Teams continues to evolve to help your team work faster, simpler, smarter. Now threads in channels are generally available. It combines the simplicity of chat-like conversations with the structure, durability, and manageability of channels—helping you stay on top of the information that matters most without getting overwhelmed.
We know fast moving conversations can make it easy to fall behind. That’s why as part of the threads rollout, we are introducing thread summarization with Copilot. Copilot highlights key takeaways and surfaces the most relevant information within your workflow, so you can catch up quickly without reading every message. Thread summarization with Copilot is generally available and requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
To help you get the most out of your threads, we created 5 videos that walk you through tips and tricks of the new experience.
What are threads in Teams channels?
Teams channels provide an organized space for teams to manage workstreams and collaborate with stakeholders. Channels with threads look like chat, helping you engage in ongoing conversations. You can reply directly to specific messages, creating a focused conversation thread, which enables everyone to scan the channel quickly and follow multiple discussions at once.
Threads are also available on mobile, so you can stay connected wherever you work.
Watch this video to learn more about the new threads layout.
Get started with threads
Different conversation needs require different tools. First decide where to have your conversation:
- Chat is ideal for a quick back and forth with specific people.
- Channels help you consolidate all stakeholders, conversations, files, and meetings related to a specific topic.
- Post layout is ideal for announcements because it keeps important updates visible and prioritized by recent activity, making them easy to find and follow.
- Threads layout is better for back-and-forth conversations because it keeps related conversations grouped together. This setup reduces clutter and makes it easier to manage several in-depth discussions at once. Threads are particularly useful for product launches, campaign planning, or bug triage, where multiple focused conversations need to run in parallel and remain easy to track.
You can switch layouts anytime, including for existing channels, without losing messages. Note that this will update the layout for all channel members.
Watch this video to learn how to start a channel with threads and get tips for communicating effectively with your stakeholders by using threads.
Staying on top of threads
Threads in channels help you follow the conversations that matter most to you and catch up to those conversations quickly. By staying up to date with key discussions, like stakeholder feedback on a launch plan or cross-team input on a campaign, you avoid missed updates and keep momentum moving.
Watch this video to learn how to follow and unfollow threads, catch up via the Followed threads view, and leverage Copilot to summarize conversations.
Notification Settings for Threads
Stay focused on what matters by customizing how you're notified about thread activity in Teams. You can choose how new messages and reactions show up, via your activity feed, a banner, or both, and fine-tune settings per channel. For high-priority channels, follow every new thread to stay in the loop; for noisier ones, dial notifications down or off.
Watch the video to learn how to tailor your notification experience and make sure the right conversations always reach you.
More Tips and Best Practices
Threads in channels help teams stay organized, reduce noise, and keep all the context in one place, making it easier to collaborate across multiple topics without losing track. If you’re handling high-volume of conversations, compact mode offers a denser layout that helps you view more threads at a glance.
In this video, we’ve compiled best practices from early adopter teams that have embraced threads highlighting what works well for them, like using the channel as a central hub for collaboration that includes meetings and files, and leveraging built-in tools to enhance team communication.
Watch this video to learn more tips, how to apply them and make threads work harder for your team.
Check out threads adoption guide to learn more.
What’s next
Threads make collaboration more open and organized, bringing together people and, increasingly, AI agents. With the latest wave of Copilot innovation, we are giving every channel an agent that can collaborate with you and your team, acting as a virtual teammate. These agents keep everyone updated on project status, help stay on top of tasks, and provide timely answers to questions. Collaborating on your projects in channels will help you leverage these agents. Channel Agent is now in Public Preview for users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Threads is now generally available on desktop and mobile. Check out the adoption webpage to learn more.
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