Support for Private Channels
Private channels enable focused private collaboration among a subset of your team. You can find detailed information on the capabilities and management of the private channels feature here - https://docs.microsoft.com/MicrosoftTeams/private-channels. Note: Work to release for the government clouds is in progress.
There are four other types of channel functionality on our backlog that we will continue to track – feel free to upvote and/or comment on the items listed next to each:
- Channel only members: to enable collaboration with people outside the team in a specific channel, without granting them access to the team itself. The channel member could be someone in your organization, or external to your organization (guest). https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/31374577
- Shared channels within an organization: allow people in different teams to collaborate on a shared project or v-team in the context of their own teams. A channel can be shared across teams in the same organization https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/18615565
- Shared channels across organizations: allow people in an organization other than yours to collaborate on a shared project or v-team. https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/32987917
- Public channels: to provide an outbound communication window for a team to engage with everyone in an organization. These channels are accessible to everyone in their tenant, without needing to join. https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/34154851

Private channels enable focused private collaboration among a subset of your team. We are super excited to share that this feature is fully rolled out to the public ring. You can find detailed information on the capabilities and management of the private channels feature here – https://docs.microsoft.com/MicrosoftTeams/private-channels.
There are four other types of channel functionality on our backlog – feel free to upvote and/or comment on the UV items listed next to each:
- Channel only members: to enable collaboration with people outside the team in a specific channel, without granting them access to the team itself. https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/31374577
- Shared channels within an organization: allow people in different teams to collaborate on a shared project or v-team in the context of their own teams. https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/18615565
- Shared channels across organizations: allow people in an organization other than yours to collaborate on a shared project or v-team. https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/32987917
- Public channels: to provide an outbound communication window for a team to engage with everyone in an organization. These channels are accessible to everyone in their tenant, without needing to join. https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/34154851
Thanks – and we hope you love your Private channels experience!
~ Alex & the Teams team
2112 comments
Comments are closed-
Rita Santelli commented
Without this option, I am having trouble using Teams for big projects. Please make this available asap.
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Rick Sconbergg commented
Will look to Teams as a go to, if deployed in the near future. Otherwise, looking to other alternatives with more features.
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SebastienLC commented
I've been trying Private channels but don't have the ability to add apps like Planner or Polly. Is that on the works for this first release?
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Laban Källgren commented
We have need for this feature in our organization, I am looking forward to when it will be launched!
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Janelle commented
Can we access any material about the impacts of Private channels - eg on sharepoint file permiations, existing links sent to people, what the defaut setting be, does the parent team inherit the highest setting, can we change general etc. We would like some facts for our user and training commuications about the behaviours
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Mark commented
Please get this done!!!!
It's a basic necessity -
Laura Miller commented
Any update on Private Channels...like an exact roll out date in October?? Waiting with baited breath...
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Anonymous commented
When will this be done? Fall is already here...
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karen commented
Awaiting an update on the private channels!
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Jose dos Santos commented
I created a closed Channel to stage it, now I need to change it and open to the entire Team, how do I proceed? Thanks,
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Anonymous commented
Any updates? Im really looking for this feature so I stop annoying everyone in my team with a meeting invite for just 5 people in one channel!
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Anonymous commented
@Alex (Teams Engineering, Microsoft Teams) - Will this also be available in the GCC? I have a customer with several Agencies that exist in a single tenant. There is a requirement that no agency should be able to see another agency's content.
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Rebecca Wallentin commented
Hey, can you please give us an update soon? We expected this to roll out in september. What's happening?
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Sam Turner commented
Any update on this guys? Could really do with this feature in our org.
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Anonymous commented
Any update appreciated
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Anonymous commented
Hi there, I just wanted to check back on this post to see if there was an ETA on when the private channels would be available since we just hit the fall. :)
- Dawn
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Sara commented
Any update on private channels?
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Bob Urag commented
When is this coming out! Really excited. Thanks!
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Anirudh A Damani commented
Awaiting an update on the private channels!
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Anonymous commented
I have been using a Private channel for about a month now.