Why are public teams not showing for my users?

When you create a team in Microsoft Teams, you have two options to create the team. Microsoft Teams allows you to create a public or a private team based on your requirements. Private teams are only available to users who are part of that team. If you are a member who isn’t part of a private team, you will not be able to access that team. A public team is available to anyone in the organization. No restrictions are imposed on who can join. However, what if you have public teams that are not showing for users. Have a read-through and see why public teams are not showing for users.

There are reasons why a public team might now show when you open the team’s section in Microsoft Teams. The admin section for Microsoft Teams may inhibit your ability to search and find public teams or the team you are trying to find is a private team and not a public one. We will cover why public teams are not showing for users in the guide below.

Above are two methods to solve potential issues you can encounter when you are in a situation where public teams are not showing up for users. The first method we will cover involves using admin permissions to access the “Teams setting” section and editing the “Search by name” toggle. The second method resolves around whether the team is private or public. Read through and get a better understanding of how to resolve the issue of public teams not showing for users.

How to edit “Teams settings” to resolve the issue of not being able to see public teams

You will require admin permissions to proceed with the steps illustrated below; the process essentially allows you to disable any restrictions imposed on searches you make within Teams. With the restrictions lifted, you should now be able to search and find public teams within your organization. Have a read through the content below to see what you can do to resolve the issue of not being able to see public teams. The guide will include steps to outline the process and an in-depth guide to help you complete the process if you require more assistance.

  • Firstly, open Office 365 in your browser.
  • Click on the launcher, which is illustrated by nine dots.
  • Now click on “Admin” from the launcher.
  • After that, click on “Teams” under the “Admin centers.”
  • Follow up by clicking on “Teams” from the left-hand menu.
  • In the dropdown, click on “Teams settings.”
  • Scroll down until you find “Search by name.”
  • Ensure that the toggle for “Scope directory search using an Exchange address book policy” is set to off.
  • Finally, click on “Save.”

You will have now been able to set scope restrictions with the process illustrated above. Once the process is completed, you are advised to wait approximately 30 minutes for the changes across the user base. Once the 30 minutes are complete, you will be able to proceed by going onto Microsoft Teams and then searching for public Teams within the program. The process will remove the restrictions placed on searches you make within the program. A directory scope imposes restrictions on search abilities members within your organization have; when those restrictions are lifted, you can search for public teams.

In-depth step by step guide [with screenshots] – How to edit “Teams settings” to resolve the issue of not being able to see public teams

If you require more assistance on the steps illustrated above, have a look at our in-depth guide below on how you can edit “Teams settings” to resolve the issue of not being able to see public teams. The guide includes images to give you a better understanding of the process outlined above and context on some of the complex steps. If you come across a section of the process where the steps are not easy to follow, and you cant across the UI, you can use the in-depth guide to proceed with navigating through the UI.

  • Firstly, open Office 365 in your browser.
  • Click on the launcher, which is illustrated by nine dots.
  • Now click on “Admin” from the launcher.
  • After that, click on “Teams” under the “Admin centers.”
  • Follow up by clicking on “Teams” from the left-hand menu.
  • In the dropdown, click on “Teams settings.”
  • Scroll down until you find “Search by name.”
  • Ensure that the toggle for “Scope directory search using an Exchange address book policy” is set to off.
  • Finally, click on “Save.”

The in-depth guide shown above should now have given you a better understanding of how to edit “Teams settings” to resolve the issue of not being able to see public teams. The procedure will eliminate the limitations that have been set on the searches you may do within the application. A directory scope limits the search capabilities of members of your organization; once those limitations are relaxed, you can search for public teams.

How to change a private team to a public team in Microsoft Teams

Suppose you have a team set to private in Microsoft Teams, then there is no way for people external to that team to find it. You need to make sure that the team you establish is set to public; otherwise, users will not be able to find it. To check and see whether your team is public or private, simply follow the steps illustrated below. We will also change a private team to a public team in Microsoft Teams.

  • Firstly, open Microsoft Teams.
  • From there, click on “Teams.”
  • Select your team and click on the three dots.
  • Now click on “Manage team.”
  • Click on the three dots next to the team name followed by “edit team.”
  • Under “Privacy,” select the option for “Public.”
  • Finally, click on “Done.”

When those steps have been completed, you will have been able to change a private team to a public team in Microsoft Teams; if your team is set to private, then users will not be able to proceed with finding your team to join.

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read our article on why public teams in Microsoft Teams are not visible to users. The information in this article should help you understand why public teams are not visible to users. We’ve demonstrated concerns you could encounter as an administrator and any inconvenient issues with team privacy settings. If you have any problems, please leave a comment below, and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Saajid Gangat

Saajid Gangat has been a researcher and content writer at Business Tech Planet since 2021. Saajid is a tech-savvy writer with expertise in web and graphic design and has extensive knowledge of Microsoft 365, Adobe, Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and more! You can connect with Saajid on Linkedin.

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