Does Teams chat history move to Google Chat?
No, not directly. Teams chat history does not map into Google Chat, so plan on starting fresh in Chat and handling the old history separately.
Decide what history you actually need. For most teams the answer is less than they think. Important decisions and reference material belong in documents, not in a chat thread. Before switchover, ask each team to move anything they still rely on into a Doc or a shared drive. If you have retention or legal duties for chat records, work out how you will export or keep them in Microsoft 365 before you cancel. Your compliance officer or counsel can confirm what you must keep and for how long.
How do Teams channels map to Google Chat?
Teams channels map to spaces in Google Chat. A space is a shared room for a team, project, or topic, where members post messages, reply in threads, and share files. One-to-one and small group chats in Teams become direct messages and group conversations in Chat.
Do not copy every Teams channel across. Many organizations have channels nobody has posted in for months. Use the move to keep the active ones and retire the rest. Set up the main spaces before switchover, name them clearly, and add the right people so the first morning in Google Workspace feels organized.
Files posted in Teams channels are stored in SharePoint, and files in private chats are stored in OneDrive. They move with your file migration, which is covered in SharePoint to Google shared drives.
How do Teams meetings move to Google Meet?
Meetings move to Google Meet, which is built into Google Calendar. Any event can get a Meet link, and guests join from a browser without installing anything.
Meetings created in Outlook with a Teams link keep that Teams link after the calendar migrates. For recurring meetings you plan to keep, have the organizer recreate them in Google Calendar so they carry a Meet link. Do this in the first week, before people start missing calls.
Meet size and recording depend on your edition:
| Edition | Meet participants | Recording |
|---|---|---|
| Business Starter | 100 | Not included |
| Business Standard | 150 | Included |
| Business Plus | 500 | Included |
If your team relies on recordings, Business Starter will feel limited. Our guide to Google Meet for Microsoft Teams users covers the meeting controls people will look for.
What about Teams Phone and outside guests?
If you use Teams Phone for calling, plan that separately. Google Voice is the Google option for business phone numbers, and it is sold as an add-on to Google Workspace rather than included in the Business editions. Compare it with your current phone setup before you cancel anything.
Outside guests can join Meet calls from a link. Google Chat can include people outside your organization if your admin allows it. Review those settings during setup so partners and clients are not blocked on day one.
How do you get people to actually use Google Chat?
People adopt Chat when their leaders use it from the first day. Ask managers to post in the new spaces, pin key documents, and answer questions there instead of in email.
Keep the first week simple. Show people how to find spaces, start a direct message, reply in a thread, and set notifications. Our change management guide covers how to bring reluctant teams along. For the full project, start with the Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migration guide.
Next step
We help you plan Chat spaces, Meet, and Teams history as part of a managed move. See our Microsoft 365 migration service.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Meet and Microsoft Teams users meet together?
Yes. Anyone can join a Google Meet call from a link in a browser, including people who use Teams at their own company. Your team can also join Teams meetings hosted by partners from a browser. Neither side needs the other's account.
Do apps and bots from Teams work in Google Chat?
Teams apps do not move across. Google Chat has its own apps, and many common business tools offer a Chat app. List the Teams apps your team depends on during discovery and check whether each vendor supports Google Chat or another workflow.
