Use a Teams chat for a private conversation with named participants. Use a channel post when the subject belongs to a team and should remain visible to everyone who can access that channel.
Sending is easy. Choosing the right audience is the important part.
Send a new chat message on desktop or web
- Select New message at the top of Teams.
- Enter one or more names in the To box.
- Write the message.
- Select Format when you need headings, lists, links or a larger compose box.
- Select Send.
Everyone with access to that chat can see the message. Check the recipient suggestions carefully, especially when two people have similar names.
Send a chat message on mobile
- Open Chat.
- Tap New message.
- Add the recipient or recipients.
- Write the message and tap Send.
Mobile places actions in slightly different menus from desktop. Press and hold a sent or received message to see the actions currently available for it.
Start a channel conversation
Channel layout now matters.
In a Posts layout channel, select Start a new post or Start a post, add an optional subject, write the message and select Post.
In a Threads layout channel, type the message in the compose box and select Send. Reply to the existing thread when your message belongs to that topic.
If the button for a new channel conversation is unavailable, channel moderation may limit new posts to moderators.
Format without sending too soon
Select Format before writing a long message. The expanded editor makes it easier to add:
- a subject;
- bold or italic text;
- bullets and numbered lists;
- links; and
- code or other structured content where supported.
If pressing Enter sends a chat message in your current client, use the expanded editor for multi-line content or use the client’s documented line-break shortcut. Do not test an unfamiliar shortcut in a live announcement.
Edit or delete a message you sent
Hover over your sent chat message, open More options, then choose Edit or Delete. Microsoft shows an Undo option after deletion.
Those actions may be controlled by an organisation’s messaging policy. Deleting a message from the conversation is not a promise that every compliance copy, notification preview or exported record disappears.
When the message does not send
Check these in order:
- Confirm you still have access to the chat or channel.
- Check whether the channel allows members to start posts.
- Remove a large attachment and test the text alone.
- Check whether the recipient is a guest, external participant or member.
- Try Teams web to separate a desktop-client problem from an account or policy problem.
- Ask the administrator to review messaging and app policies if a feature is consistently missing.
Do not repeatedly paste sensitive content while troubleshooting. Use a harmless test message.
Make messages easier to act on
Start with the decision or request. Name the owner and date where appropriate. Link to the file that owns the work instead of attaching several copies.
For work that must be tracked, create a task or record. A chat message is not a workflow state.
Keep Teams conversations usable
For practical Teams structure and policy guidance, join the SharePoint & Teams Admins Space.