MS Teams - Create a Private Group Chat

Issue/Question

• How do I create a private group chat in Teams?

Environment

• Oregon State University
• Microsoft Teams

Explanation

To create a space for private conversations, create and name a group chat.

A few notes about group chats:

• You can do audio, video and screen sharing within a group chat.
• Group chat discussions are not threaded as they are in a team window.
• When you add a new person to an existing group chat, you can choose whether or not to let them see the prior conversation.
• Group chats will disappear from your "Recent" list after 30 days of inactivity.
• You can remove members from a group chat by clicking on the "participants" list under the group name. 
• Group chats are limited to 50 members.

Alternatively, you can create a private channel if you are the owner of a team.

Resolution

Create a Group Chat

1. In the Teams app, select Chat
    
2. Select the New Chat button near the Search box at the top of the screen
    
3. Click on the drop-down arrow to the right of the "To:" box
    
4. Enter a name for the group chat
5. In the "To:" box enter the names of the people you want to add to the group
    
6. Start typing in the "Type a new message" box near the bottom of the screen
    
7. You can also optionally pin a group chat so that it stays at the top of the Recent chats window. To do so, right-click on the group chat and select "Pin." 
   

Assistance

For assistance, contact the Service Desk.