Rename group chat in Teams

Occasional Contributor


2017-11-05 17_23_32-Microsoft Edge.pngI noticed that renaming a group chat is possible in the browser experience of Microsoft Teams but not from the desktop app. Do you also experience that renaming a group chat is not possible in the desktop app?

Clicking on the arrow in the right corner doesn't do a thing while in the browser it opens a menu to change the name.

11 Replies
best response confirmed by Janneke Spiekerman (Occasional Contributor)

I've been able to rename a group chat in the desktop client.
If you look at the top of the group chat where the names are listed (eg. Michael, Kate, etc.) there is a pen icon. Click that and you can give the group chat a name.

Hi @Loryan Strant thanks for the feedback and look into the desktop client! 

Found out the order of naming a group / renaming is different.
Online you can already name a group chat before sending the first message.
And on the desktop client it is only possible after the first real chat is send. Then the pen icon appears like you mentioned to give the chat a name. 

You can also rename the team (display name) with PowerShell... Set-UnifiedGroup -Id TeamName -DisplayName "Whatever you Like"

Just for anyone looking for a solution to renaming a meetings that originated from an appointment with "Microsoft Teams Meeting" as Location (lik I was): Chaning the email's subject did the trick. It was necessary to send out updated invitations the the participants, otherwise Teams wouldn't notice.



@Janneke Spiekerman,

Is there a way to remove the group name once changed (i.e. go back to names of the participants)? I didn't see a way to do that.

@Jayson_E  Just edit the group chat name and insert the names of the participants. There isn't a way for Teams to do this for you.



I could manage renaming only through this workaround you suggested. However, email updates got shot out to all participants for a meeting had in the past!


Although I'd given it a decent title earlier also, Teams listed it under Chats with the title "(no name)", which was ridiculous and I kept wondering where the chat and its recording all went. 


I still don't get it though, why Teams listed my decently created Outlook invite for a Teams Meeting with title and all with an unbecoming own title "(no name)". Beats me. 





@Loryan Strant  I don't have the pin next to the names.  I have tried this in Chrome and Internet Exployer, in the windows application and using the internet application.


I have seen what it is supposed to look on the Internet but I don't have it.

Who can resolve this for me?




If you your chat created from a meeting, have you tried this:

  • open the meeting in the calendar app on Teams
  • if it is recurring, select the view series link (I'm on a Mac so hopefully the same on your system)
  • make the required changes
  • Note that the Join button on the top right has changed to the Send update - Press that
  • As stated in other posts, a email will be sent to attendees but that means they get the updated title too

Hope that helps.

@Team_User_from_Prov_AK try to send your first message in the group, then you will have the pin. Otherwise, without a message, you are no able to rename the group chat or see the pin.

Hi, I had sent the invite to myself. Once I did, the name showed up.