How are Teams files (logs, history, files, etc.) are stored?

I'm no Microsoft Teams expert, but I've been assigned to provide an understanding on what is stored by Teams (O365), and how they are stored. (What, where, accessible by whom, etc.)

• Is there a Microsoft documentation on that? I couldn't find any, but I may have missed something. Are there many controls given to a company on how they can manage them?

I tried to enumerate the kind of files Teams could store:

• Conversation's history (one-to-one, meetings, team channels)
• Conversation's attached files and pictures (one-to-one, meetings, team channels)
• Meetings recording
• Calendar
• Logs?

I believe anything related to Teams channels is stored on the associated Sharepoint. Calendar is probably a sync with the Outlook calendar.

Perhaps the rest is stored on client's computer and their Drive? I couldn't find anything.

4 Answers

Chat files and conversations are stored in Teams Cloud Storage(users OneDrive).

Team channel conversations are stored in azure and copied to the same folder on the attached group mailbox (hidden) similar to chats.

Files in chats get saved to the uploaders or chat starter's MIcrosoft Teams Chat Files (Upload) or inplace share from OneDrive.

Files in Teams are stored in default documents library in attached SharePoint site.

More information:

Location of data in Microsoft Teams

Recently I had the same problem. You can't extract/export or even share a MicrosoftTeams Chat History.

For what I recall, a network administrator might be able to export "group" chats. Please note that these group chats are not the same as conversations with multiple people.I had to copy-paste entire multiple conversations, in order to share those conversations with my superior, and even while copy-pasting, I found out that I'm limited on the number of messages I can copy. I could only copy like 10 messages at a time.

I came across some Microsoft forums and some blogs which might be handy for you:

Recently, I came across this blog. This might help you.

• Teams chat storage location - Exchange Online

• Microsoft Teams files storage location (Shared by an individual user) - OneDrive for Business

• Microsoft Teams files storage location (Files shared in a channel) - SharePoint Online

• Microsoft Teams recording storage location (Recorded meetings) - Microsoft Stream

Teams stores files at different locations. You can refer this articles for details.