Microsoft Teams External Accounts and Feature Availability

Modified on: Mon, 9 Jun 2025 4:59 PM

While signing in with UIW account using the MS Teams desktop app gives you the full features available, there are some cases where personal, business, or guest accounts are used. This guide gives an overview of features available to each type of account. Consider these details when planning guest presenters, breakout room activities, and events involving prospective students.

Meeting organizers are reminded to manage all Meeting Options that align to the activities they want participants to complete and check the table in this guide for feature availability. All users are advised to install the desktop version on MS Teams on their computer for the best experience, but also note that each person's computer settings, operating system, and updates impact MS Teams functionality.

MS Teams Desktop App Features

Feature UIW Account External Business Account Personal Account UIW Guest Account Anonymous User
Sign in requirements Sign in with UIW email and password Sign in with your work Microsoft credentials from a company other than UIW Sign in with your personal Microsoft credentials After a UIW employee adds your email address to a UIW Microsoft Team or Group, sign in with the account associated with that email Signed out of Microsoft Teams or have never signed in before, entered meeting info rather than choose account, then type your name when joining the meeting
Considerations Full features More features than a personal account Not recommended, limited features Not recommended due to difficult user experience, but registering upgrades some personal account features Recommended over personal and UIW guest options
User label during meeting Name only Name, (Unverified) Name, (External) Name, (Guest) Manually typed name, (Unverified)
Share screen or window yes, if meeting allows yes, if meeting allows yes, if meeting allows yes, if meeting allows yes, if meeting allows
Share system audio when sharing screen yes yes yes yes yes
Manage breakout rooms yes, as the meeting organizer or co-organizer no no no no
Join a breakout room yes yes no yes yes
Take control of someone's screen yes no no no no
Annotate shared screen yes yes yes yes yes, displays as Guest User only
Answer a poll yes yes yes yes yes
Participate on Whiteboard yes yes yes yes yes, displays as Guest User only
Noise suppression yes yes yes yes yes

MS Teams Web Browser Features

The MS Teams Web Browser is more limited in features than the desktop application across all account types.

Feature UIW Account External Business Account Personal Account UIW Guest Account Anonymous User
Sign in requirements Sign in with UIW email and password Sign in with your work Microsoft credentials from a company other than UIW Sign in with your personal Microsoft credentials After a UIW employee adds your email address to a UIW Microsoft Team or Group, sign in with the account associated with that email Signed out of Microsoft Teams using incognito browser, or open a link having never signed in before, then type your name when joining the meeting
User label during meeting Name only Name, (Unverified) Name, (External) Name, (Guest) Manually typed name, (Unverified)
Share screen or window yes, if meeting allows and browser permission granted yes, if meeting allows and browser permission granted yes, if meeting allows and browser permission granted yes, if meeting allows and browser permission granted yes, if meeting allows and browser permission granted
Share tab/system audio when screen sharing limited depending on browser limited depending on browser limited depending on browser limited depending on browser limited depending on browser
Manage breakout rooms no no no no no
Join a breakout room yes yes no yes yes
Take control of someone's screen no no no no no
Annotate shared screen no no no no no
Answer a poll yes yes no yes yes
Participate on Whiteboard yes yes yes yes no
Noise suppression yes yes yes yes yes
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