Get started with Office 365

 

Your organization uses Microsoft Office 365 for professionals and small businesses to communicate and collaborate. Office 365 includes email, document sharing, Office Online and more. There are important setup tasks that you need to do to use all of the features of Office 365. This guide leads you through those steps. Do you want to know what Office 365 can do for you? Take a video tour: Office 365: a tour for users

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Explore Office 365 on the web

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Connect desktop applications to Office 365

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Connect to Office 365 on your phone or tablet

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Got a problem?

To start, sign in to Office 365 by using the user ID and temporary password that your administrator gave you. After you sign in, you can access the features below.

Note

If this information doesn’t match what you’re seeing, you may be using Office 365 after the service upgrade. Try Get started with Office 365 to find the information that applies to you.
Am I using Office 365 after the service upgrade?

Explore Office 365 on the web

You can use the Outlook Web App for email, calendar, contacts, and more. You can use a team site, including Office Online, to share documents.

Read your email	Set up your email in Outlook Web App. Email Setup Help Wizard Getting Started with Outlook Web App Outlook Web App Help Videos Import Contacts Sign in to Outlook Web App (https://mail.office365.com)
Share a file with co-workers	Upload a file to your team site, or read or change a file that someone else has uploaded. Basic tasks in SharePoint Online for Office 365 for professionals and small businesses
Create or change a file	Try out the Office Online. You can start Office Online on the Office 365 Home page. Start using Office Web Apps in SharePoint SharePoint document libraries I: An introduction
Learn more	Getting started FAQs: Sign-in and Password Issues

Connect desktop applications to Office 365

If you have Office 2010 or Office 2007 on your computer, you can use it with Office 365. If you use a Mac, and you have Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 1 or a later version, or Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.9 Update or a later version, you can use it with Office 365 also.

If your company has bought Office Professional Plus with Office 365, you can download this latest version of Office from the Office 365 Downloads page. Otherwise, if you already have Office 2010 or Office 2007 on your computer, you can set it up to work with Office 365. Versions of Office that are earlier than Office 2007 cannot connect to Office 365.

You can also install Lync (or Lync for Mac 2011 if you use a Mac) and use it for instant messaging, online meetings, sharing your desktop, and other tasks.

Install Office Professional Plus on your computer	Install the latest version of Office on your computer, and then set it up to connect to Office 365. Install Office Professional Plus with Office 365
Set up the version of Office that you already have to work with Office 365	You can set up Office 2010 and Office 2007 to connect to Office 365. An online tool that you can run from the Downloads page does most of the work for you. Set up your desktop for Office 365 (steps 4 through 6)
Install Lync and use it to send a message or start a meeting	After you sign in to Office 365, you can install Lync from the Downloads page. Set up your desktop for Office 365 (steps 2 and 3) Use instant messaging and presence Quick Start: Set up, start, and join an online meeting
For Mac users: Set up Office for Mac 2011 or Office 2008 for Mac to work with Office 365	If you use a Mac, you can set it up to work with Office 365. Set up your Mac for Office 365
For Mac users: Set up Lync	You need to do a couple of things to make Lync for Mac 2011 work with Office 365. Read this topic to learn what to do. Set up Lync for Mac 2011 for Office 365
Learn more	Get Started with Lync Online Lync Online How-to videos FAQs: E-Mail Programs

Connect to Office 365 on your phone or tablet

You can connect a variety of mobile devices—including Windows Phones, iPhones, Android mobile devices, and BlackBerry devices—to Office 365. You can use email, see your calendar, and do other tasks.

Set up email on your phone	Find out how to set up your phone to send and receive your email. Mobile Phone Setup Wizard
Set up instant messaging on your phone	Find out how to install and set up Lync on your phone. Microsoft Lync 2010 for Mobile Clients
Share a file	You can use a mobile phone to share, read, and change files on a team site. Use a mobile device to work with SharePoint Online sites
Learn more	Mobile Phones

Got a problem?

If you have a problem with Office 365, ask an Office 365 administrator in your company for help. (If you aren’t sure who your admin is, ask around. He or she is probably the person who sent you information on how to sign in to Office 365.) If an admin isn’t available, take a look at these resources.

Read the online Help	Home: Help topics written by the Office 365 team
Troubleshooting	Troubleshooting Lync Online Sign-in Errors Troubleshoot update and configuration issues for Office 365
Ask the Office 365 Community	Wiki posts Community forums

See Also

Sign in to Office 365
Accessibility in Office 365
Add or change your profile photo
Change your contact preferences