New Teams Meeting icon, but if it doesn’t appear, close the Outlook app.
3. Open the Microsoft Teams app and click your profile icon.

4. Click Manage account in the drop-down menu.

5. Now, a dialog box will open—Click General on the top right.

6. Check mark the Register Teams as the chat app for Office (requires restarting Office applications) option.

7. Close the dialog box, quit, and reopen the Teams app.
8. Reopen the Outlook app and enter the Calendar view.
9. Now, you’ll be able to see the New Teams Meeting button on the Ribbon.

How to Add Microsoft Teams in Outlook On macOS

If you’re a Mac user, the Teams Meeting Add-in will appear in Outlook if your Outlook runs on production build 16.24.414.0 or later. Plus, it must be activated with an Office 365 or Microsoft 365 client subscription.

Even after ensuring this, if the Teams Add-in doesn’t install automatically, you’d need to do it manually the same way as you would on a Windows PC (explained in the previous section).

Still, if you cannot see the Add-in in your Outlook app, you’d need to troubleshoot the problem, and we’ve given a few solutions in a later section below.

How to Use Microsoft Teams Add-in in Outlook on Desktop, Web & Mobile App

The Teams Meeting Add-in makes it super-easy to schedule meetings from your Outlook app. Since the add-in is placed in different positions on different platforms, we’ve explained how to use it on different mediums.

How to Use Microsoft Teams Add-in in Outlook In Outlook Desktop App

1. Once your desktop office outlook installation is completed, open the app on your computer.

2. Switch to the Calendar view by clicking the calendar icon on the left bottom of the navigation bar.

3. In the Calendar view, you’ll see the New Teams Meeting option in the Home tab. Tap on the New Teams Meeting option to schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams via Outlook.

4. Now, a dialog box will pop up where you can add various important details of the meeting, like attendees’ emails, the meeting’s start and end time, and more.
5. When you click Send, it will send out the meeting invite to your specified contacts, containing the link and dial-in numbers to join the meeting.

How to Use Microsoft Teams Add-in in Outlook In Outlook Web

1. To use Outlook Web, open outlook.com on your browser and log in using your Microsoft account.

2. Switch to the Calendar view by clicking the calendar icon on the left toolbar.

3. For scheduling meetings, see the top left corner of the calendar view, and click on New Event to create a new meeting.

4. In the meeting creation dialog box, toggle On the Teams meeting option. It will automatically schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams from Outlook.

5. The joining details for the meeting will be added to the event once you send the meeting invite.

How to Use Microsoft Teams Add-in in Outlook In Outlook Mobile App

Using the Teams Add-in in the Outlook mobile app is relatively similar to using it in Outlook Web. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Outlook app on your smartphone and switch to the Calendar tab by tapping the calendar icon in the bottom right corner.

2. Tap the + icon to create a new event.

3. Scroll down on the event creation screen and toggle On the Online Meeting option.

4. The Teams meeting details will appear in the calendar event after you send the invite.

How To Fix Microsoft Add-in Not Showing in Your Outlook Desktop App- 5 Effective Ways

There are many possible reasons why you might not see the Teams Add-in in your Outlook app. We’ve explained below some of the most common reasons why the Microsoft add-in doesn’t appear in your Outlook app, along with possible solutions for the same.

1. Outlook Installed from the Microsoft Store

If you have installed Outlook from the Microsoft Store, you won’t see the Teams Add-in in the desktop app as the Store version doesn’t support the Teams Add-in. So, if you want to use this add-in, you must install the Click-to-Run version of Office, which supports Teams Add-in.

2. No Exchange Mailbox

For those using Teams on an organization’s server, the Teams Add-in in Outlook requires at least one Exchange mailbox for the primary user. Microsoft Exchange is an email server that functions on Windows Server operating systems and facilitates web-based mail clients, like Outlook.

Unless you have an Exchange mailbox, the add-in won’t appear in the app, and you won’t be able to schedule a meeting. So, you should get at least one Exchange mailbox configured in your Outlook profile that you’ll use to schedule Teams meetings.

Since most organizations maintain their own Exchange servers, you might have to consult your IT administrators for Exchange mailbox configuration. The IT person will provide you with an email address and a password to add to Outlook. After your email client determines that it is an Exchange account, it will automatically configure.

3. Modern Authentication Disabled

To use the Teams Add-in, you need to sign into Teams using Modern Authentication – a method of identity management for secure user authentication and authorization. Without using this sign-in method, users can work with the Teams client but won’t be able to schedule Teams meetings with the Outlook add-in.

