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How to Create and Manage Teams Channels

Applies toMicrosoft Teams
6 min fix Updated 9 Aug 2026

By , 10+ years in IT support and helpdesk How these guides are checked

One detail in this guide is awaiting a product check. On 9 Aug 2026 a check of the vendor's own documentation raised a question about a step here that only a person at the screen can settle. If what you see does not match, use the Report issue link beside that step. The source
Quick Answer

Click the three dots (...) next to a team name and select Add channel to create a new space for conversation.

Corrected 9 Aug 2026. This guide said team owner permission is required to create channels. Microsoft's documentation states that by default any team owner or team member can create a private channel, and the guide has been corrected. Every correction to this guide →

Summary ​

A team's conversation has outgrown one thread and you want to split it up — but a standard channel cannot become a private one later, or the other way round, so the type you pick now is the type you keep. Here is what standard, private and shared each do, who is allowed to create one, and how to pin, rename or delete them afterwards.

Before You Start ​

  • A Microsoft Teams account.
  • For a standard channel, you do not need owner permissions either. Team members can create channels by default. Team owners and admins decide which members can create them, and a team owner changes that under Settings > Member permissions.
  • For a shared channel, you do need to be a team owner. Team members cannot create shared channels, and your organization can use a policy to control which people are allowed to.
  • For a private channel, you do not need owner permissions. By default any team owner or team member can create one, and guests cannot. A team owner can switch that off for the team from the team's Settings tab, and your organization can restrict it with a policy.

Instructions ​

1. Create a Standard Channel ​

Standard channels are visible to all team members.

Team members can create these by default, so you do not need to be a team owner. Team owners and admins decide which members can create channels.

  1. In the Teams sidebar, find the team where you want to add a channel.
  2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the team name.
  3. Select Add channel.
  4. Enter a Channel name (e.g., "Q2 Marketing Campaign").
  5. Add an optional Description to explain the channel's purpose.
  6. Leave the Privacy setting as Standard (accessible to everyone on the team).
  7. Click Add. The channel appears under the team in the sidebar.

2. Create a Private Channel ​

Private channels are visible only to selected members.

  1. Follow the same steps as above to start creating a channel.
  2. Under Privacy, select Private — Only specific team members can see this channel.
  3. Click Add.
  4. Add members who should have access to the private channel.
  5. Click Done. A lock icon appears next to private channels in the sidebar.

Three things worth knowing before you pick this type:

  • The person who creates a private channel becomes its owner, and only that person can add or remove its members directly.
  • Guests can be added to a private channel as long as they are already members of the team, but a guest cannot create one.
  • A private channel cannot be converted to a standard channel later, and a standard channel cannot be converted to a private one. Choose the type you need now.

3. Create a Shared Channel ​

Shared channels allow collaboration with people outside your team.

This is the one channel type that does need owner permission. Only team owners can create a shared channel — team members cannot — and your organization can restrict which people are allowed to create them.

  1. Follow the same steps to start creating a channel.
  2. Under Privacy, select Shared — People you choose from your org or other orgs can access.
  3. Click Add.
  4. Invite members or entire teams (including external organizations if your admin allows it).
  5. Click Done. A shared icon appears next to shared channels.

4. Pin, Hide, or Show Channels ​

Keep your sidebar organized.

  • Pin a channel: Right-click the channel > Pin. Pinned channels appear at the top of your team list.
  • Hide a channel: Right-click the channel > Hide. The channel moves to a hidden section but you can still search for it.
  • Show a hidden channel: Scroll down to Hidden channels at the bottom of the team, click it, and select Show.

Hiding is only ever a change to your own view — nobody else's list moves, and nothing is deleted. Worth knowing before you tidy: hiding every channel in a team also hides the team itself, which is why teams appear to vanish overnight. If one has, Fix a Team Missing from Your Microsoft Teams List walks through unhiding it and tells that case apart from an archived team or a membership change.

5. Rename or Delete a Channel ​

Who can change an existing channel depends on the channel type.

To rename:

  1. Right-click the channel name > Edit this channel.
  2. Update the Channel name and/or Description.
  3. Click Save.

To delete:

  1. Right-click the channel name > Delete this channel.
  2. Click Delete to confirm.
  3. Deleted channels can be restored within 30 days from Manage team > Channels > Deleted tab.

INFO

Private channels follow their own rules. The private channel's owner edits its name and settings — a team owner who is not the channel's owner cannot. Deleting works differently: either the private channel's owner or a team owner can delete it, whether or not the team owner is a member, and it can be restored within 30 days.

Troubleshooting ​

INFO

The General channel cannot be renamed, moved, or deleted. It is created automatically with every team and is the default channel for team-wide announcements.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
No option to create a private channelYou are in the team as a guest, or a team owner or an organization-wide policy has switched off private channel creation for membersGuests cannot create private channels, so ask a team member to create it for you. If you are a team member, ask a team owner to switch member private-channel creation back on from the team's Settings tab. If they find the setting is controlled organization-wide, that takes an admin policy change — raise a ticket naming the team and what the channel is for.
No option to create a shared channelOnly team owners can create shared channels, and an organization-wide policy can narrow that furtherIf you are a team member, ask a team owner to create the channel for you. If you are the team owner and still do not see the option, it is controlled by policy — raise a ticket naming the team and who you need to collaborate with.
Cannot add external users to channelShared channels disabled by adminExternal access on shared channels is an organization-wide policy, not a team setting. Raise a ticket: "Please enable external access for shared channels so I can collaborate with [organization name] in the [team name] team." Until that changes, share the files themselves through a OneDrive or SharePoint link.
Deleted channel data lostChannel deleted over 30 days agoAfter 30 days, deleted channels and their content are permanently removed and cannot be restored.

Last updated:

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a standard and private channel?
A standard channel is open to everyone in the team. A private channel is locked and only visible to specific people you invite.
Can I delete a Teams channel?
Yes. A team owner can delete a channel, and for a private channel the person who created it can delete it as well. Click the three dots next to the channel name and select Delete this channel.