check before: 2025-10-01
Product:
eDiscovery, Microsoft 365 admin center, Purview, Purview Communication Compliance, Purview compliance portal, Purview Data Loss Prevention, Teams
Platform:
Online, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
Admin impact, New feature, Updated message, User impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft Teams is updating private channels by migrating data from user mailboxes to group mailboxes, increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, enabling meeting scheduling, and consolidating compliance policies at the team group level. Migration starts October 2025, requiring admins to adjust policies accordingly.
Details:
Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams.
Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels.
[What's changing?]
Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes.
Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team.
After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows.
Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team.
Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250.
Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels.
Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level.
The migration of private channels will begin in early October 2025 and continue through February 2026. During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025, before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in early March 2026.
As part of this change, newly created private channels will not be created with a document library by default; the root folder is used as a default location for any new files.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by February 2026. Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will complete in March 2026.
[Action required by compliance managers and admins]
Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold
With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox.
Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox.
Before migration
If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team.
Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
After migration
For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group.
For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content.
Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox.
Before migration
Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team.
After migration
Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel.
Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
Purview Retention Policy
After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed.
Before migration
Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team.
After migration
If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention.
Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition
Before Migration:
In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups
After Migration:
Set the settings for "all users and groups" to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported.
Frequently asked questions
How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships?
Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members.
When is compliance manager action required?
If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team.
During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel.
What if no action is taken?
User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels.
Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team?
Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies.
Is there any impact to end users?
During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams.
6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take?
Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be -
Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId>
Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential
We appreciate your attention to this important update.
Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential
We appreciate your attention to this important update.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2025-08-14
updated:
2026-01-28
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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summary for non-techies**
Starting in October 2025, Microsoft Teams will update private channels by moving message storage to a shared group mailbox, increasing the capacity to 5,000 members and 1,000 channels per team, and enabling meeting scheduling within private channels, necessitating compliance policy adjustments.
Direct effects for Operations**
Compliance Policy Management
Failure to update compliance policies before migration may lead to gaps in data retention and legal holds, resulting in potential legal risks.
- roles: Compliance Manager, IT Administrator
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
If DLP policies are not adjusted, new private channel messages may not be protected, leading to data leakage risks.
- roles: Compliance Manager, IT Administrator
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767
User Experience during Migration
Users may experience duplicate search results in Teams, causing confusion and inefficiency in locating content.
- roles: End User, Team Member
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767
Retention Policy Management
Existing retention policies may not apply correctly post-migration, risking loss of important data if not reviewed and updated.
- roles: Compliance Manager, IT Administrator
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767
Channel Management
Without preparation, the transition to increased channel limits may overwhelm admins, leading to mismanagement of private channels.
- roles: IT Administrator, Team Owner
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
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Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2026-01-28 | MC Last Updated | 01/12/2026 19:52:40 | 2026-01-27T18:32:03Z |
| 2026-01-28 | MC Messages | Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. As part of this change, newly created private channels will not be created with a document library by default; the root folder is used as a default location for any new files. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. 4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Before Migration: In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups After Migration: Set the settings for "all users and groups" to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. 6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be - Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId> Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. | Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels will begin in early October 2025 and continue through February 2026. During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025, before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in early March 2026. As part of this change, newly created private channels will not be created with a document library by default; the root folder is used as a default location for any new files. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by February 2026. Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will complete in March 2026. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. 4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Before Migration: In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups After Migration: Set the settings for "all users and groups" to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. 6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be - Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId> Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. |
| 2026-01-28 | MC End Time | 03/30/2026 10:00:00 | 2026-04-30T10:00:00Z |
| 2026-01-28 | MC Summary | Microsoft Teams is updating private channels by increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, enabling meeting scheduling, and shifting compliance policies from user mailboxes to team group mailboxes. Migration runs from October 2025 to January 2026; admins must update compliance policies before then. | Microsoft Teams is updating private channels by migrating data from user mailboxes to group mailboxes, increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, enabling meeting scheduling, and consolidating compliance policies at the team group level. Migration starts October 2025, requiring admins to adjust policies accordingly. |
| 2026-01-13 | MC Messages | Updated December 8, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. 4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Before Migration: In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups After Migration: Set the settings for "all users and groups" to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. 6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be - Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId> Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. | Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. As part of this change, newly created private channels will not be created with a document library by default; the root folder is used as a default location for any new files. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. 4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Before Migration: In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups After Migration: Set the settings for "all users and groups" to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. 6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be - Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId> Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. |
| 2026-01-13 | MC Last Updated | 12/20/2025 00:59:04 | 2026-01-12T19:52:40Z |
