Add Channels to an MS Team

Last updated on May 13, 2026

MS Teams channels are a great way to organize group work or projects for your students. Channels are a place to have synchronous meetings, have asynchronous conversations, and share files easily. If your course uses group projects, having a team channel for each project group can create a space for groups to have meetings and sharing information via MS Teams. As the owner of the channel you can also share information or files, schedule meetings with specific groups, and monitor group progress.

Directions

This video shows an outdated mobile version of adding channels. The written tutorial is updated to reflect the current desktop version of Teams.

New video coming soon.

1. Open the Microsoft Teams.
2. Select Teams from the left-side navigation bar.
3. Open the Team you would like to add a channel to.
   • For guidance on how to create a Team, see our tutorial, Create a Class Team, Add Students, and Set Up a Recurring Meeting.
4. Select More Options Menu (three dots) to the right of the team name.
5. Select Add Channel from the drop-down menu.
6. Type the Channel Name in the channel name text area.
7. Type a description of the channel in the Description (optional) text area.
8. Choose a channel type from the drop-down menu.
   • Standard: The channel will be open to all members of the team.
   • Private: The channel will only be open to selected team members.
9. Click Create at the bottom right of the pop-up window.
   • If you selected private, type the names or emails of the members you want to add in the text box. Click Add when you are done.
10. Repeat Steps 4-10 to add additional channels to the team.
11. The channels will now appear under Main Channels on the left-side panel.