Microsoft Teams supports 3 types of channels: standard, private and shared.
Shared channels in Microsoft Teams create collaboration spaces where you can invite people who are not in the team to access just the shared channel. Only the users who are owners or members of the shared channel can access the channel.
While shared channels sound similar to private channels there are some setup requirements and limitations on use. With private channels anyone, including guests (Microsoft guest account with any email address), can be added as a member of a private channel as long as they are already members of the team. Shared channels can only be used for internal people and external organizations that use Microsoft services.
Benefits to using a shared channel:
- For people externally they no longer must switch organizations to access the Shared channel content
- This is enabled between OSU and OSUWMC to allow OSU people to invite OSUWMC people to shared channels on the OSU side. Note OSUWMC requires OSUWMC people to request approval to be invited and enabled to use shared channels. OSUWMC people should place a non-catalog generic request with the OSUWMC IT Service Desk asking to be enabled to participate in shared channels.
- In addition to inviting individuals to be a member of a Team you can invite a whole Team to be a member. When the membership of the other Team changes access is automatically updated for the shared channel.
- Share, view, and co-author files across organizations in real-time and asynchronously
- Initiate 1:1 calls or schedule a meeting and invite others to join
- Invite others to a specific channel without having to first add them to the team
Comparison of Teams channel types
Current Use and Limitations of Channels
For external participants Shared channels required an explicit connection to be setup with the outside organization. If that outside organization does not use Microsoft services, shared channels can not be used. You can however still invite them to be part of a Team and all channels in the team.
For internal participants nothing special is required to be part of a shared channel.
To create shared channel, you will need special permissions, see details below in “How to create a shared channel” section.
Shared channels support tabs except for Stream, Planner, and Forms.
Critical Note
OneNote tabs used in a Shared channel may display an error and not open in Teams, you can access them via the web or the OneNote desktop application.
Details on the apps support in shard channels are available at Microsoft's website.
The following limitations apply:
- Only Azure AD work or school accounts are supported for external participants.
- Shared channels support tabs except for Stream, Planner, and Forms.
- Bots, connectors, and message extensions are not supported.
- Org-wide teams are not supported to be added as members of a shared channel.
- When you create a team from an existing team, any shared channels in the existing team won't be copied over.
- Notifications from shared channels are not included in missed activity emails.
- Shared channels are not supported in class teams.
- A Teams guest cannot be a member of a shared channel. This applies also if the guest is a member of the Team in which the shared channel is created.
- There is no method to convert existing channels in a Team to shared channels
Retention Settings
Retention settings of shared channels follow that of standard channels as detailed on Retention Schedule.
How to create a shared channel
If this a shared channel to be used internally within Ohio State, follow these steps:
As a Team Owner you will be able to follow the steps in Microsoft's article Create a Shared Channel in Teams to create shared channel and invite members.
Critical Note
Shared channels between OSU and OSUWMC, to allow OSU people to invite OSUWMC people to shared channels on the OSU side, is already enabled. OSUWMC requires people to request approval via OSUWMC IT Service Desk to be enabled for the feature.
If this is a shared channel to be used with an organization outside of Ohio State, you will need to follow these steps:
You will need to place a request with the IT Service Desk requesting to have a Teams Shared Channel relationship setup. This request needs to include the following information:
- Contact information of an administrator at the external organization (Name of person, email, and phone number) and name of the organization
- Brief use case description, and list of who from the external organization you would like to use (name and email addresses of each)
Once the connection request has been reviewed, is approved and enabled, you will be able to follow the steps in Microsoft's article to create shared channel and invite members.
Critical Note
This process can take several weeks to complete. This must be a cooperative engagement with the external organization; if they are not willing to participate, we will be unable to complete the setup.
How to manage a shared channel
The shared channel owner can click Manage channel and then use the Members tab and Share with button to add or remove members and edit settings. Each shared channel has its own settings.
Additional details on Shared Channels capabilities and restrictions
How to invite people to a shared channel
As a channel owner, you can share a shared channel with teams inside or outside your organization by going to the channel you want to share, and select More options
> Share channel > and selecting the desired option.