How to Use Teams Policies for App Inclusion, Private Channel Control, and Early Access
Managing Microsoft Teams in a large organization means keeping experiences consistent, security tight, and new features tested safely. With a Microsoft 365 E5 subscription, you have three key policy types to handle these needs: App setup policies, Teams policies, and Update policies. Here’s how to tackle each requirement step by step.
1. Automatically Include Wiki and Planner in New Teams
When every team starts with the same core apps, users get a consistent workspace right away. To pin Wiki and Planner apps to the left sidebar for all new teams:
- Open the Teams admin center.
- Go to Teams apps > Setup policies.
- Click Add to create a custom policy.
- Under Pinned apps, add Wiki and Planner.
- Set this policy as the Global (Org-wide default) or assign it to specific groups.
Now, every time someone creates a team, Wiki and Planner appear automatically in their app bar.
2. Stop Specific Groups from Creating Private Channels
Private channels are great for sensitive discussions, but not every user should create them. To block private channel creation for certain groups:
- In the Teams admin center, navigate to Teams > Teams policies.
- Click Add to make a new policy.
- Under Private channel creation, switch it Off.
- Save the policy and assign it to the security groups that need the restriction.
Members of those groups will no longer see the option to create private channels in any team.
3. Give IT Early Access to New Teams Features
Letting your IT team preview unreleased features helps you catch issues before rolling them out company-wide. Use an update policy:
- In the Teams admin center, go to Teams apps > Update policies.
- Click Add, name the policy (for example, “IT Preview”).
- Under Show preview features, turn it On.
- Assign this policy to your IT security group only.
Now, IT users get new Teams features as soon as they’re available in preview, while everyone else stays on the standard release.
Putting It All Together
| Requirement | Policy Type | Key Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Include Wiki & Planner in every new team | App setup policy | Pin Wiki, Planner to app bar |
| Prevent groups from creating private channels | Teams policy | Private channel creation: Off |
| Allow IT to test preview features only | Update policy | Show preview features: On |
Final Thoughts
Using these three policy types gives you precise control over Teams across your organization. App setup policies enforce consistency, Teams policies boost security, and Update policies let you test before you deploy. Together, they ensure a stable, secure, and well-governed Teams environment.
