In some chats in Microsoft Teams Free, you might not have every feature you’re used to. When chats are created between users with a work or school account (managed by an organization) and users with a personal account, only certain options are available.
You will still be able to chat, send GIFs and emojis, and search for contacts by phone number or email. For specific information on features that are and are not available, select the applicable scenario in this article.
Important
Policies that organizations put in place for their members might affect chats between personal and organization members, including data retention, removal of personal users from organization chats, or certain users displaying as Unknown or Anonymous. Organizations must enable chats with personal users for organization members to be searchable.
If the chat is started by a personal user
| Feature | Personal Users | Organization Members |
|---|---|---|
| Send messages | Yes | Yes |
| Send photos and files | Yes | No * |
| Make audio or video calls | No | No |
| Share screens | No | No |
| Join Meetings | Yes | Yes (as anonymous guest) |
* Organization members will be able to view, but not interact with, these items.
If the chat is started by an organization member
| Feature | Personal Users | Organization Members |
|---|---|---|
| Send messages | Yes | Yes |
| Send files | No | No |
| Send photos | Yes | Yes |
| Make audio or video calls | No | No |
| Share screens | No | No |
| Remove organization members from chats | No | Yes |
| Join Meetings | Yes (as anonymous guest) | Yes |
Contact us
For more help, contact support or ask a question in the Microsoft Teams Community.