> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://elephas.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Join a Team You Were Invited To

> Join an Elephas Team workspace you were invited to: sign in with the invited email, name this computer, show the five confirmation words, and wait for approval.

To join, open **Join a Team…** in Elephas, sign in with the email address your invitation was sent to, and register this computer. An Owner or Admin then approves it, and the Team Brains shared with you appear on their own.

<Info>
  You need an invitation from your team's Owner or an Admin. Joining a Team does not use or change your own Personal plan.
</Info>

## Before you start

* Elephas installed on your computer. See [Install on Mac](/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-mac) or [Install on Windows](/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-windows).
* The invitation email, and access to that exact address. You must sign in with the same address the invitation was sent to.
* An internet connection.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Join a Team">
    Click the **Workspace** switcher at the top of the sidebar and choose **Join a Team…**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in with the invited address">
    Click **Sign In to Join** and finish signing in in your browser, using exactly the address the invitation was sent to. If the browser did not open, click **Copy Sign-In Link** and paste the link into your browser.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the Team">
    Under **Choose the Team to Join**, find your Team marked **Ready to join** and click **Select**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name this computer">
    On **Register This Device**, enter a **Device name** your admin will recognize, such as "Priya's MacBook". You can also change the **Workspace name (local only)**, which only you see. Click **Register Device**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Show the confirmation words and wait">
    Elephas shows **Waiting for Approval** and five **Confirmation Words**. Your Owner or Admin approves this computer from **Team Devices**. You can close Elephas. It carries on once you are approved.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the workspace">
    When approval arrives, Elephas installs the Team keys and shows **You have joined the Team**. Click **Open the Team Workspace**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What happens next

* Your Team workspace appears in the **Workspace** switcher. Your Personal workspace stays exactly as it was.
* Team Brains appear under **Brains** once an Owner, Admin or Brain Manager shares them with you and their keys reach your computer. Until then, the Team workspace can be empty.
* What you can do in each Team Brain depends on your Brain role: Reader, Contributor or Manager. See [Roles and permissions](/docs/teams/team-roles-and-permissions).
* AI in the Team workspace follows the Owner's AI policy. See [Team AI policy](/docs/teams/team-ai-policy).

## How it works

### Why approval is needed

Team Brains are end-to-end encrypted. A new computer cannot read anything until an approved Owner or Admin lets it in, and Brain keys are only delivered to approved computers. Signing in proves who you are. Approval decides which computers may hold the Team's keys.

### The five confirmation words

The words are computed on your computer from this specific registration. "The approving device must show exactly these words." Read them to your admin by phone or in person, not by email or chat, so they know the request really came from you.

## Troubleshooting

| Message | What to do |
| - | - |
| **No Team membership for this account** | Sign in with exactly the invited address. Accept the invitation email first, then try again. If it still fails, ask your admin to check the invitation has not expired. |
| "The Owner has not finished setting this Team up" | Wait for your Owner to finish setup, then try again. |
| "This device is blocked in this Team." | Ask a Team Owner or Admin to allow this computer in **Team Devices**. Your Personal workspace is unaffected. |
| "This Team is billing-suspended." | Approval can still arrive, but Team content stays locked until the Owner restores billing. |
| "The server no longer lists this device for the Team. Register it again." | Go back and register this computer again. |

More fixes in [Team errors](/docs/troubleshooting/team-troubleshooting).

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Teams overview" href="/docs/teams/teams-overview" />

  <Card title="Team Brains" href="/docs/teams/team-brains" />

  <Card title="Roles and permissions" href="/docs/teams/team-roles-and-permissions" />

  <Card title="Create an account and sign in" href="/docs/getting-started/create-account-and-sign-in" />
</CardGroup>


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