Edit a channel in Microsoft Teams

Rename a channel

You can rename a channel to give it a more meaningful name that better reflects its purpose. This can be especially helpful for the default channel that is created with every new team.

To rename a channel, follow these steps:

1. In the Teams desktop app, navigate to the team that contains the channel you want to rename.

2. Point to reveal, then select More options next to the channel you want to rename. 

3. Select Edit channel .                     

4. Underneath Channel name, enter the new name for the channel. If you're the team owner, you can rename the first-named team to "General."  Otherwise, the new name must be unique within the team and can't contain any of the following characters: / \: * ? " < > |

   Note: While creating a team, you can name your first channel "General" manually or by selecting More options . Channels named "General" will show at the top of the team in your teams and channels list. 

5. Select Save to rename the channel.

   Tip: If you can't rename a channel, make sure you own the channel or team or have the right permissions. If you're still having problems, call your IT department for help.

The renamed channel will be shown in all parts of Teams, including the channel list, search and filter results, and on SharePoint sites and notifications.

Update channel layout

Channel conversations can have two layouts, posts and threads. To change a channel's layout: 

1. Point at the channel to reveal More options .

2. Select More options > Edit channel  .

3. Select either Threads or Posts under layout.

4. Select Save to update the layout.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Recommend a channel

When they create a standard channel (instead of a shared channel), team owners can suggest up to 10 channels to team members. Recommended channels display a "recommended" tag when new members join the team.

To recommend an existing channel:

1. Point at the channel to reveal More options .

2. Select More options > Edit channel .

3. Under Description, select Recommend that people show this channel in their channel lists.    

4. Select Save to update the description.  

Update channel description

For channels other than "General,” team owners or team members (with required permissions) can also update the channel description. “General” channels have the same description as their team.  

Start by navigating to the channel you want to update, then: 

1. Hover over the channel and select More options  > Manage channels .

2. Go to Settings > Channel details. Then, select Edit under Edit channel name and description.

3. Type a new description.

4. Select Save to update the description.