Microsoft Teams has quickly become one of the go-to collaboration platforms for businesses, schools, and remote teams. When you first see the name, and considering that the app comes pre-installed on newer Windows devices, you might think that it’s only usable on Microsoft Windows systems. However, Teams extends its reach far beyond the Windows ecosystem and you can download Teams for Mac just like any other app.
Installing Microsoft Teams on Mac
Before using Microsoft Teams on Mac, make sure your PC meets the basic requirements. You’ll need macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later, at least 4 GB of RAM, and about 1.5 GB of free storage space. Essentially, Macs from 2013 onwards should handle Teams without any issue.
Step 1. Go to the Microsoft Teams official downloads page and click on “Download Teams for Mac.”
Step 2. The website should automatically detect your system and redirect you to the Mac installer.
Step 3. Open the installer in the Downloads folder (MicrosoftTeams.pkg) and follow the installation wizard. You’ll likely need to enter your admin account credentials.
Step 4. Launch the app and click on “Get Started.”
Step 5. You’ll be prompted to sign in with your Microsoft account.
If you don’t have a Microsoft account, the app doesn’t seem to come with the ability to make one. You can use Microsoft’s online page.
Step 6. Go to Microsoft Accounts and select “Sign In.”
Step 7. Under the textbox for the email, select “Create one!”
Step 8. Enter an email account to use and follow the instructions, including setting up a password and recovery tool.
Step 9. Go back to the app and enter the new account credentials.
Best Practices for Mac Users
Here are some of the most common optimization and ease-of-use setups for Teams for Mac:
Go to the Notification Settings through your profile menu and customize alerts based on priority. Enable notifications only for mentions and direct messages to reduce distractions while staying informed about important communications.
You can go to General Settings to make Teams automatically open when you turn on PC to get immediate updates when you start working.
In the same panel, under Appearance and accessibility you can choose to “Turn off animations” if they’re causing performance issues on older machines. This will also prevent GIFs from auto-playing in channels.
Use “Cmd + 1” through “Cmd + 5” to quickly navigate between Activity, Chat, Teams, Calendar, and Calls.
“Cmd + E” opens the search function, while “Cmd + Shift + O” starts a new conversation.
If Teams feels sluggish, quit Teams completely, then navigate to “~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams” in Finder and delete the Cache folder contents.
Teams offers three visual themes: Default, Dark, and High Contrast, with the Dark theme integrating well with macOS Dark Mode.
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