Microsoft Teams FAQ

To use MS Teams, you must either have a computer or a mobile device with access to the internet. All UHN issued laptops and mobile devices have built in microphones, speakers and webcams. Therefore, there is no additional hardware needed. Please note:

• 4GB RAM or higher is recommended, but Teams will run with less.
• Minimum Operating System: Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan or later, Windows Server 2012 R2+, Windows 10, or Windows 8.1 in 32-bit and 64-bit.
• For a better experience with video calls and online meetings, we recommend using a computer that has a 2.0GHz processor and 4GB RAM or higher

Desktop: Teams is available on your UHN managed device’s desktop. In order to have this application installed you will need to submit a request through the Service Portal.

Web Browser: Teams is available via web browser or select the Teams icon when you login to Office 365. Here is instructions on setting up your O365 Portal or setting up your MFA access.

Mobile: Teams is available on your mobile device (iOS or Android). You will need to have Microsoft Intune installed first, and then you can download Microsoft Teams from your app store. Find more information about instructions on setting up your mobile device.

Yes, your existing UHN email ID and network password can be used to log in to MS Teams

The Microsoft Teams app works in the following desktop browsers:

• Microsoft Edge*
• The latest version of Chrome*
• The latest version of Firefox

*For the best experience using MS Teams, use the Chrome or Edge browser.

When you first launch Teams, the features that are present (chat, calls, files, teams) are enabled within the UHN environment. However, additional features or plug-ins may not be enabled for use at this point.

We will work to continually listen to your requests and respond accordingly to make valuable features available where appropriate. Submit your requests to the Digital Demand Hub.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

Yes, MS Teams Meetings can be attended by non-UHN staff without limitation, however the only requirement is that the meeting must be organized (created) by a TeamUHN member.

When guests join the meeting, a message will pop up in the meeting window, and someone from UHN must “admit” the guest’s entry into the meeting. For more information:

Private channels in Microsoft Teams allow for more focused collaboration within teams, allowing only those who are members of the Private Channel to view and contribute information to that channel. Channels can be created within workspaces to organize content and conversations within that team, and those channels and its content are available to all members within a Team.

The Private Channel function is different from other Channels as it limits collaboration to a subset of the Workspace members, and is typically useful to collaborate with a smaller group who have a need to discuss focused or sensitive information. Find more information on Private Channels

By default, only Team Workspace owners are able to create a Private Channel. Owners are fully responsible for managing and supporting private channels.

Every Teams Workspace has a limit of 30 Private Channels over the life of the Teams Workspace.

To create a private channel for a team:

1. Go to the team you want to create the private channel for and choose More options "... >" Add channel.
2. Enter a name and description for your channel.
3. Under Privacy, select the down arrow on the right, and then select Private – Accessible only to a specific group of people within the team.
4. Select Add. This adds a private channel to the team.

As a team owner, you can turn on or off the ability for members to create channels. To see and change this option, for the Settings tab for the team.

As a private channel owner, you can add or remove members, and edit private channel settings. Each person that you add must first be a member of the team.

To add members of your team to a private channel:

1. Next to the private channel name, select More options "... >" Add channel.
2. Use the Members and Settings tabs to add or remove members and assign roles. Your private channel can have multiple owners and up to 250 members.
3. When you’re ready, select Done. Members can now post messages in the private channel.

Select More options "..." next to the channel name. Then, use the menu to edit, delete, hide, or leave the channel as desired.

Read more information on Private Channels.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

Only meeting organizers can download attendance reports. The following link from the general MS Teams support website can assist.

• MS Forms is a simple, lightweight app that lets you easily create surveys, quizzes, and polls.
• The use of MS Forms in Teams is not widely available at UHN. However, access may be provided on a case-by-case exception basis.
• MS Forms replaces similar applications such as Survey Monkey and Google Forms.
• MS Forms can be used to do live polling during a Teams meeting and the data captured can be exported to Microsoft Excel for further analysis.

Is Personal Health Information (PHI), Confidential Information (CI) or Research Data permitted in Microsoft (MS) Forms?

