Microsoft Teams: App vs Desktop comparison
Comparing the functions of the Microsoft Teams iPad app, iPhone app and Desktop apps.
This table will be updated regularly (last update 08:00 20th March 2020)
| Function | Ipad app | iPhone app | Desktop app |
Web Browser (in progress – tested with Edge!) |
| Setting up | ||||
| Create a team | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Add members | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Create a join code | No | No | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Manage team (inc member permissions) | No | No | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Add channels to a team | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Edit a channel | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox | |
| Add specific members to a specific channel | No | No | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox (only when channel is created) |
| Participating in a team | ||||
| Join a team with a code | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Participate in conversations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Attach files in conversations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Open files from a conversation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Upload and organise files in the Files area | No | No | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Open files from the Files area | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Edit a file | Yes – with relevant office app installed | Yes – with relevant office app installed | Yes | Yes – Edge, Chrome and Firefox |
| Video meetings | ||||
| Join a team video meeting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes Edge and Chrome, No Firefox but buggy. picture is rotated 90 degrees on HP laptops |
| Start a video meeting in a Team (meet now) | No | No | Yes | Yes – Edge and Chrome No – Firefox |
| Share screen | Yes – share ppt from Onedrive, video/photo from camera roll, or share screen (can switch to other apps) | Yes – share ppt from Onedrive, video/photo from camera roll, or share screen (can switch to other apps) | Yes |
Edge: No but can share ppt from OneDrive or Teams and allow/prevent participants from moving through slides on their own Chrome: Can share desktop, PowerPoint and a window |
| Toggle webcam and microphone on/off | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes Edge and Chrome |
| Participate in chat | Yes – but the screen will switch, cannot have video and chat on same screen | Yes – but the screen will switch, cannot have video and chat on same screen | Yes | Yes Edge and Chrome |
| Start a recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes Edge and Chrome |
| Access people list/mute all function | Yes – people icon located in top right corner of screen during call | Yes – people icon located in top right corner of screen during call | Yes | Yes Edge and Chrome |
| Blur background | No | No | Yes | No |
| Use the Whiteboard tool | No | No | Yes | Untested |
| Within Chat | ||||
| Video call | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| File sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text chat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio call | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Share screen in video call | Yes | No |