| 2025-12-20 | MC Messages | Updated December 8, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026. Message exceeds character limit for the request portal. Adding html below for reference: https://microsoft-my.sharepoint-df.com/:t:/p/brimcg/ERmYzK2UOKBBi9726qR52nEBGw-0sPPCEc1PfogoBOxb-A?e=mfTqqs | Updated December 8, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. 4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Before Migration: In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups After Migration: Set the settings for "all users and groups" to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. 6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be - Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId> Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. |
| 2025-12-20 | MC Last Updated | 12/08/2025 18:35:49 | 2025-12-20T00:59:04Z |
| 2025-12-20 | MC prepare | https://microsoft-my.sharepoint-df.com/:t:/p/brimcg/ERmYzK2UOKBBi9726qR52nEBGw-0sPPCEc1PfogoBOxb-A?e=mfTqqs | https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767 |
| 2025-12-20 | MC Summary | Microsoft Teams private channels will transition to use a channel mailbox, increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, with meetings allowed. Compliance policies will shift to team group level. Migration starts October 2025, completing by January 2026; new features roll out February 2026. | Microsoft Teams is updating private channels by increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, enabling meeting scheduling, and shifting compliance policies from user mailboxes to team group mailboxes. Migration runs from October 2025 to January 2026; admins must update compliance policies before then. |
| 2025-12-09 | MC prepare | https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/unlocking-the-full-potential-of-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/4438767 | https://microsoft-my.sharepoint-df.com/:t:/p/brimcg/ERmYzK2UOKBBi9726qR52nEBGw-0sPPCEc1PfogoBOxb-A?e=mfTqqs |
| 2025-12-09 | MC MessageTagNames | New feature, User impact, Admin impact | Updated message, New feature, User impact, Admin impact |
| 2025-12-09 | MC Summary | Microsoft Teams private channels will transition to using a channel mailbox, increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, with meetings supported. Compliance policies will shift from user mailboxes to the team’s group mailbox. Migration starts October 2025; admins must update policies by September 20, 2025. | Microsoft Teams private channels will transition to use a channel mailbox, increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, with meetings allowed. Compliance policies will shift to team group level. Migration starts October 2025, completing by January 2026; new features roll out February 2026. |
| 2025-12-09 | MC Last Updated | 09/19/2025 00:50:38 | 2025-12-08T18:35:49Z |
| 2025-12-09 | MC Messages | Updated September 18, 2025: We have updated the timing and content below with additional information. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through December 2025. During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by September 20, 2025, before the migration begins. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early October 2025 (prevously late September) and expect to complete by mid-December 2025. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Optical character recognition (OCR) is managed via Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy. Before migration, modify the corresponding DLP policy that needs be applied for OCR to private channels and change locations to all users and groups. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be: Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. | Updated December 8, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026. Message exceeds character limit for the request portal. Adding html below for reference: https://microsoft-my.sharepoint-df.com/:t:/p/brimcg/ERmYzK2UOKBBi9726qR52nEBGw-0sPPCEc1PfogoBOxb-A?e=mfTqqs |
| 2025-12-09 | MC Title | Microsoft Teams: Private channels increased limits and transition to group compliance | (Updated) Microsoft Teams: Private channels increased limits and transition to group compliance |
| 2025-12-09 | MC End Time | 02/09/2026 09:00:00 | 2026-03-30T10:00:00Z |
| 2025-09-19 | MC Messages | In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams.
Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in late September 2025 and continue through December 2025. During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by September 20, 2025, before the migration begins. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late September 2025 and expect to complete by mid-December 2025. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. | Updated September 18, 2025: We have updated the timing and content below with additional information. Thank you for your patience.
In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams. Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels. [What's changing?] Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes. Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel's team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team's group policies instead of the individual user level. The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through December 2025. During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by September 20, 2025, before the migration begins. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early October 2025 (prevously late September) and expect to complete by mid-December 2025. [Action required by compliance managers and admins] Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member's mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is moved to the private channel's group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox. Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user's preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user's mailbox is copied to the private channel's group mailbox. Before migration If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team's group, in addition to the policy already applied to users' mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel's mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. After migration For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group. For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel's users' mailboxes and the team's group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content. Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel's team's group, as opposed to the user mailbox. Before migration Admins must modify the "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels to add the team's group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration Ensure that "Teams chat and channel messages" policy for private channels is scoped to the team's group containing the private channel. Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Purview Retention Policy After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, "Teams channel messages" policies applied to the team's group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed. Before migration Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team's group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. After migration If the parent team's group retention policy differs from the private channel's policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention. Screenshot 4: Configuring "Teams channel messages" for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition Optical character recognition (OCR) is managed via Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy. Before migration, modify the corresponding DLP policy that needs be applied for OCR to private channels and change locations to all users and groups. Frequently asked questions How can admins identify a user's private channel memberships? Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members. When is compliance manager action required? If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user's mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team's group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team's group can apply to all channels in the team. During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel. What if no action is taken? User-level policies will not apply to a private channel's new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels. Why isn't Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel's team? Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user's messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies. Is there any impact to end users? During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches-both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take? Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be: Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential We appreciate your attention to this important update. |
| 2025-09-19 | MC Last Updated | 08/14/2025 01:10:45 | 2025-09-19T00:50:38Z |
| 2025-09-19 | MC Summary | Microsoft Teams is enhancing private channels by increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, enabling meetings, and shifting compliance policies from user mailboxes to team group mailboxes. Migration starts late September 2025; admins must update policies by September 20, 2025. | Microsoft Teams private channels will transition to using a channel mailbox, increasing limits to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, with meetings supported. Compliance policies will shift from user mailboxes to the team’s group mailbox. Migration starts October 2025; admins must update policies by September 20, 2025. |
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