• Personal Health Information (MRN# is considered PHI), Confidential Information and Research Data are NOT permitted to be stored in Microsoft (MS) Forms. 
• You may however qualify for an alternate UHN-approved tool (e.g., REDCap, DATA, or Aviary)
  1. If you intended to use Forms for Clinical purposes, please submit a Digital Enhancement or Project Request (Digital Demand) via Digital Service Portal and visit the Digital Demand Hub for more information.
  2. If you intended to use Forms for Research purposes visit: UHN REDCap Knowledge Base

How can I get access to Microsoft (MS) Forms?

• MS Forms in Teams is not widely available at UHN. However, access may be provided on a case-by-case exception basis.
• The UHN Privacy Office and Office 365 Working Group will assess and approve/deny your request to access MS Forms.
• To request access to MS Forms go Digital Service Portal: https://digital.uhn.ca/sp > Request Something > Categories > Applications > O365 Exception Request (UHN – Approved)

Is there a cost for Microsoft (MS) Forms?

• Currently there is no charge for using MS Forms. In the near future, there may be costs associated with this service.
• Please note that no charges will be introduced during the pandemic.

What support is there for Microsoft (MS) Forms?

• MS Forms is a self-supported feature that is part of the Microsoft Teams application.  For support in navigating through MS Forms visit: Microsoft Forms Help & Learning  for a variety of topics such as:
  • MS Forms training videos
  • How to create a survey, quiz, poll or an information intake form
  • How to share your Form
  • How to view results
  • How to use, Excel, SharePoint and OneDrive with Forms

Can non-UHN staff (external users) respond to my Microsoft (MS) Forms survey or quiz? 

• Yes, MS Forms authors can toggle their settings to allow users outside of their organization to respond to their survey or quiz.
• In this case, users will be submitting responses anonymously; If you want to see who has filled out your survey or quiz, you can require respondents to fill in their names as part of your questionnaire.

Can I access Microsoft (MS) Forms from my mobile device?

• Users can access MS Forms service via https://forms.office.com in the mobile browser.
• Although there is no dedicated MS Forms mobile app, the MS Forms is however integrated in the Microsoft Office mobile app.
• Users can download Microsoft Office app on the mobile device to create/consume MS Forms:
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-forms-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-forms-ignite-2020/ba-p/1680462
• In addition, users may access MS forms service via MS Teams app, e.g., poll inside MS Teams

Where is Microsoft (MS) Forms data stored?

• MS Forms data is stored within the Microsoft Forms Service, on servers in the United States.  
• Best Practice is to export your data to Excel, SharePoint or OneDrive then your data is stored in Canada.
• However, MS Forms data does not have to be stored in MS Forms Service. Users can create a MS Form directly within Microsoft Excel online. The data then will be automatically stored in SharePoint/OneDrive.
• For more information on how to create a Microsoft Form directly within Microsoft Excel online, see tutorial: https://youtu.be/nXeYv-W-Wt4?t=75

I can't open the excel sheet in Microsoft (MS) Forms that contain my response data. Can I retrieve the missing data?

• In the event your live data connection is lost, you can still retrieve your most recent response data and sync it to a new workbook.

For steps on data retrieval visit Microsoft Support: How to get missing data in Forms

If participants in a meeting can’t see you, you may have your camera turned off or you might need to configure your camera settings.

1. Ensure that your camera is toggled ON. If your camera still doesn’t display, continue to step 2.
2. Select the More Options menu. From the list that appears, select Show Device Settings.
3. Make sure that the correct Camera device is selected from the Camera drop-down menu.

If you can’t hear participants in your meeting, you may need to adjust the volume on your speakers or headset, or you might need to configure your speaker settings.

1. Select the More Options menu. From the list that appears, select Show Device Settings.
2. Make sure that the correct Speaker device is selected from the speaker drop-down menu. Adjust to volume slider as needed

If individuals in a meeting can’t hear you, you may have muted your mic or you might need to configure your mic settings.

1. Ensure that your microphone is not muted. If people still can’t hear you after unmuting your mic, continue on to step
2. Select the More options menu. From the list that appears, select Show device settings.

Make sure that the correct Microphone device is selected from the microphone drop-down menu.

If individuals in a meeting cannot see your screen when you are sharing, select the Stop Sharing button at the bottom of the screen and then the Share Screen button to reinitiate the screen share, this should resolve the issue.