Forum Discussion

Reylin4's avatar
Reylin4
Brass Contributor
Dec 19, 2019
Solved

Changing Notification Settings for all users on a Team

Is there a way to change the notification settings for everyone that is part of a Team Channel? In other words... we have a channel in our Teams chat that we want everyone to receive notifications fo...
Administrator
microsoft teams
Notification
  • VasilMichev's avatar
    VasilMichev
    Dec 19, 2019

    No, only the users themselves can modify their notification settings, you cannot control this on their behalf. 

Cody Thomas's avatar
Cody Thomas
Copper Contributor
Dec 14, 2020

Vote for this here:

https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/40571872-allow-admins-to-set-notifications-for-groups-and-c

Jeff_Lamb's avatar
Jeff_Lamb
Brass Contributor
Mar 10, 2021
I completely disagree with the suggestion, and like the notifications the way they are. I don't want all the members of a team to be notified with every conversation and every reply. That's too much communication and diminishes the usefulness of the tool. If the poster intends everyone to be notified, They simply @mention the channel or the entire team. That's easy and efficient. Otherwise, conversations without specific mentions to users, channels or the team can be considered just a conversation within a room, without directing it at anyone in particular. Those conversations are available to the members to view and respond, but their attention is not required. It's a great concept for projects where lots of people interact. Keep the conversation in the appropriate channel, and only @mention the people who MUST see it.
  • tjr04's avatar
    tjr04
    Brass Contributor
    Jun 24, 2021

    I don't really care if they are default on or off, though I see good reason for both. What makes no sense to me is :

    1. Team owners can't override a user's settings, or at least set them at creation. It seems vital for owners to configure the team for the team's specific use case. (Especially in education)
    2. Team owners can't see an individual's notification settings per channel. Sending messages currently is like throwing a dart in the dark. I have no idea who is or isn't seeing what has been posted.
    • ScottWelker's avatar
      ScottWelker
      Copper Contributor
      Mar 10, 2025

      +1 ...at least set them at creation. 

      • ScottWelker's avatar
        ScottWelker
        Copper Contributor
        Mar 12, 2025

        My team abandoned Teams "Teams" in favor of continued group chats primarily because of the friction of having to cajole EVERY team member to enable their notifications for each-and-every "necessary" channel.

        I completely understand the spirit of individual control but the team creator/administrator MUST be able to set default notifications. Individuals can then change or mute channels when they have sufficient understanding of which channels do and do not warrant their attention.

        Off by default simply means out-of-sight and therefore completely ineffective and unused. 

    • phosworld's avatar
      phosworld
      Copper Contributor
      Feb 02, 2022
      I liked everything you stated tjr01 with the exception that I think administrators should be able to set defaults across the organization. I would love for notifications to be on by default, with owners being able to tweak to include turning them off as they create them.

      The bigger problem in the entire channel process is that channel creation has no duplicate checking in it similar to the check that happens if you randomly type a username into the search bar. Why allow the creation of an unlimited number of team channels by any user, with the exact same users in them? Prompt that I already have a channel in place with those exact same users in it before allowing the add. If we get rid of the duplication, users groups/channel lists shrinks, and administrators can set defaults without bracing for the backlash that will come with it.
    • JakobJakob's avatar
      JakobJakob
      Copper Contributor
      Jun 25, 2021
      Teams is a collaboration platform and introducing it to your organisation
      requires, planning/testing and user education the decisions on notification settings is a great example and should not be up to individuals, but defined by management, furthermore which Teams or channels to subscribe to needs to be defined and how often you should act (ROE)
      A Wiki for individual Teams to support correct use is also with considering.

      I vote for central management of all settings etc.

      Regards
      • James Arber's avatar
        James Arber
        MVP
        Jun 26, 2021
        I think trying to force a single way of working down from above is what makes users hate IT.
        Sure, some users can find the amount of notifications they receive annoying, but its up to them to decide what they want to react to.

        If something is critically important, you can always use the Urgent message flag (assuming you have the appropriate licence to use that)

        But my experience as a Teams consultant here is that any implementation of Teams needs change management, not just "training" and not just for the users. But a strategy that looks at how Teams can do things better rather than just trying to replicate old tools.

        Forcing ways of working down peoples throats is not going to drive adoption, if you make something painful to use, that's when shadow IT pops up.

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