The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In Microsoft Teams, select New message or New chat, choose the person or people you want to contact, type your message, and select Send. The label varies by Teams layout, but both controls start a private chat.
Before starting, check that you are creating a chat rather than posting in a channel. A chat is private to its participants; a channel conversation belongs to a team and is visible to that channel’s members.
Start a one-on-one chat in Teams on desktop or the web
- Open Microsoft Teams.
- At the top of your chat and channel list, select New message. In some versions, this button is called New chat.
- Click the To field and start typing the person’s name.
- Select the correct person from the suggestions.
- Type your message in the compose box at the bottom of the window.
- Select Send, or press
Enter.
Sending the first message creates the conversation and adds it to your chat list. If you cannot find the person by name, try entering their complete email address.
Start a chat from someone’s profile
You can also open a chat without using the new-chat button. Select a person’s profile picture in a channel or find their name with the Teams search box. Open their profile card and select the option to start a chat.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- New Adjustable Multifunctional Stand : 2025new upgraded ring light, using a new design concept. Perfectly circumvent the traditional clip-on ring light poor fixity and screen unfriendly problems. With a stretchable horizontal plate, 2-2.5 inches, it can perfectly match notebook & desktop computers and securely fix on straight or curved screens, and the main body of the stand adopts an adjustable design, 6.5-8.5inch, providing solutions for a wider range of usage scenarios
- All-in-one Service : Evershop desktop ring light adopts a new construction design to provide a new All-in-one solution for ring video light for cell phone fixing, you can place your cell phone Ipad on the stand, the operation is very simple, you can use our stand for cell phone video call anytime and anywhere, our fill light will assist you to show your best to your family and friends, light up your beauty
- Light and portable & plug and play :The Evershop small ring light features a USB-powered design, excluding batteries, and can be used with PC/laptop/mobile power/charging plug, making it plug and play. With its compact and lightweight design, our ring light weighs only 7.1 ounces, has a 5-inch light head diameter, and comes with a compact and versatile bracket, making it very easy to fit into shoulder bags and handbags. Its small and portable design allows for easy transportation to the office, outdoor, and during travel
- 10-Level Brightness & 3 Lighting Colors : Evershop ring light uses 64 high-efficiency LEDs with a 10W power output, delivering brighter and more consistent illumination across all three lighting modes—white, natural, and warm. Enhanced by CRI >98 color accuracy, it reveals true-to-life skin tones so you always look natural and polished on camera. With 30 adjustable brightness levels, you can fine-tune the light for any environment, helping you stay confident during video conferencing, Zoom meetings, video recording, webcam calls, smartphone selfies, and makeup lighting
- Foldable Ring Light : Our ring light adopts a flexible structure design, the bracket can be folded 90°, the ring light base can also be folded 180°, saving your use of space, and can be rotated horizontally 360°, flexible structural design is designed to help you find the best shooting angle, so that you and the object in the video in the most beautiful posture. Premium ABS build. Our products provide 12 months validity protection, If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us
Start a chat in the Teams mobile app
- Open the Teams app.
- Tap Chat.
- Tap New message.
- Enter the person’s name in the To field and select them.
- Type your message.
- Tap Send.
For formatting tools on mobile, tap More messaging options > Format before writing or editing the message.
Start a group chat
Desktop or web
- Select New message or New chat.
- Select the down arrow at the far right of the To field.
- When the Group name section appears, enter a name for the conversation.
- Add the participants in the To field.
- Type and send the first message.
A Teams group chat can contain up to 250 people.
Mobile
- Tap Chat > New message.
- Enter the names of the people to add.
- Type and send the first message.
- At the top of the chat, tap the participants’ names.
- Tap Group chat name, enter a name, and tap Save.
How group-chat history works
- Everyone who can access the group chat can send messages.
- When adding someone to an existing group chat, Teams may let you choose how much previous history to share.
- Teams does not offer that history choice when adding someone to a one-on-one chat.
- If a person leaves, the chat history is retained and their previous messages remain.
Start a chat with yourself
A self-chat is useful for temporary notes, links, drafts, files, reminders, or testing a Teams feature.
Desktop or web
- Select New message or New chat.
- Enter your own name in the To field.
- Select your name.
- Type and send a message.
Mobile
- Tap Chat > New message.
- Enter your own name.
- Select yourself, type a message, and tap Send.
You can move the self-chat to Favorites so it stays near the top of your chat list.
Start a chat with someone outside your organization
External chat is controlled by your organization’s external-access policy and by the other organization’s settings. It is not the same as adding someone as a guest to a team. External chat does not automatically give the person access to your teams, channels, SharePoint sites, or other Microsoft 365 resources.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #2
- Adjustable Color Temperature & Brightness: ACMEZING video conference light has 5 color temperature: Warm warm, Warm white, Natural white, Daylight, Cold white, adjustable range is 3200K to 6500K. Equipped with 64 10W brightness lamp beads and 5 level brightness adjustment. This webcam light can meet your different lighting need under various occasions to help you look your best.
