Changing Microsoft Teams Combined Chat View

Microsoft Teams is constantly evolving with new features, user interface (UI) changes, and lots of little updates that sometimes really fly under the radar with regards to the communications.

One update that rolled out, which probably hindered me rather than helped me, was when Microsoft Teams combined Teams and Chats into just…Chats.

With all of these things, some people like the change, others don’t, and in this case, I didn’t like the update. Having everything classed as Chat, and then having a huge long list of “Favourites”, “Team Chats”, “Group Chats”, and “Private Chats” just didn’t work for me as I struggled to find exactly what I was looking for quickly.

When collapsed, it may not seem to bad, but when all are extended, the list can be HUGE!

Change Microsoft Teams Combined Chat Settings

For those of you who haven’t found this yet, this change can be reverted so that you can go back to having individual Teams and Chat and bring the interface back to what I would consider a more classic type layout.

To change the configuration:

1. Log into your Microsoft Teams client

2. On the … in the top right corner, expand the menu and click Settings

Microsoft Teams Settings

3. In your Settings list, click on “Chats and channels”

Chats and Channels Settings

4. In the top section under “Viewing chats, teams, and channels” you can switch between Combined and Separate.

  • Combined: Gives you a single Chat view which contains Favourites, Chats, and Teams
  • Separate: Keeps Chat for Chats, and brings Teams back to your navigation rail to access your Teams and Channels
Microsoft Teams Combined Chat Settings

There is no need to hit a save button with this, as soon as you change the toggle, your Microsoft Teams app will automatically update and will then show Teams. As you can see mine has reappeared below my Chat.

Updated Teams rail with Teams back

Changing your interface to suit you

This is just one example of how you can configure the Microsoft Teams interface to suit you and your working preferences. You can toggle it one way to try it, and then toggle back if it doesn’t work for you. But the key thing is understanding that you have the option in the first place.

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