Document Editing Problems

How to Insert a Picture into Word in Microsoft Teams

Bushra Parveen Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are unable to insert PNG pictures stored in a Teams channel or OneDrive when editing a Word document directly inside the Microsoft Teams application.

How to Insert a Picture into Word in Microsoft Teams

Product: Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing a Word document directly within the Microsoft Teams interface and trying to insert an image file from OneDrive or SharePoint.
Observed behavior: The picture stored in the Teams channel or OneDrive cannot be selected or inserted through the Word app integrated into Teams due to feature limitations.

Before you start

Ensure you have a stable internet connection and that the image you want to insert is successfully uploaded to your OneDrive, SharePoint, or saved locally on your computer.

Solution 1Recommended

Open the Document in Word for the Web

Bypass the Microsoft Teams limitation by opening the document in your web browser, which fully supports inserting images from connected cloud services.

The inability to insert images from OneDrive directly within the Teams interface is a known limitation of the embedded Word app. Using Word for the web provides the full functionality needed to complete this task.

Open document settings

In Microsoft Teams, open the Word document you want to edit. Click on 'Editing' in the top menu ribbon.

Select open in browser

From the dropdown menu, select 'Open in Browser'. The document will launch in a new tab using Word for the web.

Navigate to Insert Pictures

In Word for the web, click on the 'Insert' tab, then select 'Pictures' or 'OneDrive' depending on where your file is stored.

Select and insert image

Choose the PNG file from your OneDrive or SharePoint directory and click 'Insert' to add it to your document.

Full Feature Access: Word for the web provides broader access to your Microsoft 365 connected services compared to the embedded Teams viewer.

Solution 2

Download Image and Drag into Document

Download the image to your local device first, then drag it directly into the Word document.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for Seamless Document Editing

Avoid the feature limitations found in web-based or embedded document editors. WPS Office provides a fully featured, lightweight desktop application that easily handles image insertions and complex formatting while maintaining perfect compatibility with Microsoft Word documents.

1. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx file.
2. Insert picture: Go to the 'Insert' tab and click 'Picture' to seamlessly browse and add images from any local or cloud folder.

Flawlessly insert images from local storage or cloud drives without interface limitations.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx, .doc) formats.Free, lightweight, and fast to launch on any operating system.Familiar user interface minimizes the learning curve for seamless migration.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I insert a picture directly in Word within Microsoft Teams?

Editing Word documents directly within the Microsoft Teams interface has certain known limitations, including restricted access to files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint when using the Insert Picture feature. Opening the document in Word for the web easily resolves this.

Does this image insertion issue happen in all web browsers?

No, the issue is specific to the Word app interface embedded within Microsoft Teams. If you open the document in Word for the web via any standard browser like Edge, Chrome, or Safari, you can insert pictures normally.

How do I report this limitation to Microsoft?

You can report this behavior to the development team by submitting feedback directly in Teams. Click on 'Help' at the bottom left of Teams for the web or desktop, then select 'Give Feedback'.

Document & File Issues