- Ring Light Design & Multi-Purpose: The zoom light adopts ring design to produce a soft, pleasing light that helps to smooth shadows and hide skin imperfections. It’s a desirable feature for anyone who’s concerned about how they look on video calls. The light for video conferencing is widely used for video conferencing, remote working, zoom call, self broadcast, live streaming, makeup, YouTube, Tiktok.
- Stable Clamp & Flexible Tripod: The metal clip of the laptop light for video conferencing has a strong spring, which is firm and stable. It's equipped with foam cushion to ensure anti-scratch and anti-slip. The package also comes with a highly functional mini octopus tripod, which legs can grip, wrap or stand. These two types of brackets allow you to install the video conference light anywhere you want, you can install it on your laptop, PC monitor, desk, conference table, dressing table, etc.
- USB Powered & Plug and Play: The USB charging cable brings us more power options. All devices with USB ports can supply power to the ring light for computer, such as monitor, laptops, mobile power supplies and USB chargers. The zoom lighting for computer is small size, light weight, easy to carry when going out, and the power cord is up to 2m, which can meet your lighting needs anytime, anywhere.
- What You Get: 1*Ring Light For Webcam, 1*Superior Clamp, 1*Flexible Tripod, 1* Manual. We care about all details, each light for video conferencing is tested manually, it will be the best solution for your video conference lighting. 60-day refund and 18-month warranty, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, we will reply within 12 hours.
One-on-one external chat
- Select Chat on the left side of Teams.
- Select New chat or the equivalent New message button.
- Enter the person’s email address in the To field.
- Select the matching result. If it does not appear immediately, finish entering the address and check the results again.
- Type your message and select Send.
Some Teams Free users can be found by phone number. A Teams Free recipient may need to accept the chat invitation before participating. Someone without a Teams account may receive an invitation to create an unmanaged Teams account.
External group chat
- Select Chat > New chat.
- Enter participants’ email addresses, groups, or tags in the To field.
- Optionally select the down arrow to add a group name.
- Type and send the first message.
External participants in a group chat must use Teams or Teams Free. The maximum group-chat size remains 250 people.
External-chat limitations
External chats do not always have the same features as internal chats. In chats between a managed Teams organization and Teams Free users, participants may be able to use formatting, mentions, emojis, stickers, GIFs, and message editing or deletion. However, file attachments, tabs, and apps may be unavailable. Skype for Business participants may be limited to plain text.
What to do when someone does not appear in search
| Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|
| Name does not match the directory entry | Use the person’s full email address instead of their display name. |
| The person is external | Search with their email address. For some Teams Free users, a phone number may also work. |
| Your organization blocks external access | Ask your Teams administrator whether external access is enabled for your account and whether the domain is allowed. |
| The other organization blocks communication | Ask the recipient to check their organization’s external-access policy. |
| The account has limited interoperability | Check whether the person is using Teams Free or Skype for Business and whether that account type is supported by your organization. |
For external chat to work, both organizations must permit the relevant type of communication. Administrators manage these settings in the Teams admin center under Users > External access.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #3
- 【Universal Clip-On Design for Laptop & Desktop Screens】 This ring light for computer can attach smoothly to screens ≤ 2.5cm (0.98in) thick, perfect for laptops and desktop monitors. Clip light sturdy clip keeps it stable for calls, online work，streaming, or content creation, no extra stands needed.
- 【360° Rotation & 170° Tilt Flexibility】 The light for video recording easily rotate 360° sideways and tilt 170° up/down to adjust the lighting angle. Webcam light perfect for vertical videos, makeup,studio photoshoot，or vlogging—set it exactly how you need.
- 【High CRI, Adjustable Lighting】 Ring light for laptop featuring 64 high-CRI97+ LEDs, this clip on ring light ensures lifelike colors for professional use. Easily adjust brightness (5 levels) and switch between warm (2600K) to cool (6500K) white light for Tiktok/Youtube video recording.，Zoom call or Facetime.
- 【Plug-and-Play USB Convenience】 Desk ring light connect to computer designed for simplicity, photography lights have 2m (79in) USB cable with Magic tape ensures a tidy workspace. Works with any 5V 2A (10W) USB port—zero setup. Powered via USB.
- 【Perfect for Video Calls & Content Creation】 This ring light for desk upgrade your video conferences, webcam footage, and live streams with studio-like lighting.Light for Video Recording delivering professional clarity and flawless visibility for every frame.
If the Chat option is missing or disabled
Your organization may have disabled chat through Teams policies. A missing Chat button, an unavailable new-chat control, or an inability to find external users is usually not something an end user can repair locally.
Ask your Teams administrator to review:
- Teams admin center > Users > External access
- Allowed and blocked external domains
- The external-access policy assigned to your user
- Whether communication with Teams Free, other Microsoft 365 organizations, or Skype users is permitted
Keyboard shortcuts and Teams commands
Keyboard shortcut
On Windows, press Ctrl+N. On Mac, press Cmd+N. Depending on where focus is and which Teams interface you use, this can start a new chat or a new channel message. Check that Teams opened a private chat before sending anything confidential.
