I cant see the teams channels i want to join

Question

I cant see the teams channels i want to join

Malin Solvang Karlsen 0

I have a issue with joining a teams channel.

When clicking join a team i can search for the team i want to join and find it, but everyone else can see the team they want to join to the right and just click join. It seems that many have the same issue, some see some of the channels, some see none, and some see all. (makes no sense)

I have troubleshooted:

i Have checked and it is the same for the app as in the browser. so clearing cache wont help.
Have checked what i can at teams admin senter but dont have full access to see everything.
Have looked at Entra to see if the groups i can see looks different from the ones some can see. Cant see any issue there.
Not sure why but my account had same problem but all of a sudden i can see all teams channels. but other users still have same problem that they cant se any groups but not all. Does not seem to make any sense why many accounts see different things. Does not seem to be a problem with the groups or the accounts. So this might just be a bug from microsoft?
Tried searching the internett for answers but they all seem to lead to the issue about not being able to find teams that they already have joined because of a update microsoft did (settings about chats and channels combined and separate viewing) (have also tried this but it is not the same issue so did not fix my issue)
Not much information about this exact problem. Also tired Microsoft official site to see if i could get any support there but seems to be difficult to find any information about this specific problem

2 answers

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Answer 1

Henry-N 9,010 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Malin Solvang Karlsen,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand that you and other users are experiencing different views of teams in Microsoft Teams. To better understand your scenario and provide accurate guidance, I would like to ask a few questions to help narrow down the issue.

May I ask are you an end user or an admin of the organization?
In Microsoft Teams, what is your Chat and Channels setting Combined or Separate?
If possible, could you please share a screenshot showing how Chat and Channels appear on your side, and how they appear on the other user’s side? (Feel free to mask or hide any sensitive information.)
Does it look similar to the first image below (combined view)?
Or is it separated into two sections, like in the second image?
Are all users members of all the same teams, or are some users only members of certain teams?
Are the teams experiencing the issue Public or Private?

If I’ve misunderstood anything, please feel free to correct me. I want to make sure I fully understand your situation so I can provide the best support.

Thank you again for your time and understanding. While this initial response may not resolve the issue immediately, gathering these details will help me assist you more effectively. I appreciate your patience and look forward to your response.

Wishing you and your family a prosperous New Year.     

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Malin Solvang Karlsen 0 Reputation points

2026-01-16T10:46:33.7666667+00:00

I am a semi admin, i have access to most systems but not everything.

It is under separate setting. But this is not the issue.

The issue is when u want to join a team.

They can search for teams but most of them cant see anything to the right. they dont see them automatically. i can see all of them and just press join team. Much better way to see all the possible teams/channels you can join instead of having to search for them all the time.

The weird thing is that it is different for many user. some see all teams, some see a few, and some user cant see any teams / icons to the right
Henry-N 9,010 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-16T15:16:14.2233333+00:00
Hi @Malin Solvang Karlsen,

Thank you for the clarification and the screenshots that helps a lot.

Based on what you described, I would like to check one specific point that could explain the difference in what users are seeing when they go to Join a team.

On your account, where you can see many teams listed on the right side without searching, could you please verify whether those teams are ones where you are already a member (or have previously been a member)?

For the other users who do not see those teams listed automatically, could you check whether:

They are already members of those same teams, or

They have never been added as members to those teams before

In Microsoft Teams, the “Suggested / visible teams” list can behave differently depending on:

Whether the user is already a member of the team

Whether the team is public and discoverable

The user’s previous interaction or membership history with that team

This information will help determine whether the behavior is related to membership state and discovery logic, rather than an account or tenant wide issue.

Thank you again for your cooperation. I appreciate your patience, and I’m here to help.
Malin Solvang Karlsen 0 Reputation points

2026-01-19T10:50:22.5733333+00:00

In my list i can see all channels. mainly the ones i am not a member of so that i can join if i want to.

The users who cannot see the list they are not a member of the channel/group they want to see. They have not previously been a member of these groups. And i have checked user account for those who can see the list and the ones who dont, and they all seem alike, so i dont think the issue is with the user account.

All out teams channels are public and the user should be able to discover them. (again they can search for them and find them and join, but then dont automatically appear on the list.
Henry-N 9,010 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-19T14:54:47.0466667+00:00

Hi @Malin Solvang Karlsen,

Thank you for the update and for taking the time to look into this, much appreciated.

To resolve this, Microsoft’s support team will need to step in. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.

The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.   

If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.  

Thank you again for your time and understanding. Looking forward to your response.

Answer 2

It sounds like you are experiencing issues with visibility of Teams channels, which can be related to several factors. Here are some potential reasons and solutions:

Account Permissions: If some users can see certain channels while others cannot, it may be due to permissions set by the Teams administrator. Ensure that the admin has properly configured the access rights for the channels and that your account has the necessary permissions.
Guest Access Settings: If users are external guests, the organization’s settings for guest access may prevent them from seeing certain channels. The Teams administrator should check the Guest Access settings in the Teams Admin Center to ensure they are correctly configured.
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): Sometimes, issues with Azure AD provisioning can cause discrepancies in team visibility. If your account was recently re-enabled or added, it may take some time for the changes to propagate. Users might need to wait 24 to 48 hours for their memberships to be restored automatically.
Teams Cache: Although you've mentioned that clearing the cache did not help, it's worth noting that Teams sometimes caches data that may not update correctly. Users can try signing out and signing back in to refresh their session.
Private Channels: If the channels in question are private, users need to be explicitly invited to those channels. Ensure that the users who cannot see the channels have been invited.
Technical Issues: There may be temporary bugs or issues with Microsoft Teams itself. Keeping the app updated and checking for any known issues on Microsoft’s support pages can also help.

If the problem persists, it may be beneficial to contact your IT administrator for further assistance, as they have access to the necessary settings and logs to diagnose the issue more effectively.

References:

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I cant see the teams channels i want to join

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