Chats, Group Chats, and Channels

Understanding the three ways to communicate in Teams.

The three types

Teams has three ways to send messages, and each works differently:

  • Chat - a private conversation between you and one other person.
  • Group chat - a private conversation with a small group of people you add.
  • Channel - a shared space inside a Team, visible to all members of that Team.

Comparison

Feature Chat Group Chat Channel
Visible to You and one other person Only the people you added All members of the Team
Searchable later Yes, by participants Yes, by participants Yes, by all Team members
Files saved to OneDrive OneDrive SharePoint (shared)
Best used for Quick one-on-one questions Short conversations with a small group Committee work, decisions, shared files
Not great for Group coordination Important records - hard to find later Very personal or sensitive messages
Use channels for committee work. Channels are the right place for decisions, shared files, and anything the committee needs to refer back to. If you post something important in a group chat, it can be hard to find later and new members will not be able to see it. When in doubt, use a channel.
Chats, Teams, and Channels are now all accessed from the Chat icon (speech bubble) in the left sidebar. There is no longer a separate "Teams" icon.
Teams sidebar showing Chat icon combining Chats, Teams, and Channels

How to start a chat

Select your device:

  1. Go to teams.cloud.microsoft and sign in.
  2. Click the Chat icon (speech bubble) in the left sidebar.
  3. Click the pencil / new chat icon at the top.
  4. In the To: field, type the name or email address of the person. Select them from the dropdown.
  5. Type your message and press Enter to send.

  1. Open the Teams desktop app.
  2. Click the Chat icon in the left sidebar.
  3. Click the pencil icon to start a new chat.
  4. Type the person's name in the To: field and select them.
  5. Type your message and press Enter.

  1. Open the Teams app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Chat at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Tap the pencil icon in the top-right corner.
  4. Type the person's name and tap to select them.
  5. Type your message and tap the send arrow.

  1. Open the Teams app on your Android phone.
  2. Tap Chat at the bottom.
  3. Tap the + or pencil icon to start a new chat.
  4. Search for the person's name and select them.
  5. Type your message and tap the send arrow.

How to find and post in a channel

Select your device:

  1. Click the Chat icon (speech bubble) in the left sidebar. Your Teams and Channels appear alongside your chats.
  2. You will see the Teams you belong to. Click on a Team to expand it.
  3. Click on a channel name (e.g. "General", "Committee Updates").
  4. You will see the message thread for that channel. Click the message box at the bottom and type your message.
  5. Press Enter to send, or Shift+Enter for a new line.

  1. Click the Chat icon in the left sidebar of the desktop app. Your Teams and Channels appear alongside your chats.
  2. Click on a Team, then click on a channel.
  3. Type in the message box at the bottom and press Enter to post.

  1. Tap Teams at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on a Team to see its channels.
  3. Tap on a channel to open it.
  4. Tap the message box at the bottom, type your message, and tap the send arrow.
Screenshot (iPhone): Teams channel

  1. Tap Teams at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on a Team, then tap on a channel.
  3. Tap the message box, type your message, and tap send.

Notifications can pile up quickly. Go to your profile settings and set quiet hours so Teams does not notify you outside your preferred times. See the Teams overview page for exact steps on your device.