You can enable Modern Authentication in the Microsoft 365 admin center. To do that, go to Settings > Org Settings > Modern Authentication, and enable the Turn on modern authentication for Outlook option.

4. Private Meetings Option Disabled

Sometimes, the Teams Add-in doesn’t appear on your Outlook desktop app if the private meetings option is disabled. To resolve this issue, you must enable the Allow Scheduling for Private Meetings option in the Microsoft Teams admin center. This option is only accessible to the IT admins, and users cannot enable it themselves.

If you have access to the Teams Admin account, you can enable the Private Meetings option with these steps:

1. Open the Microsoft Teams admin center at admin.teams.microsoft.com
2. On the home page, select the Meetings option in the left column.
3. Tap Meeting Policies in the drop-down menu.
4. In the Meeting Policies summary, you’ll see a list of policies in your organization.
5. To edit the meeting policy of your organization, select Global [Org-wide default]. This policy is assigned to all members of an organization by default, and any changes to it will be applied to all.
6. In the General section of the next page, toggle the Allow scheduling private meetings option/Private meeting scheduling On.

5. Skype for Business

If your organization uses Skype for Business instead of Teams, you won’t see the Teams Add-in in your Outlook app. To rectify this issue, you need to use Teams in the Island coexistence mode, where both Teams and Skype work simultaneously. The Island mode works on the desktop and web versions but not on the mobile app.

To activate the Island coexistence mode on your Teams, follow these steps:

1. Go to admin.teams.microsoft.com/dashboard
2. On the home page, click Org-wide settings in the left column.
3. Select the Teams upgrade option in the drop-down menu.
4. In the Teams upgrade summary, you’ll see a drop-down menu under the Coexistence mode.
5. Select the Islands option in the drop-down menu to use Teams and Skype for Business apps.

How to Fix Microsoft Teams Not Working in Outlook?- 2 Best Ways

If you’ve tried all the solutions mentioned above, your Teams Add-in should work. But if it still doesn’t work, try the following fixes:

1. Restart and Re-Login

Sometimes, simply restarting and re-logging into your Outlook and Microsoft Teams desktop apps can solve the issue. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Sign out of your Teams and Outlook desktop apps, and close them.
2. Next, restart Outlook and Microsoft Teams desktop app, and sign in again.
3. Now when you open the Outlook app, the Teams Add-in should appear on the Ribbon.

Make sure you repeat these steps in this exact order.

2. Check If the Teams Add-in is Disabled

If you still cannot find the Teams Add-in in Outlook, chances are it is disabled. To enable the add-in, follow these steps:

1. Open your Microsoft Outlook app and click the File tab in the top Ribbon.
2. Tap on Options on the bottom-left side of the screen.
3. Select Add-ins from the navigation pane (bottom-left) in the Outlook Options dialog box.
4. If your Teams is disabled, you will find Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office listed under Disabled Application Add-ins. To enable it, open the COM Add-ins drop-down menu under the list and tap Go.
5. Once you have enabled your Microsoft Teams Add-in, this is how it should appear in the Add-in list.
6. In the next dialog box, click the little checkbox next to the Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office and tap OK.

Now, the Teams Add-in should appear in your Outlook app after you restart it.

4 Reasons Why You Should Add Microsoft Teams to Outlook

If I had to put a finger on one reason for adding Microsoft Teams to Outlook, it would be– efficiency. When your work becomes streamlined and organized, you save time and become more productive. Teams collaboration to Outlook allows you to do multiple things, like:

1. See Teams Status

If you’re a member of a team or an organization, adding Teams to Outlook allows you to see the availability status of your teammates. Every contact features a badge in the lower right corner of its profile, and its color determines a member’s Teams status. So if a contact is available, their badge will be green. Knowing the availability status of your teammates helps make communication a lot more efficient.

2. Share Emails with Team

By integrating Outlook with Teams, you’ll be able to share emails with attachments into a chat channel. Using the Share to Teams button on your Outlook account lets you move an email into Teams. This makes important emails and email threads accessible to the whole team, making communication clearer and more efficient.

3. Connect with Teammates Quickly

When you hover over a contact’s profile icon in Teams, it displays a pop-up, which contains quick info about each contact, like their title and email. By simply hovering over their profile icon, you can start an audio call or send a text through chat. This makes connecting with your team members a lot quicker.

4. Add Teams Rooms to Outlook Meetings

The most practical use of Outlook-Teams integration is the ability to add a dedicated Teams space for Outlook meetings. You’d just need to click the Teams Meeting button in the Ribbon toolbar for new Meetings, and your invitees will be able to join the meeting using a link or a dial-in number on their Teams device.

Frequently Asked Questions