Microsoft is unlocking the "Full Potential" of Private Channels in Microsoft Teams: What You Need to Know

It has been a while since I posted something just about a Microsoft Teams update, as a lot have been Copilot in Teams to be honest. But here is a real Microsoft Teams update I think is worth knowing about, and it involves Security and Compliance as well. Microsoft is rolling out a "major" update to private channels in Teams, starting in late September 2025 and continuing through mid-December. This biggest change in this update is a shift in how private channel data is stored from individual user mailboxes to a dedicated channel mailbox. Not only will this simplifie compliance management, it will also and align private channels with shared channels, making governance and experience more consistent across Teams. This update promises to increase the support up to 1000 channels per team and 5000 members per channel, removing previous limitations. Teams will also allow meetings to be scheduled directly within private channels, enhancing collaboration.  For organizations using Micr...

New meeting feature coming soon, control what the audience can see

The "Manage what attendees see" feature in Microsoft Teams is designed to help organizers deliver polished meetings or events by simplifying the attendee view and keeping the focus on participants who have been brought on screen. Previously, this was limited to webinars, but it seems this feature is coming as an option organizers can set on their meetings. Instead of automatically displaying shared content, it will first appear in the Manage screen’s left panel. An organizer or presenter must manually bring it on screen, preventing unintended interruptions and ensuring a smoother attendee experience. Additionally, presenters will now see their content displayed instead of a text message indicating they are sharing. For mobile users, only participants or content that has been brought on screen will be visible.

This is a different kind of meeting, where the intention is more of a one-to-many delivery, rather than a regular meeting. But I do think it makes it easier for users to organize these types of events with this new feature, rather than having to set up a dedicated webinar.

To configure the feature in an upcoming meeting (when the feature has become available to you), follow these simple instructions from Microsoft user guides.

According to the message center, this feature will start it's rollout in early April (already happening), and should be completed by the end of the month.