6 Various Ways to Start an Instant Message in Microsoft Teams

If you’ve just moved to Microsoft Teams from email or Slack, one of the first things you’ll want to figure out is — how do I just quickly message someone? No meeting, no email thread. Just a quick ping.

Good news: Teams makes this pretty easy once you know where to look. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through every way you can start an instant message in Microsoft Teams — from the most basic method to some neat shortcuts most people don’t know about.

Why Use Instant Messaging in Teams Instead of Email?

Before we dive in, here’s something worth thinking about. Email is great for formal communication — but for quick questions, status updates, or a fast back-and-forth, it’s overkill. You write a subject line, wait for a reply, and by the time you’re done, you’ve exchanged six emails about something that could’ve been settled in 30 seconds.

Teams chat is built for exactly that kind of conversation. It’s real-time, it keeps history, it works on desktop and mobile, and you can even share files, react to messages, or hop on a call — all within the same thread.

Start an Instant Message in Microsoft Teams

Here I will show you six different methods to start an instant message in Microsoft Teams.

Method 1: Using the “New Message” Button (The Most Common Way)

This is the method you’ll use 90% of the time. Here’s how it works:

1. Open Microsoft Teams on your desktop or browser.
2. At the top of your chat list (on the left side), look for the New message icon — it looks like a small square with a pencil.
3. Click it.
4. In the To: field that appears, start typing the name of the person you want to message. Teams will suggest matches from your organization as you type.
5. Select the person from the list.
6. Type your message in the text box at the bottom.
7. Hit Enter or click the Send button (the paper plane icon).

That’s it — your chat thread is now open, and the other person will get a notification instantly.

Pro tip: 

If the person is busy or in a meeting, Teams will show their status next to their name (Available, Busy, Away, Do Not Disturb). It’s worth glancing at that before firing off an urgent message.

Method 2: Start a Chat from Someone’s Profile Card in Teams

This one’s super handy when you’re already browsing a channel or looking at a meeting participant list and want to message someone directly without leaving what you’re doing.

Here’s what to do:

1. Hover over or click on anyone’s profile picture anywhere in Teams — in a channel post, a meeting, a search result, wherever.
2. A small profile card pops up with their name, job title, and status.
3. Click the Chat icon (speech bubble) on the profile card.
4. This immediately opens a chat window with that person.
5. Type your message and send.

This is honestly one of the fastest ways to reach someone mid-conversation in a channel when you just need to quickly follow up with a specific person.

Method 3: Use the Search Bar to Find and Message Someone in Microsoft Teams

Most people use the Teams search bar to find files or messages. But you can also use it to quickly jump into a chat with someone.

Here’s how:

1. Click on the Search bar at the top of Teams (it says “Search” or shows a magnifying glass icon).
2. Type the name of the person you want to message.
3. Teams will show matching people, messages, and files.
4. Under the People section, click on the person’s name.
5. This opens their profile — from here, click Chat to start a message.