There is one way to access Teams functionality on Windows 8.1: The Web Browser.
David sighed, leaning back in his creaky office chair. He was a creature of habit. He liked the Charms bar. He liked the way he could swipe from the side and instantly share a file. He wasn't ready for the flat, stark world of Windows 10. He wanted his colorful tiles, and he wanted his meeting software to respect them.
A split screen. Left side: The Windows 8.1 Start screen with colorful tiles. Right side: A Microsoft Teams error message saying "Unsupported OS."
Another coworker: I miss the tiles. That’s vintage.
David smiled, realizing he had accidentally achieved "cool" status by simply being stubborn. He was the hipster of the office, clinging to the discarded past.
Navigate to teams.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
There was a pause in the chat. Then, a reply from a coworker: Whoa. 8.1? Is that a retro theme?
David watched the chat stream fly by. Colleagues on shiny new Surface Pros with Windows 10 were sharing GIFs, emojis, and live Excel sheets. They were fast, fluid, and modern.