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Teams are made up of channels, which are the conversations you have with your teammates. Each channel is dedicated to a specific topic, department, or project.

By default, all members of a team can create channels. A standard channel is open for all members and anything posted is searchable by others. If you need a smaller audience for a specific project, you can create a private channel for your team. For more info, see Teams can have standard or private channels.

Notes: 

Create a standard, private, or shared channel

From Create and join teams and channels: 

Screenshot showing navigation from Teams to create channel

  1. Select Create and join teams and channels  Plus sign icon at the top of the teams list.

  2. Select Create channel  Add channel icon.

  3. Select a team to choose a team to host your channel.

  4. Fill in some quick details about your channel by choosing a name, entering an optional description, and a channel type. This is where you'll choose to make your channel standard, private, or shared.

Screenshot showing dialog with options to create channel type

From a team name:

  1. Find the team you'd like to create a channel for from your list of teams.

  2. To the right of the team name, select More options  Shifts more options icon > Add channel  Add channel icon.

  3. Fill in some quick details about your channel by choosing a name, entering an optional description, and a channel type. This is where you'll choose to make your channel standard, private, or shared.

From Manage team: 

  1. From the team name, select More options  Shifts more options icon > Manage team  Settings gear button.

  2. Select the Channels tab, and choose  Plus sign iconAdd channel.

  3. Fill in some quick details about your channel by choosing a name, entering an optional description, and a channel type. This is where you'll choose to make your channel standard, private, or shared.

Standard channels

A standard channel is open for all members and anything posted is searchable by others.

You can create up to 1,000 channels over the life of a team. That number includes channels you create and later delete. 

Private channels

If you want a focused place to discuss sensitive information such as budgets, resourcing, or strategic positioning, create a private channel for your team.

Only owners or members of the private channel can access it. To understand who can view what in a private channel, see Private channels in Teams

You can create up to 30 private channels over the life of a team.

Note: Your admin can change this permission and limit private channel creation to certain roles.

Add members to a private channel

As a private channel owner, you can add or remove members and edit private channel settings. Each person you add must first be a member of the team. 

The simplest way to add members of your team to a private channel is to go to the private channel name and select More options More options button > Add Members icon Add members. This opens a menu that lets you search for and add new members, as well as set their roles. When you’re ready, select Close. Members may now post messages in the private channel.

Add members to private channel

Alternatively, you can go to the private channel name and select More options More options buttonManage channel, then use the Members tab to add or remove members and assign roles. Your private channel can have multiple owners and up to 250 members. The Settings tab lets you choose exactly what members are allowed to do.

Manage private channel creation

As a team owner, you can turn on or turn off the ability for members to create channels. To see and change this option, go to the Settings tab for the team.

Shared channels

Create a shared channel if you want to work with people inside and outside your team or organization. 

Only team owners can create shared channels. As the team owner who creates the shared channel, you become the channel owner, and the channel inherits labels from the host team. 

Note: You can't change a shared channel into a standard or private channel and vice versa. Once you create a shared channel, you can't change the host team.

Add members to a shared channel

When creating a shared channel, the default setting is Share this channel with everyone on the team.

  1. After you've chosen Shared channel as the channel type in the selection box, type the names of the people in your org you want to add to the channel and select from the list. To add people outside your org, type their email addresses and select from the list. Then select Share.Screenshot showing how to share a channel with internal and external people

  2. To change a Member to an Owner, select the down arrow to the right of Member, and choose Owner. Then select Done.Screenshot showing how to change a channel member to a channel owner

Notes: 

  • People from outside your org can only be members of a shared channel.

  • If you're a team owner and don’t see an option to create a shared channel, check with your admin.

  • Admins must enable B2B direct connect before you can add people outside your org to a shared channel. To learn more, see Collaborate with external participants in a channel.

Edit, delete, hide, or leave a channel

Once you delete a channel, you also lose its entire conversation history. Channels can be restored within 21 days, but no new channels can be created with the same name as the deleted channel within that 21-day window. The OneNote sections associated with a deleted channel will still show up on your team's SharePoint site.

Select More options More options button next to the channel name. Then use the menu to edit, delete, hide, or leave the channel.

Note: Team owners decide which team members can delete channels.

Teams are made up of channels, which are the conversations you have with your teammates. Each channel is dedicated to a specific topic, department, or project.

Teams can have standard or private channels. When you need to create one, use the steps below.

Note: Create shared channels from Teams for desktop or web. The Teams mobile app doesn’t support creating shared channels.

Create a standard channel

A standard channel is open for all members and anything posted is searchable by others. You don't add members to a standard channel because the team has access.

Tap Teams Teams button, go to the team name, and tap More options More options button> Manage channels.

Tap Add Add button and enter a name and description (optional). This adds a standard channel to the team.

You can create up to 1,000 channels over the life of a team. That number includes channels you create and later delete.

Create a private channel and add members

Only those users who are owners or members of the private channel can access the channel. To understand who can view what in a private channel, see Private channels in Teams

You can create up to 30 private channels over the life of a team.

To create a private channel and add members in Teams:

  1. Tap Teams Teams button , go to the team name, and then tap More options  More options button> Manage channels.

  2. Tap Add   Add button   in the header, and enter a name and description (optional).

  3. Tap Privacy, and then Private as shown.

    Private channel settings.

  4. Tap on the back button <, and then Done.

    This adds a private channel to the team and opens the Add members screen.
    FYI, you can skip step 5 and add members later.

  5. Under Add members, type a name in the Add field, and then tap Done.

Your private channel can have multiple owners and up to 250 members.

Edit, delete, hide, or leave a channel

Select More options More options button next to the channel name. Then, use the menu to edit, delete, hide, or leave the channel as desired.

Keep in mind that once you delete a channel, you also lose its entire conversation history. Channels can be restored within 21 days, but no new channels can be created with the same name as the deleted channel within that 21-day window. The OneNote sections associated with a deleted channel will still show up on your team's SharePoint site.

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