Permission & Access Issues

How to Restrict Folder Access in Microsoft Teams for Group Members

WPS Editor Oct 12, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to restrict access to specific folders within a Microsoft Teams group so that not all team members can view or edit the contents.

How to Restrict Folder Access in Microsoft Teams for Group Members

Product: Microsoft Teams
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing document security and privacy within a shared Microsoft Teams workspace.
Observed behavior: By default, all members of a Microsoft Teams group inherit access to all folders and content within the team workspace.

Before you start

Ensure you have owner or admin permissions for the Microsoft Team or the underlying SharePoint site before attempting to modify folder access rights.

Solution 1Recommended

Stop Inheriting Permissions via SharePoint

Break the default permission inheritance from the parent team to customize exactly who can access a specific folder.

Microsoft Teams files are stored in SharePoint. To restrict access to a specific folder while keeping users in the Team, you must change the underlying SharePoint permissions.

Open the folder in Teams

Navigate to the Files tab in your Teams channel, locate the relevant folder, click the three dots (More options), and select 'Open in SharePoint'.

Access advanced permission settings

In SharePoint, select the folder, click on the 'i' (Details) icon in the top right corner, click 'Manage access', and then choose 'Advanced' at the bottom of the panel.

Stop inheriting permissions

In the advanced settings ribbon, click the 'Stop Inheriting Permissions' button. This breaks the link between the parent site and this folder.

Remove unwanted users

Select the checkboxes next to the users or groups that should not have access to this folder, then click 'Remove User Permissions'.

Grant access to specific members

Click 'Grant Permissions' to specifically add back only the team members who should retain viewing or editing rights to the folder.

Stop Inheriting Permissions via SharePoint

Important Note: Be careful when changing SharePoint permissions. Removing inherited permissions affects access for multiple users and requires you to manually manage future access requests for that folder.

Solution 2

Create a Private Channel

Instead of manually adjusting folder permissions, create a private channel where only invited members can access the files.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I restrict access to a single file instead of a whole folder in Teams?

Yes, you can use the exact same 'Manage access' and 'Stop Inheriting Permissions' method via SharePoint on individual files rather than entire folders.

What happens to folder access if I add a new member to the Team later?

If a folder has stopped inheriting permissions, new Team members will not automatically get access to it. You will need to manually go into the folder's advanced permission settings and grant them access.

Can a team member with restricted access still see the folder name in Teams?

It depends on how permissions are stripped. If you completely remove all access for a user or group in the SharePoint advanced settings, the folder will be hidden from their view entirely.

How do I revert a restricted folder back to default Team permissions?

Go back to the 'Advanced' permissions page for the folder in SharePoint and click 'Delete unique permissions' in the top ribbon. This will restore the default permission inheritance from the parent Team.

Document & File Issues