How to disable Teams as default meeting option in Outlook?

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Here’s a question from our reader Alex:

I recently joined a company that uses both Microsoft Teams and Zoom for virtual meetings. While Teams is great for internal communications, my main client uses Zoom for client calls. The problem is, Outlook keeps automatically adding Teams links to all my meeting invites. This isn’t ideal when I’m scheduling external meetings. Is there a way to stop Outlook from defaulting to Teams for every meeting I create? I’d like the flexibility to choose the appropriate platform based on the meeting type. Thanks for any help!

Disable Teams as the default meeting option in Windows

To remove Teams as the default meeting provider:

  1. Launch Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Click on “File” in the top-left corner.
  3. Select “Options” from the left sidebar.
  4. In the Outlook Options window, Next, click on “Calendar” in the left panel.
  5. Scroll down to find the “Calendar options” section.
  6. Click on “Online Meetings.”
  7. In the Online Meeting Settings dialog:
  • Uncheck the box that says “Add online meeting to all meetings”.
  1. Click “OK” twice to save your changes .

From now on, Outlook won’t automatically add Teams meeting links to your calendar invites.

Note: These steps are similar for Outlook on macOS X, with slight variations in menu names.

Switch from Teams to another default meeting app

If you’d prefer to set a different default meeting provider (like Zoom or Webex): First off ensure that you have installed the client integration software on your computer. Then follow the steps above but select your preferred provider in step 7.

Manually add online meeting links when needed

After disabling the automatic Teams integration, you can still add Teams online meeting links when necessary:

  1. Create a new meeting in Outlook.
  2. Look for the “Teams meeting” or “Online meeting” button in the meeting window.
  3. Click it to add a Teams link, or use the dropdown to select another installed meeting provider.

This approach gives you the flexibility to choose the appropriate platform for each meeting.

FAQ

Can I disable Teams meetings for specific calendars only?

Unfortunately, Outlook doesn’t offer calendar-specific online meeting settings. The change will apply to all calendars associated with your account.

Will disabling Teams affect existing meetings?

No, changing this setting only affects future meetings you create. Existing meetings with Teams links will remain unchanged.

Can I still use Teams for chat and calls after disabling it in Outlook?

Absolutely! This setting only affects how Outlook handles meeting creation. It doesn’t impact your ability to use Teams for other communication purposes.