Mastering Microsoft Teams Messaging: A Guide to Message Bar Features

Exploring the Message Bar in Teams

When you open a chat or channel in Teams, the message bar is where you type your messages. But beyond just text, it offers several features that make communication more effective. Here’s a breakdown of what you can do:

Teams Message Bar

1. Rich Text Formatting ("A" Icon)

The "A" (Format) button expands the message bar, allowing you to:

• Apply bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough for emphasis.
• Adjust font size, color, and highlight for clarity.
• Create ordered and unordered lists for structured communication.
• Insert quotes and code snippets for technical discussions.

2. @Mentions for Attention

Using @ followed by a name notifies a specific person in a chat or channel, ensuring they don’t miss important messages. In channels, you can also mention:

• @team – The name of the team: Notifies everyone in the team.
• @channel – The name of the channel: Alerts everyone following the channel.
• @everyone - Alerts everyone in a chat.

Feature of notifying everyone in the chaat

3. Attach Files (Paperclip Icon)

Teams makes it easy to share files directly in chat. You can:

• Upload files from OneDrive or your local device.
• Drag and drop files into the message bar.
• Collaborate in real time on Office documents.

Find the paperclip icon, by clicking on the '+' icon. 

4. Emojis, GIFs, and Stickers

Enhance engagement with:

• 😀 Emojis – Express emotions quickly.
• 🎭 GIFs – Add fun or emphasize messages.
• 🖼️ Stickers & Memes – Create customized visuals.

Emoji and Gif features in Teams

5. Inline Reactions

Instead of replying, hover over a message and use quick reactions like 👍❤️😂 to acknowledge messages instantly.

hovering over message in teams, gives quick reactions

6. Loop Components

For interactive collaboration, Loop Components allow you to create:

• Live task lists
• Shared tables
• Real-time checklists
  These stay editable by everyone in the chat, keeping information updated.

Loop component in teams

7. Urgent & Important Messages (! Icon)

Teams lets you mark messages as:

• Important (Red exclamation mark) – Highlights key messages.
• Urgent (Red bell) – Sends repeated notifications to ensure visibility.

1. Navigate to the '+' for Action and Apps
2. Click on the "Set delivery options"
3. Select which delivery options you would like Delivery options

    

8. Meeting Scheduling (Calendar Icon)

If a conversation needs a deeper discussion, use the Schedule a Meeting button to book a Teams meeting instantly. First click on the '+' icon and find the 'Schedule meeting' option. 

Schedule a meeting feature, within the Action and Apps

9. Schedule a Message

If there is a need to send a message later, perhaps during normal working hours or as a reminder to a teammate at a certain time, schedule a message for the best date and time up to a week in the future.

Schedule a message highlighted in the Actions and more section on teams

10. Immersive Reader (Three Dots Menu)

This accessibility feature reads messages aloud and adjusts text size for better readability.

1. Hover over a message
2. Click on the three dots menu that appears
3. If not enabled yet, hover over More Actions
4. Click on Immersive Reader
5. The messages will appear in new screen
6. click on "ESC" button to exit

11. Copilot AI Assistance (accessible with a subscription)

For organizations with a Copilot license, Microsoft Teams now includes AI-powered assistance directly in chat. With Copilot, you can:

• Summarize long chat threads to quickly catch up on conversations.
• Draft messages with AI suggestions to improve clarity and tone.
• Extract action items from discussions to ensure follow-ups aren’t missed.
• Ask for insights about ongoing conversations, making it easier to stay informed.

Copilot in Teams is a premium feature, available only to organizations subscribed to Microsoft’s AI-enabled subscribed plans/licenses. It’s a game-changer for productivity, reducing manual effort in message drafting and task tracking.

Conclusion

The message bar in Microsoft Teams is more than just a text box—it’s a productivity powerhouse. Whether you're formatting messages, sharing files, collaborating with Loop, or leveraging AI with Copilot, knowing these features can enhance your communication experience.

💬 What’s your favorite Teams messaging feature? Let us know in the comments!