Searching for a Team in Teams


Introduction

Searching for a team in Teams can be a confusing experience. This article describes what the search bar does when searching for a team and how to search for a public team. 

Instructions

Browsing public teams

Teams does not display all public teams available. Rather, it displays a curated list of teams that are

  • Recommended based on your role, department, or activity.
  • Popular or trending within your organization.
  • Relevant to your interests or past team interactions.

 It is possible that this list will not have the team you are looking for. If you know the team's name, you can search for it.

Searching for a public team

Teams can be made public or private. If the team is made public, anyone in Virginia Tech can join. If you're looking to join a public team in Microsoft Teams, the process is straightforward, but there are a few important things to know to make your search successful.

Using the main Search bar

The main search bar (CTRL+E) does not search for public teams. It only searches for/in teams that you are currently a member of.

Search in the Join Team interface

If you wish to search for a public team, you need to go into the Teams>Join Team interface.

  1. Open Microsoft Teams
    • Launch the Teams desktop app or web version.
    • Sign in with your VT account.
  2. Navigate to the Teams Section
    • On the left-hand sidebar, click on Teams.
    • At the top-right of the Teams list, select the Create team drop down.
    • Select Join team.
  3. Search for a Public Team
    • In the smaller Search box at the top left beneath Join a team and above Teams for you, type the name or topic of the team you're looking for.
    • Teams that match your search and are set to public will appear in the results.
    • Hover over the team tile and click Join team.

    ⚠️ You must know at least part of the team name. The best search results come from knowing the first word in the title. Wildcards and partial keyword searches may not work effectively.

    ⚠️ You may find instructions online that mention a Discover Teams option. This is for older versions of Teams. That option is currently not available.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • If the team doesn’t appear, it may be:
    • A private team (not searchable unless invited).
    • A public team with discoverability disabled by the admin.
  • In such cases, contact the team owner directly or ask for a team code to join.

Alternative Search Methods

  • If you're unable to find the team in Teams:
    • Try searching via your organization’s SharePoint or Microsoft Search portals.
    • Public teams often have associated SharePoint sites that are searchable if you have access.