Microsoft is rolling out a new chats and channels experience for education users, allowing customizable views that combine chats, teams, and channels. Features include favorites, filters, @mention aggregation, and quick navigation, enhancing collaboration and focus in Teams starting June 2025. Unique :

Microsoft Teams Rolls Out New Chat and Channels Experience for Education
Microsoft is shaking up the way education customers use Teams with a fresh chat and channels experience. The update offers more flexibility and smarter organization, aiming to boost productivity for teachers and students alike.
What’s New?
First off, the new experience won’t automatically replace your current Teams and Chat apps. Users can opt-in if they want to try the combined view. This means you can keep your usual setup or switch to a unified Chat and Teams experience inside the Chat app.
On Windows, Mac, and Web, message previews are off by default to keep things clean. But you can easily turn them on in settings if you prefer.
Major Updates to Chat and Channels
The combined Chat view arranges your conversations in a smart order: Favorites, Chats sorted by recent activity, and Teams with channels matching your Teams view. Plus, you can create custom sections to organize chats by projects or topics, mixing individual, group, and meeting chats.
For mobile users on iOS and Android, the update merges Favorites, Chats, Teams, and Channels into one streamlined list.
New filters let you quickly focus on unread messages, chats, channels, or meetings. These filters stay active until you turn them off, helping you stay on top of what matters.
Handy Features to Speed Up Workflow
Microsoft added a new @mention view that collects all your personal @mentions across chats, channels, and meetings in one place. This makes catching up on important mentions much easier.
Also, a keyboard shortcut /go (Ctrl+G on Windows, Cmd+G on Mac) lets you jump to frequently used conversations instantly.
When Can You Get It?
This new experience is rolling out to education customers starting June 2025. It’s a welcome upgrade for anyone using Teams in schools.
“Users can tailor their chat and channels experience in Teams Settings.”
“The new @mention view gathers all personal @mentions into one interactive list.”
Why It Matters
For educators and students juggling multiple conversations, this update means less clutter and smarter navigation. The ability to customize views and filter messages ensures you spend less time hunting for info and more time collaborating.
Overall, Microsoft is making Teams more intuitive and user-friendly for education, helping everyone stay connected and organized in a fast-paced learning environment.
From the New blog articles in Microsoft Community Hub