/chat
The /chat command can send a quick message from a compose box. Type / in the Teams search box or a chat compose box, choose the command, and press Enter or Tab. Slash commands are not currently available in Teams mobile.
/chatCommands that do something else
/goto navigates to an existing chat or channel; it does not create a new chat.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #4
- 【Unmatched 4K Streaming Quality】The NexiGo N680E Pro has a Sony 1/2.5" 4K sensor for ultra-sharp, true-to-life video beyond standard webcams. Stream smoothly at 1080p 60 fps. Its premium coated lens boosts light transmission and reduces reflections for clearer, more vibrant images. Perfect for content creators and live streamers seeking top-tier performance. Note: Output resolution depends on your camera software (e.g., OBS, PotPlayer).
- 【PDAF Autofocus & Enhanced Audio Clarity】Keep your audience engaged with advanced PDAF autofocus, delivering faster focusing speed, higher precision, and greater stability than traditional AF systems, no matter how you move. Dual noise-reducing microphones capture your voice clearly by filtering out background noise, ensuring clean, distraction-free conversations and streaming.
- 【Tri-Tone Adjustable Ring Light】The built-in ring light offers three color temperature modes with a simple touch and stepless brightness control by rotating the outer dial. Brighter than typical webcam lights, the N680E Pro provides soft, glare-free illumination so you can easily achieve the perfect lighting for any space.
- 【Built-in Privacy Shutter】With a simple USB-A plug-and-play connection, this streaming camera works instantly—no drivers, apps, WiFi, or Bluetooth required. The built-in privacy shutter blocks the lens completely to prevent potential hacking or unwanted access, giving you full control over your privacy at all times.
- 【Widely Compatible】The NexiGo webcam works with Switch 2 (Please use with your own USB-C to USB-A adapter), Windows 7–11, Mac OS 10.6+, and Chrome OS 29+, supporting all major video conferencing and streaming platforms like Zoom, Teams, Skype, and more. Its flexible clip and 80° FOV allow smooth rotation and wide-angle tilting while staying secure, making it easy to find your ideal angle. A standard 1/4" tripod mount ensures stable setup. Ideal for conferencing, gaming, streaming, recording, and online learning.
/goto/meetnow starts or joins an instant meeting from an existing chat. It does not create the initial chat.
/meetnowChat versus channel post
| Conversation type | Who can see it | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| One-on-one chat | You and one other participant | New message/New chat, then select one person |
| Group chat | The people added to the chat | New message/New chat, then add multiple people |
| Channel post | Members of the relevant team or channel | Open a team and channel, then use its post composer |
If the message should stay private, use Chat rather than the composer inside a team channel.
FAQ
Why does Teams show “New message” instead of “New chat”?
Microsoft uses both labels in current Teams layouts. They refer to the control for starting a new conversation. Select it, then use the To field to choose the recipient.
Can I start a Teams chat from the search box?
Yes. Search for the person, open their profile card, and choose the chat option. You can also use the New message/New chat button and search in the To field.
Best Value
- Natural skin tones, radiant look: Logitech’s TrueSoft technology delivers balanced, full-spectrum LED light with cinematic color accuracy and optimal lighting for video conferencing or Zoom meetings
- Wide, flattering light: Litra Glow's frameless diffuser radiates wide, soft light that flatters the subject and eliminates harsh shadows in any setting, providing flawless webcam lighting
- Safe for all-day streaming: Whether gaming, podcasting or broadcasting, Litra Glow adjustable LED light has cleared even the strictest UL testing guidelines for all-day streaming*
- Freedom of light placement: Patent-pending, 3-way monitor mount with adjustable height, tilt, and rotation for precise light positioning on your desktop computer or laptop
- Fine-tune your on-camera look: Adjustable brightness and color temperature settings help you quickly achieve the video look you want, from warm candlelight to cool blue
How many people can be in a Teams group chat?
A Teams group chat can contain up to 250 people.
Can I add someone from outside my company to a Teams chat?
Only if external access is allowed by both organizations. Search for the person using their email address. The recipient may need to accept an invitation or create a Teams account.
Does external chat give someone access to my team or SharePoint files?
No. External Access enables communication but does not automatically grant access to teams, channels, SharePoint sites, or other Microsoft 365 resources. Guest access is a separate feature.
Can I recover a missing Chat button myself?
Usually not if the button is disabled by an organization policy. Contact your Teams administrator and ask them to check your Teams policies and external-access settings.
The Bottom Line
For a normal private conversation, select New message or New chat, choose the recipient in To, write the message, and send it. Use multiple recipients for a group chat, your own name for a personal notes chat, and an email address for an external contact. If a person or the Chat option is missing, the cause is often an external-access or Teams policy restriction rather than a problem with the chat steps.
