Chat in Microsoft Teams with external people
Chat in Microsoft Teams with external people
what works, what doesn't and why? π€π¬
"I entered the email address β why doesn't the chat work?" Or:
"Why do I see the person twice?"
External
chats in Microsoft Teams regularly cause question marks, which is no wonder β
because "external" is not the same as "external".
Here comes
the simple explanation.
β When is it possible to chat with external people?
Basically,
π a chat in Microsoft Teams only works if the external person is also part of the Microsoft world, i.e. works with M365 and MS Teams.
π a chat in Microsoft Teams only works if the external person is also part of the Microsoft world, i.e. works with M365 and MS Teams.
In concrete
terms, this means:
β
People with M365 /Microsoft Teams
company account
β People with a personal Microsoft account, such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.de, etc.
β People with a personal Microsoft account, such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.de, etc.
πThese email addresses are automatically
recognized when entered in the chat and marked as external. The chat
ends up with the external person directly in their own Teams environment.
βWhy doesn't it work with some email addresses?
Some
providers provide mail, but no Microsoft account by default, such as
t-online.de, gmx.de, web.de, etc.
β‘οΈ A direct 1:1 or group chat is not possible.
β‘οΈ A direct 1:1 or group chat is not possible.
β
Option for chatting with external
parties without a Microsoft account: Create a guest
If you want
to chat or collaborate with external people on a regular basis, the external
person can be created as a guest in your M365 environment without a Microsoft
account.
After that, you can chat with this guest in 1:1 or group chats, or invite them
to a Teams or SharePoint page.
π€Pause for a moment: Is chat with a guest really the best solution here?
If you work
with external people on a permanent or long-term basis, another question
arises:
Shouldn't
communication and cooperation with the guest then be better done in a team?
Why this is
often the more sustainable solution:
β
Content is visible to all parties
involved
β Decisions and agreements are documented
β Files, discussions, and info stay in one place
β New team members can follow everything later
β Decisions and agreements are documented
β Files, discussions, and info stay in one place
β New team members can follow everything later
π‘ Remember:
Chat is suitable for quick, short coordination.
For joint work, traceability and knowledge transfer, teams with channels and communication are the better choice.
For joint work, traceability and knowledge transfer, teams with channels and communication are the better choice.
πWhy do I see some people twice?
Sometimes
an external person shows up twice
β for example:
- once as external
- once as a guest
This happens when:
- the person has their own Microsoft account (external) and
- is also created as a guest in your M365 environment
βOur recommendation: Always select "external"
If you have
the choice, use the external variant in the chat.
Why?
β
The person gets the message in
their own Microsoft365 environment
β The person doesn't have to switch
β to your M365 environment Experience shows that replies comefaster π
β The person doesn't have to switch
β to your M365 environment Experience shows that replies comefaster π
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