QUICK ANSWER
Microsoft Teams chat icons fall into three groups: chat-list icons (a paper-and-pen for an unsent draft, a clock for a scheduled send), message icons (a red exclamation mark for a message sent as Urgent, a red double-person badge when someone uses @everyone or @channel), and compose-box tools (formatting, attachments, emoji, and the + menu for apps and Loop components).
None of these are the colored dots next to a person's name — those are status icons, a completely separate system that shows Available, Away, Busy, or Offline.
Chat List Icons
These appear in the list of conversations on the left side of Teams, next to the chat itself — before you've even opened it.
| Icon | Where you see it | What it means |
|---|
| Paper and pen (pencil) | Next to a chat in your list | You have an unsent draft message in that chat |
| Clock | Next to a chat | A message is scheduled to send later, rather than sent immediately |
| Pin | Top of your chat list | You've pinned that chat to keep it near the top, regardless of recent activity |
Message Icons
These attach to an individual message once it's sent, and show up on the message bubble itself.
| Icon | Where you see it | What it means |
|---|
| Red exclamation mark (!) | On a sent message | Marked Urgent — Teams re-notifies the recipient every 2 minutes for up to 20 minutes until they read it |
| Red double-person icon | On a message in a group chat | Someone used @everyone or @channel to notify the whole group at once |
| Checkmark or small avatars | Under a sent message | Read receipt — shows Sent, Delivered, or Seen (1:1), or who's read it (group). See Teams read receipts for the full breakdown. |
Compose Box Tools
Along the bottom of the box you type a message into, not tied to any single message once sent:
- A with a pencil — opens text formatting (bold, italic, highlights, headers)
- Paperclip — attaches a file from your computer or OneDrive
- Smiley face — emoji, GIFs, and stickers
- Plus sign (+) — apps, polls, Approvals, and Loop components
Meeting Icons
These appear in the call toolbar while you're actually in a Teams meeting, not in chat:
- Raised hand — you or another participant is requesting to speak without interrupting
- Muted mic (slashed microphone) — that person's microphone is currently off
- Camera off — that person's video is off; you'll see their profile picture instead
- Reaction emoji (thumbs up, heart, applause) — a live reaction overlay, visible briefly to everyone
- CC — live captions are turned on for that participant
- Red dot — the meeting is being recorded or transcribed
Not the same as status icons: everything above is about a specific chat, message, or meeting. The colored dot on someone's profile picture — green, yellow, red, or grey — is a separate, always-on system that shows whether they're Available, Away, Busy, or Offline. See Microsoft Teams status icons for the full list, or jump straight to specific ones like the white circle with a red outline (Do Not Disturb) or the purple arrow (Out of Office).
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What do the symbols mean on Teams chat?
Teams chat symbols fall into three groups: chat-list icons (a paper-and-pen for an unsent draft, a clock for a scheduled send), message icons (a red exclamation mark for a message sent as Urgent, a red double-person badge when someone uses @everyone or @channel), and compose-box tools (formatting, attachments, emoji, and the + menu for apps and Loop components). None of these are the colored status dots next to a person's name — those are a separate system covered on the Teams status icons page.
What does the chat icon look like on Teams?
It depends which one. A draft message shows as a small paper-and-pen (pencil) icon next to the chat in your list. A scheduled message shows a clock icon in the same spot. An urgent message you've sent shows a red exclamation mark on the message bubble itself. There isn't one single "chat icon" — each icon in Teams chat has a distinct shape tied to a specific meaning.
Where can I find Microsoft Teams icons?
Chat and message icons appear directly in the Chat tab — next to a conversation in your chat list, or on the message bubble itself. Compose-box tools sit along the bottom of the message box you type into. Meeting icons appear in the call toolbar while you're in a Teams meeting. Status icons are different again — they sit as a small colored badge on a person's profile picture, wherever their name appears.
What does the "seen" icon mean in Teams chat?
In a one-on-one chat, a small "Seen" label (sometimes with a timestamp) appears under your message once the other person has opened that chat and viewed it. In a group chat, Teams instead shows a row of small profile-picture avatars under the message to indicate who has read it. See Teams read receipts for the full breakdown of when this does and doesn't appear, including how to turn it off.
How can you tell if someone read your Teams chat?
Look directly under the message you sent. In a 1:1 chat, a "Seen" label appears once they've opened the conversation. In a group chat, small avatar icons of everyone who has read it appear instead. If read receipts are turned off (by either person, or by an organization-wide policy), Teams won't show this at all — see Teams read receipts for exactly how the setting works on both sides.