| Teams Chat Deletion: Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the Microsoft Teams chat retention operational policy?
Teams 1:1 and group chat messages are purged after 90 days. Teams meeting recordings and transcriptions are purged after 180 days.
Why is Johns Hopkins implementing this change in retention?
This change is intended to assist with resource management and information security and aligns with industry best practices for managing business communications that are not official records. Teams one-on-one and small group chats are typically informal, transitional, or hallway-style conversations and usually do not need to be kept beyond 60 days.
Who does this policy apply to?
All Johns Hopkins users.
When does the policy take effect?
October 15, 2026. This means anything in your Teams chats from more than 90 days ago (anything from before July 17, 2026) will be deleted.
Which types of Teams messages are covered by the retention policy?
This retention applies to:
Are 1:1 chats and group chats treated the same?
Yes, and they are both subject to 90-day retention.
Are channel conversations affected the same way as chats?
No — Teams channels aren’t affected by this change.
What’s the difference between a Teams chat and a Teams channel?
A Teams chat is a private, direct conversation between two or more people. It lives outside of any team or channel and is only visible to the participants. Chats can be one-on-one or small group conversations. A Teams channel is a shared conversation space within a team. It’s visible to all members of that team (or, for private channels, a defined subset). Channels are organized by topic or project and are meant for broader collaboration, with persistent message history accessible to the whole team.
Are private channel messages included?
No, private channel messages will remain and are not included in this chat retention policy.
How do I set up a private Teams channel?
A channel is a focused space inside a Team — think of a Team as a department or project, and channels as the topic-specific rooms within it.
Steps:
What’s the difference between scheduled and unscheduled meeting chats?
If a meeting wasn’t scheduled through Outlook or Teams (for example, someone starts an impromptu meeting), it’s considered an unscheduled meeting and its chat is impacted by this change.
Are chats from scheduled Teams meetings affected?
No. Meetings that were scheduled previously are not impacted by this change.
What about meeting recordings and meeting transcriptions?
Yes — Teams meeting recordings and meeting transcriptions will be removed after 180 days.
What about Zoom?
Changes to Zoom’s retention policy will be communicated separately in the future.
Are files shared in Teams chats deleted when the chat is deleted?
No. Deleting chat messages doesn’t delete the files that were shared.
Where are files shared in Teams chats stored?
Files shared in chats are stored in OneDrive and SharePoint, not inside the chat itself.
Are Teams Notes affected by the chat retention policy?
No. Notes aren’t chat content — they’re stored as Microsoft 365 (Loop) content.
Are Loop components, Copilot interactions, or meeting notes affected?
No.
Are scheduled meeting recordings and transcripts affected?
Recordings aren’t impacted by this policy. (Chat retention is 90 days; transcriptions are 180 days.)
Will chat messages from scheduled meetings be retained?
Scheduled meeting chats aren’t affected by this change.
How long are chats, recordings, and transcriptions kept?
Chat messages are kept for 90 days. Recordings and transcriptions are kept for 180 days. Regulatory requirements and preservation duties automatically override these changes on the backend; no action is required.
Is deletion automatic?
Yes — it’s automatic.
Will messages disappear exactly at 90/180 days?
They’ll be removed after the retention period (timing may vary slightly as deletion processes run).
Can users recover chats after they’re deleted?
No — once purged, they can’t be recovered. Legal hold and preservation requests can still be processed by Legal for sanctioned investigations.
Will deleted chats appear in search?
No; once removed messages are not discoverable by general users. Legal may preserve/restore for authorized investigations.
Can I prevent a chat from being deleted?
No — retention is applied automatically.
What’s the best way to keep important information long-term?
If you’ll need it later, don’t leave it only in 1:1/group chat. Use these quick workflows:
Can I start using a different tool for chatting with my coworkers?
Microsoft Teams is the only approved standalone messaging and chat application for Johns Hopkins. It is integrated with our Microsoft 365 environment, covered under Johns Hopkins’ Business Associate Agreement with Microsoft, configured to meet HIPAA and institutional security requirements, and supported by our Information Technology teams.
Chat used within Zoom meetings is permitted for communication during a sanctioned meeting.
Other messaging and chat tools — including but not limited to Slack, Discord, Google Chat, WhatsApp, and Signal — are not approved for official Johns Hopkins business. Where a specific business or research need requires an alternative, a sanctioned exception may be requested.
Where can I get help?
Contact your local IT Support Team, LAN administrator, or the IT Help Desk (410/955-HELP or 410/516-HELP or get help online) for technical assistance. Review these helpful tips about Teams chats.
How will I be reminded?
We’ll send multiple emails, and post banners on myJH and Teams.
