Bots, analytics, project management, and lots more: How to add apps to Microsoft Teams

Apps in Microsoft Teams can significantly boost your experience. They plug into the sidebar, chats, channels, and can help you do more in Teams. There’s even a catalog of nearly 200 applications you can choose from if your IT admin or Team owner has allowed it. So, if you have the valid permissions to add one, you might be wondering how apps work in Teams. In our latest guide, we’ll take a look at just that.

Adding apps from the left side of Teams

The most common way to add an app to Teams is from the left side of Teams. You’ll see an Apps button. Be sure to click it, and you’ll see a list of apps and services that plug into Teams. Once you click it you can use the search bar at the top of the screen to find a specific app that you are looking for.

Once you found your app, click it and then click the Add button. You’ll see a description telling you where the app works in Teams, be it in tabs, bots, or with messages. If the specific app supports it, you’ll then see an icon appear for the app at the side of Teams. If you no longer want to use the app from the sidebar, simply right-click it, and then select uninstall. 

Adding apps to a tab to a chat or channel

Not all apps support appearing on the left side of Teams, so sometimes apps will only appear as a tab in a chat or a channel. Tab apps allow you to share content and work collaboratively, right from inside your Teams experience.

To add apps to a tab in channel or chat, you’ll want to go to the channel, group chat, or one-on-one conversation where you want the app and then and click Add a tab. It appears as a “+” button. From there, you can select the app that you want. There are many you can choose from, such as YouTube, Planner, PowerPoint, and much more. Once you click the tab, you can choose the option to post to the channel about this tab if you want others to know you added the app.

Adding apps as connectors

Another type of app in Teams is known as a connector. This type of app inserts notifications into a channel in Microsoft Teams. You can add one by going to the channel where you want to add it, choosing … More Options, and then Connectors. From here, you’ll see a list of apps and the ability to configure notifications if one has already been added. You’ll also be able to add new ones by clicking Add. 

Adding apps to the messaging area

Finally, there are messaging area apps in Teams. These types of Teams apps are sometimes known as bots, and let you insert content directly into your Teams messages. You can add one by selecting “…” beneath the message box, and then choose an app. You also can add apps this way by typing out in the box and then choosing Get bots. 

Check out our picks for the best apps!

Now that you know how to add apps to Teams, you might be wondering which ones are best to use. We’ve previously covered that, and our picks include WIkipedia, Trello, Microsoft Flow, and much more. We’ve also given a comparison to Teams apps against Slacks apps, if you’re more familiar with Slack. Keep it tuned to OnMSFT for all the latest on Teams, and be sure to drop us a comment below.