How To Add Pronouns In Teams: Simple Steps for Inclusive Communication

Adding pronouns in Teams takes under a minute but makes a world of difference for colleagues. I started doing this after seeing how it normalized the conversation in my own team meetings.

The option lives in your profile settings—no admin access required. Desktop, web, and mobile all handle it slightly differently, but the process is consistently straightforward. You’ll find it under your name in the top right corner.

Your pronouns appear next to your name in meetings and chats, visible to everyone in your organization. It’s a small change that signals respect and inclusivity without disrupting workflows.

Works across all modern Teams versions. Here’s exactly where to look and what to expect on each platform.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the foolproof process I use to ensure your profile reflects you accurately.

Launch the Microsoft Teams desktop or web app. Click your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner of the window. This opens a dropdown menu where you’ll see your name, status, and other account options.

Select Settings from the menu. In the Settings window, navigate to the General tab on the left-hand sidebar. This is where you’ll manage account-wide preferences, including pronouns.

Scroll down until you see the Pronouns section under the About me category. If you don’t see it immediately, ensure you’re running the latest version of Teams—older versions may not support this feature.

The field will be empty by default. Click into the text box and type your preferred pronouns, such as he/him, she/her, or they/them. Teams supports up to 45 characters in this field.

After entering your pronouns, click the Save button at the bottom of the Settings window. The change takes effect immediately, but it may take a few minutes for the update to propagate across all your connected devices.

To confirm, close and reopen Teams. Your pronouns should now appear beneath your name in meetings, chats, and profile cards. If they don’t, clear the app cache or sign out and back in.

Start or join a Teams meeting. Hover over your video tile or name in the participants list. Your pronouns should display directly under your name, visible to everyone in the meeting.

If they don’t appear, double-check that you’ve saved the settings correctly. Some organizations restrict profile edits, so contact your IT admin if the field remains blank or reverts after saving.

If you use Teams on multiple devices, repeat this process on each one. Mobile apps (iOS/Android) also support pronouns, but the setting must be configured separately from the desktop version.

For consistency, consider adding pronouns to your Microsoft 365 profile as well. This ensures they appear in Outlook, SharePoint, and other integrated apps. Navigate to profile.microsoft.com and update the About me section there.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These insights will help you avoid common pitfalls when adding pronouns to your profile.

Version Check: In Step 2, if you don’t see the Pronouns section immediately, ensure you’re running the latest version of Teams. Older versions may not support this feature, and I’ve seen users waste time searching for a field that simply wasn’t there yet.

Character Limit Awareness: The 45-character limit in Step 2 is strict. Test your pronouns beforehand—something like “he/him/his” fits perfectly, but longer combinations like “he/him/his & they/them” will get cut off. I learned this after my first attempt was truncated mid-word.

Propagation Patience: After saving in Step 3, give it a few minutes for changes to sync across devices. I once refreshed Teams ten times in a panic before realizing the update just needed a moment to propagate. Closing and reopening the app is the quickest way to check.

Mobile Separation: For Step 5, remember that mobile apps require separate configuration. Don’t assume desktop settings carry over—I made this mistake and wondered why my phone wasn’t showing pronouns until I updated it individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adding pronouns in Microsoft Teams is a simple yet powerful way to foster inclusivity in your workplace. Take a few minutes today to update your profile and show your commitment to respectful communication. 💡 Next, encourage your colleagues to do the same—small steps lead to big changes!