How to Create a Team in Microsoft Teams (2026)
A team in Microsoft Teams is a workspace for a group of people — it holds channels, files, and conversations. Creating one takes under a minute, and you can start from scratch, from an existing Microsoft 365 group, or from a ready-made template. Here’s how.
Create a Team on Desktop
- Click Teams in the left rail.
- Click Join or create a team at the bottom (or the + at the top of the teams list) > Create team.
- Choose a starting point:
- From scratch — a brand-new, empty team
- From an existing group or team — reuse the members and settings of a Microsoft 365 group or another team
- From a template — prebuilt structures (e.g. Manage a project, Onboard employees)
- Pick privacy:
- Private — people need permission or an invite to join
- Public — anyone in your organization can find and join
- Org-wide — automatically includes everyone (admins only, size limits apply)
- Add a name and description, then click Create.
- Add members (people or groups), set who’s an owner, then Add > Close.
Your new team appears in the list with a General channel ready to use.
Create a Team on Mobile (iOS/Android)
- Tap Teams at the bottom.
- Tap the menu (⋯) or + > Create a team.
- Name it, set privacy, add members, and tap Create.
Mobile supports creating from scratch; for templates, use the desktop or web app.
After You Create It
- Add channels to organize topics — see how to create a channel in Teams.
- Add more people anytime via the team’s … > Add member.
- Invite outside people as guests — see how to add a guest in Teams.
Troubleshooting
There’s no “Join or create a team” button
Your IT admin may have restricted team creation to certain people. If the button is missing, you don’t have permission — ask an admin to create the team or grant you rights.
I don’t see the template options
Templates appear on the desktop and web apps, not always on mobile. Some templates are also custom to your org and controlled by admins.
I can’t make it org-wide
Org-wide teams can only be created by global or Teams admins, and only up to a member limit. Use a public team if you want it broadly joinable without admin rights.
My team was created but it’s empty
That’s normal — a new team starts with just a General channel. Add channels and members to build it out.
I created a duplicate by accident
Open the extra team’s … > Delete the team (owners only). Deletion is recoverable for a limited window via your admin if you change your mind.
Quick Reference
| Goal | What to do |
|---|---|
| Create a team | Teams > Join or create a team > Create team |
| Start from a template | Create team > From a template |
| Make it invite-only | Choose Private |
| Let anyone in your org join | Choose Public |
| Add people after creating | Team … > Add member |
Related Teams guides: How to create a channel in Teams · How to add a guest in Teams · How to schedule a message in Teams · How to create a poll in Teams · How to create a Teams meeting in Outlook
Ready to automate your busywork?
Carly schedules, researches, and briefs you—so you can focus on what matters.
See what people say
"Before Carly, I relied on a Calendly link, but the whole process felt impersonal and not very professional. Carly changed that by handling all the back-and-forth, so I'm no longer stuck in endless email threads trying to line up schedules.
Now Carly reaches out to candidates, shares my real-time availability, lets them pick a slot, then sends a Zoom link and drops it straight into my calendar. She sends reminders to both of us before each call, which has significantly reduced no-shows and last-minute confusion.
On top of scheduling, Carly acts like a full executive assistant, sending me my schedule the night before so I can prepare for each call. It reminds me of the old x.ai assistant, but Carly is noticeably smarter, faster, and better suited to my healthcare recruitment business."
