How to Migrate Private Channels in Teams

Read time 7 minutes

Within Microsoft Teams, channels function as designated areas for discussions focused on specific topics. Generally, these channels are accessible to all Office 365 users under the same Administrator, allowing them to view and engage in conversations. Nevertheless, there is an option to create Private channels, which limit chat access to specifically selected members; other users cannot enter these private channels. Only the owner and the chosen members of the channel possess the capability to join a private channel. Moreover, it is feasible to extend access to guests in a private channel, provided they are members of the team.

How is a private channel useful in Microsoft Teams?

An organization may deem it essential to create an exclusive communication channel for certain team members in order to foster better collaboration. For example, when a team of web designers is assigned the project of developing a new website, the team leader can set up a specialized channel exclusively for the designers to deliberate on their tasks. This restricted channel guarantees the privacy of their discussions, obviating the necessity for extra secure tools or applications to oversee their interactions.

A private channel offers benefits in the following scenarios:

• The members of a team require a dedicated space for confidential conversations to safeguard against unauthorized disclosure of information.
• Certain staff members have a keen interest in discussing delicate topics, including budget distribution, recruitment, terminations, resource allotment, decision-making, mergers, official policies, and other related matters.

You can easily recognize a private channel with its lock icon adjacent to the channel name. When the Administrator creates a Team in Microsoft Teams as a private one, the private channel is linked to its parent Team and cannot be relocated. Additionally, transforming a private channel into a standard one is not possible. The team owner possesses the authority to perform a range of actions related to a private channel, including creating, deleting, exiting, modifying, restoring, adding members, configuring settings, and supervising tabs and applications.

A private channel serves as a repository for vital discussions and valuable project-related files. If you find yourself embarking on a new project that could benefit from a previous conversation stored in a private chat, you have the choice to transfer it to your new team. The ownership of the channel will stay unchanged. In the checklists for Microsoft Team migration, the private channel should be handled carefully.

Due to the limitations of manual migration between Microsoft Teams, you should use the Kernel Microsoft Teams Migration application to migrate the private channel. You can migrate teams that contain the private channels.

Kernel Microsoft Teams Migration software allows you to connect two Office 365 tenants and move Teams between them.

• Open the software and go to the Microsoft Teams option in the source section.
• Right-click and choose Add Teams.
• In the Add Team wizard, you need to input the required details. You can access these details in the Azure portal. You should click the App Registration option and follow the procedure.
• Provide a project name, Tenant ID, username, Client ID, and Client Secret. Then, click the Register and Connect button.
  • After you click the Register and Connect button, then a new Login page will open where you must select Modern or Basic authentication. It will require you to provide the account credentials twice to register the app. Click OK.
  • Copy the Application ID and follow the steps to register app in the Azure Active Directory. Then, click OK.
  • A prompt message will ask you if you have registered the app in the AD. If you have done it, then click Yes.
• The Office 365 tenant is connected with the software. It will show all the Teams present in the account.
• Go to the Destination section, then choose Microsoft Teams>>Add Teams.
• Follow the same process to retrieve details from destination Office 365 tenant. Then, click Register and Connect.
• The new tenant ID is connected with all the teams.
• Now copy the team that has the private channel in it.
• Right-click on the destination section and choose the Paste option.
• Now you should map the Teams properly. Use the checkbox to select/deselect Teams. You can also provide a nickname to the Team at the destination. Click Start Migration.
• The migration will start quickly.
• The migration is completed successfully.
• A migration summary will denote the correct status of migrated teams.

Conclusion

Using a private channel within Microsoft Teams provides users with significant convenience. Nevertheless, if they decide to move this private channel manually, they must guarantee the integrity of its ecosystem, as it is closely connected with various applications like SharePoint.

The core of the Microsoft Teams Migration Tool adeptly oversees the smooth transfer of essential data to the fresh Teams environment. This results in users promptly regaining access to their accustomed channels within the relocated team. The tool guarantees a seamless transition for the entire team, encompassing all of its affiliated channels.