Should I use Chat or Channel in Teams?

There’s lots of different ways to communicate with your colleagues in Teams.  The two you'll use most often are Chat and Channels. 

Not sure which one to use?

Use Chat if:

• You're talking to one person or a small group.
• You need a quick answer or short discussion.
• The conversation doesn't need to be kept for the whole team.

Use a Channel if:

• The conversation is relevant to your whole team.
• You want to keep discussions organised by topic using threads.
• Other team members may need to find the information later.

Channels

Channels are available to everyone in your team. One of their most useful features is threads, which keep each topic in its own conversation.

This makes it easy for people to follow the discussions they're interested in, ignore topics that aren't relevant to them, and return to previous conversations later.

Chat

Chat is a great way to communicate with one person or a few people. It's quick, easy, and perfect for asking questions, sharing information, or having a short discussion.

You can also create a group chat with your team. However, unlike Channels, chats aren't organised by topic, so important information can become difficult to find later without scrolling through the conversation or using Search.

Which should I choose?

As a general rule:

• Use Chat for quick conversations with one person or a small group.
• Use a Channel for conversations your team may need to refer back to, especially if they're part of an ongoing project or discussion.

If you're unsure, start with Chat. If the conversation becomes something the wider team needs to see or refer back to, move it to a Channel.