check before: 2025-05-17
Product:
Teams
Platform:
Online, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
User impact, Retirement
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft Teams will retire SMS invitations to external partners effective May 17, 2025. Users can continue inviting external partners via email or by signing up for a two-way SMS calling plan. This change requires no admin action, but users should be informed, and documentation updated.
Details:
Effective May 17, 2025, we will retire the option for users to invite external partners to Microsoft Teams by sending an SMS to their phone number to join Teams and continue the conversation. We are retiring this feature to provide a more consistent experience. Organizations can continue to use emails to invite partners outside of their organizations for external teamwork.
Alternatively, customers can sign up for a two-way SMS calling plan to continue inviting external partners to Teams by sending an SMS to their phone number.
This change will happen automatically by the specified date. No admin action is required. Please notify your users about this change, update relevant documentation as appropriate, and share alternatives for users to invite external partners to Teams.
Learn more
Add or invite people outside your org to a chat in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Support (will be updated before feature retires)
About two-way SMS: Planning for SMS in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2025-04-18
updated:
2025-04-18
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 May 17, 2025, Microsoft Teams will retire the SMS invitation feature for external partners, focusing instead on email invitations, though organizations can opt for a two-way SMS calling plan to continue using SMS invitations.
Direct effects for Operations**
Retirement of SMS Invitations
Users will no longer be able to invite external partners via SMS, potentially disrupting communication workflows that rely on this method.
- roles: End Users, Project Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/sms-overview, https://support.microsoft.com/office/add-or-invite-people-outside-your-org-to-a-chat-in-microsoft-teams-6897ab47-9f60-4db6-8b95-18599714fe57
Increased Reliance on Email
Users will need to shift to using email for external invitations, which may lead to delays in communication and collaboration.
- roles: End Users, Sales Representatives
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/sms-overview, https://support.microsoft.com/office/add-or-invite-people-outside-your-org-to-a-chat-in-microsoft-teams-6897ab47-9f60-4db6-8b95-18599714fe57
Need for Documentation Updates
Organizations must update their internal documentation to reflect the change, which may lead to confusion if not communicated effectively.
- roles: IT Administrators, Training Coordinators
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/sms-overview, https://support.microsoft.com/office/add-or-invite-people-outside-your-org-to-a-chat-in-microsoft-teams-6897ab47-9f60-4db6-8b95-18599714fe57
Potential User Frustration
Users accustomed to SMS invitations may experience frustration and decreased productivity due to the sudden change in process.
- roles: End Users, Customer Support Agents
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/sms-overview, https://support.microsoft.com/office/add-or-invite-people-outside-your-org-to-a-chat-in-microsoft-teams-6897ab47-9f60-4db6-8b95-18599714fe57
Adoption of Two-Way SMS Plans
Organizations may need to consider adopting two-way SMS plans to maintain SMS capabilities, leading to additional costs and administrative overhead.
- roles: Finance Managers, IT Administrators
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/sms-overview, https://support.microsoft.com/office/add-or-invite-people-outside-your-org-to-a-chat-in-microsoft-teams-6897ab47-9f60-4db6-8b95-18599714fe57
Configutation Options**
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Potentional Risks**
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IT Security**
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explanation for non-techies**
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