Here’s a question from our reader Bobbi:
When working for my previous employer, we had an hybrid work setup which meant that some of our group meetings were conducted in the office and some offline. I just switch to a new, remote only employer who uses Outlook Calendar and Microsoft Teams. The thing is that every time i create a new meeting in Outlook i have to manually add the Teams meeting link which in my experience is somewhat redundant as anyway all meetings are online. I guess that my question is whether is possible to change my default Outlook meeting settings so that: (a) all meetings i create are online meetings (b) the default meeting provider is Microsoft Teams. Thanks :-).
Make Microsoft Teams the default meeting in Windows
To set Teams as the default meeting provider:
- Open Microsoft Outlook.
- From the ribbon hit File.
- Then on the left hand side bar hit Options.
- The Outlook options dialog will open up.
- From the left hand side bar, hit Calendar.
- Scroll down until the Calendar Options section.
- Hit the Add Meeting Provider.
- The Online Meeting dialog will open up.
- Check the Add online meeting box (step 1 below).
- Then Choose your default provider to be Microsoft Teams (step 2).
- Last hit OK twice (step 3).
From now on all meetings that you create in Outlook will be by default conducted via Teams.
Note: The process outlined above can also be used in Outlook for macOS.
Change default meeting app from Zoom to Teams
In case that you would like to change the meeting provider from Skype, Zoom or Webex to Teams, simply follow the steps outlined above and make sure to mark Teams as your chosen meeting provider.
Turn off Teams as default in Outlook
A somewhat related query from readers is why is Outlook automatically adding the Teams meeting link to meeting request. If you also want to remove Teams meeting information from your Outlook meeting requests, proceed as following:
- From the Outlook Ribbon hit File.
- Then hit Options.
- The Outlook options dialog will open up.
- From the left hand side bar, hit Calendar.
- Scroll down until the Calendar Options section.
- Hit the Add Meeting Provider.
- In the Online Meeting dialog, uncheck the Add online meeting check box.
- Hit OK twice.
- You have just disabled Teams being the automatic meeting provider on Outlook.
Troubleshooting and Additional Scenarios
Outlook Web App (OWA) Configuration
If you primarily use Outlook through your web browser, the process differs slightly. In Outlook Web App, navigate to Settings (gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Calendar > Events and invitations. Look for the “Add online meeting to every meeting I create” toggle and ensure Microsoft Teams is selected as your preferred service. This setting will sync across your devices when using the same Microsoft 365 account.
Teams Classic vs New Teams Considerations
With Microsoft’s transition to the new Teams client, ensure your organization has migrated to avoid compatibility issues. If you’re still using Teams Classic, the meeting integration may behave differently. Check with your IT administrator about your organization’s Teams deployment status, as this can affect which version of Teams is used for meeting generation.
Mobile Device Integration
When using Outlook mobile apps (iOS/Android), your desktop Teams default settings should carry over automatically. However, if they don’t, open the Outlook mobile app, go to Settings > Calendar, and verify that “Add Teams meeting” is enabled. This ensures consistency across all your devices when creating meetings on-the-go.
Common Issues and Solutions
- Teams option not appearing: Ensure both Outlook and Teams are up-to-date and that you’re signed in with the same organizational account
- Meeting links not generating: Check that your Teams license is active and that you have meeting creation permissions
- Inconsistent behavior: Clear Outlook’s cache by holding Ctrl while clicking the Outlook icon and selecting the appropriate profile reset option