Let’s face it, sometimes the need arises to transfer your entire Teams chat history from one tenant to another. Maybe you are merging two organizations, or perhaps you are simply switching to a new tenant.

Moreover, corruption problems, lack of frequent updates, accidental deletion, etc. can be one of the many reasons for migration from Teams. So, you are all clear and set now to migrate Teams chat to new tenants.

Sounds like a simple plan but at present times, Microsoft has not come up with any kind of manual method for users to migrate Teams chat from one tenant to another. They might come in the near future, but we need to live in the present. What do we do now?

Do not be perplexed as we are here with a top-quality professional Microsoft Teams Migration tool.  We will help you out with the easy steps of chat migration within Teams along with an outlook into the features of the tool.

Challenges in migrating MS Teams data to a new tenant

Microsoft Teams, unlike other Microsoft 365 applications, employs a complex data storage mechanism. This, coupled with API limitations and the potential for data loss, significantly complicates the migration process. Moreover, the complex security and privacy settings of Microsoft Teams can hinder manual data extraction for transfer to a new tenant.

Challenges to know:

• Multilocation storage: Teams data is dispersed across various locations and formats:
  • Channel chats: Stored in hidden Exchange mailboxes for compliance.
  • Channel files: Stored in SharePoint sites and document libraries.
  • Channel emails: Saved in the ‘Email messages’ folder within the channel document library.
  • 1:1 and group chat messages: Located in a hidden user mailbox folder accessible only through eDiscovery.
  • Images: Stored in Azure AD’s media store.
  • 1:1 chat files: Saved in OneDrive for Business.
• API limitations: Teams APIs, especially for channel chat data retrieval, have limitations that can lead to data loss during manual migration.
• Data integrity: Converting dynamic groups to static groups during migration can disrupt the file and folder structure, and even compromise data integrity.
• Data loss risk: Migrating Teams settings to a new tenant can result in the loss of settings at the destination. Also, third-party integrated apps and tabs may not be transferable due to connector-based integration.

These challenges show the complexities involved in migrating MS Teams data and highlight the need for specialized tools or approaches for a smooth and loss-free transition.

Other considerations:

• Retention policies: Teams retention policies can impact data availability and migration. You must know how to manage these retention policies.
• Permissions and access: Proper permissions and access rights for migrated data is quite vital to maintain security and functionality.
• Third-party integrations: Carefully assess the impact of third-party integrations and plan for their migration or replacement.
• Testing and validation: Thoroughly test the migration process to identify and address potential issues before the final migration.

No need to worry with these challenges, the recommended automated Microsoft Teams Migration tool will help to counter any issues that you face with its advanced features.

Automated resolution with Microsoft Teams Migration tool

Here are the steps given below to utilize the Kernel Teams Migration tool to migrate teams chat from one tenant to another.

1. Access Kernel Teams Migration tool. With a right-click on Microsoft Teams within the Source section, click on Add Teams.
   
2. Within Basic Authentication, you need to fill-in the Global Admin user ID & password for the Teams source account.
3. Be patient and let it retrieve the data.
4. Choose the option ‘Basic Authentication’ again as it comes up.
5. You need to follow the same process [as done above] to Add Teams within the Destination section.
6. It will take some time to analyze the data and retrieve it from the Destination Teams account.
7. Opt for the option ‘Basic Authentication’ again.
   
8. Your Source and Destination Teams account will be added now [shown below]. Right-click on the added account [source account] and tap on Copy.
9. From the Destination section, right-click on the Destination Teams account added and tap on Paste.
10. You will see a mapping page for source and destination. For Group chats or your 1:1 chats, you can check mark the option. Click on Start Migration.
    
11. After the successful migration process, you will get the migration summary and you can even save it as a CSV file.

Features of the tool

After going through the steps to migrate teams chat to new tenants, we will make you better equipped with the quality features of the tool.

• Migrate all items from Teams: You can not only migrate Teams chats but also shared files, channels, etc. Get migration of permissions, metadata, message status and other properties.
• Secure and easy connection with Teams: Get a secure connection established with your Teams account since the Azure Portal provides all the credentials.
• Migration reports available: post-migration, you get detailed migration reports, save as a CSV file, and keep track of your migration status.
• Full support for Office 365 plans: The tool is compatible with all Microsoft 365 enterprise and business versions with no plan-based restrictions.
• Personal chat migration features: Not only full Teams chats but you can also opt for 1:1 personal chat migration within the tool.
• Incremental migration: A special part of this Teams Migration tool, incremental migration. You can skip items that have already been migrated and get away from migration of duplicate items.

For hands-on experience of the tool, you must try out the trial version for free.

Final say

To migrate teams chat from one tenant to another, the Kernel Teams Migration tool is the best alternative for you. With no manual methods present as of now, the automated utility becomes the reliable choice with no possibility of human errors.

Our guidance with detailed steps will help you get through your chats migration with ease. Not only chats but you can migrate all Teams data in one go and make the most out of this tool. For more info. on the tool, put your demo request now and get this top Teams migration tool.

FAQs

Q1. Can you download a Microsoft teams chat?
Ans- Microsoft Teams provides a built-in feature to export chat history and media files. To download this data, go to the “Export” page on your Microsoft account. From there, you can select the specific Teams chat you want to export and choose whether to include only text or both text and media files. Once selected, start the export process, and wait for the download to complete.

Q2. Does Teams save all chats?
Ans- Microsoft Teams employs a default retention policy that helps to protect your chat messages, channel conversations, and files. This means that all content shared within Teams is generally stored permanently unless specific retention rules or policies are applied. While Teams automatically saves data, users can also manually export or download specific content for their own records or storage.

Q3. Can you export members of a Teams chat?
Ans- To export the members of a Teams chat,

• Go to the Settings menu and select “Privacy.”
• From there, click on “Manage contacts.”
• In the Manage contacts window, locate the specific chat, and click on the three dots (…) next to it. Select “Export contacts” and choose a desired location to save the exported file.
• Finally, click “Save” to initiate the export process. Note that this method exports the contacts associated with the chat, not the chat history itself.

Q4. Are Teams chats saved forever?
Ans- Microsoft Teams employs a default retention policy that stipulates a 30-day retention period for chat messages. After this period expires, the messages are typically deleted within 1-7 days. It is crucial to note that deleted messages cannot be recovered using eDiscovery searches. However, specific retention policies can be configured to extend the retention period or indefinitely retain certain types of data.

Q5. Is there a way to copy a Teams chat?
Ans- To copy a Teams chat, click within the chat window (outside of the text box) and press Ctrl + A to select the entire conversation. Then, press Ctrl + C to copy the selected text. You can paste this copied content into a Word document or other text editor. But there may be limitations to how far back in the chat history you can copy using this method.