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Monday, August 18, 2025

what's the difference between Teams guest access and external access ?

 Great question! Here's a clear breakdown of the difference between Guest Access and External Access in Microsoft Teams:


🔹 Guest Access

  • Purpose: Enables collaboration with people outside your organization by adding them as guests to your Teams environment.
  • What guests can do:
    • Join Teams and channels.
    • Access shared files and folders.
    • Participate in chats and meetings.
  • Identity requirement: Guests must have a Microsoft account or a work/school account (Azure AD).
  • Use case: Ideal for long-term collaboration with external partners, vendors, or contractors.

🔹 External Access

  • Purpose: Enables communication with users in other organizations using Teams, Skype for Business, or Skype.
  • What external users can do:
    • Join Teams meetings.
    • Chat and call with your users (if allowed).
  • Identity requirement: External users remain in their own organization's Teams environment.
  • Use case: Best for quick interactions like meetings or chats without needing access to Teams resources.

🧠 Summary Table

FeatureGuest AccessExternal Access
Collaboration✅ Yes (Teams, channels, files)❌ No (only meetings/chats)
Communication✅ Yes✅ Yes
IdentityAdded to your org as a guestStays in their own org
Use CaseLong-term collaborationShort-term communication

Copilot ....s answer


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