Microsoft has recently announced several updates concerning private channels in Teams, which may impact both collaboration and the management of sensitive information within your organization. These improvements are particularly significant for those working on projects that require high confidentiality or where controlling access to information is crucial.
Improved Scalability and More Capabilities
Previously, there were limitations on how many private channels could be created per team and how many users could participate in these channels. Now, the limit has been increased from 30 to 1,000 private channels per team, and the number of members per private channel has been raised from 250 to 5,000. Additionally, it is now possible to schedule meetings directly within private channels, further streamlining collaboration.
Easier Compliance and Data Management
One of the major changes is that private channels will now use a shared group mailbox for message storage, instead of individual user mailboxes. For SharePoint, this means that documents and data in private channels will be managed more consistently with other Teams channels. This makes it easier to apply and monitor policies for storage, retention, and legal compliance, as these can now be managed at the team level rather than the individual level.
Important Information Ahead of Migration
Microsoft plans to begin migrating private channels to the new system at the end of September 2025. Throughout the autumn and into the end of the year, data from private channels will gradually be moved from user mailboxes to the team’s group mailbox. It is important to ensure that your existing compliance policies also cover the team’s group, so that, for example, retention and DLP continue to function as intended. During the migration, the channels will continue to operate as usual.
Would you like to know more about the changes and what they mean for your organization? Read more from Microsoft about the latest updates to private channels.
