Microsoft Teams can be used to do video calls with both staff members and non-staff members. It is not necessary for the person you would like to call to have the Microsoft Teams app or a Microsoft account. This article will show you how to invite a non-staff member to a call using Microsoft Teams. Using this process, you can invite one or more additional participants to your call.
If your non-staff participant is using a computer, they will be able to join your call using their web browser or by downloading the Teams app. Participants on Android or iOS smartphones will be prompted to download the Teams app. External users should use the "Join as Guest" option if prompted to sign in so they won't have to create a Microsoft account.
First, open Teams and then click the Calendar button (if you're not sure how to open teams, try typing "Teams" into the search at the bottom-left of your screen).
Next, click Meet Now.
Enter a meeting title, and choose whether or not you want your camera and/or microphone enabled. Once you have chosen the settings you would like, click Join Now.
Your meeting is now active, and you're ready to invite the other participant(s). Click the Copy join info icon (looks like two paper clips) on the upper-right hand side of the Teams window. This will copy meeting join information that you can paste into an email message and send to one or more participants for your call.
Open Outlook and create a new email to your meeting participant(s). Right-click, and choose the Keep Source Formatting paste option to insert your meeting link.
Your meeting link will be inserted into your email. Add any additional text as desired then send your email with the invitation.
At this point, the external participant(s) will receive your email. Once they click the Teams link you've sent, they will see on-screen instructions for joining the meeting. If you'd like to know more about what an external user will need to do to join a Teams meeting, view our help article here.
Once the external participant(s) have followed the on-screen instructions and joined your meeting, they will be placed in the meeting "Lobby". This is sort of a virtual "waiting room" that allows you to control when they join your video call. Once you see the external participant(s) in the meeting lobby (you will hear a beep when they join), you should admit them to the video call by clicking the Check mark as shown below. After you've admitted your external participant(s) you are ready to conduct your video call.