Private Channels in Teams

The Good The Bad and the Ugly

The Good

Private Channels offer a valuable solution for addressing specific challenges related to Information Architecture and Security. For example, when handling sensitive information, utilizing a Private Channel ensures that access is tightly controlled—only those explicitly granted access can view the channel, including Team Owners.

Users must be members of the Team hosting the Private Channel.
External Users can be granted access to Private Channels.

The Bad

However, Private Channels do come with certain limitations:

Membership is capped at 250 users.
Private Channels cannot be converted to Regular Channels, nor vice versa.
Teams are restricted to a maximum of 30 Private Channels.
Tags are not currently supported in Private Channels (though this may change in the future).

The Ugly

A potential issue arises when configuring permissions on the associated SharePoint Site. If permissions are set independently and the timer job responsible for syncing permissions runs, it will overwrite all manually configured Site permissions with Teams permissions.

My Personal Take

While Private Channels offer a straightforward solution for specific permission needs, relying solely on them may encourage a less considered approach to Teams structure and security. It's crucial to use them judiciously, considering the potential drawbacks that come with overuse.

How to Disable Private Channels for your Organization

If you decide against using Private Channels, you can easily disable them:

Navigate to Teams Admin Center > Teams > Teams Policies.

2. Select the Global (Org-wide default) Teams Policy and turn off the "Create private channels" option.

How to Allow Private Channels for Specific Members

Alternatively, you can permit specific members to use Private Channels:

In Teams Policies, click the "+Add" button to create a Custom Teams Policy.
Configure the Custom Teams Policy with the "Create private channels" option enabled.