Stop Microsoft Teams Recordings From Deleting After 120 Days
Question details
The user needs to prevent Microsoft Teams recordings from being automatically deleted after 120 days, especially when manual expiration removal is being overridden.
- Product
- Microsoft Teams
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Administrators or users are trying to retain important Teams meeting recordings long-term without having them automatically purged.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Teams recordings are automatically deleted after 120 days due to organizational retention policies overriding individual expiration settings.
You will need Microsoft 365 global administrator or compliance administrator permissions to review and adjust organization-wide Purview retention policies.
Review and Update Microsoft Purview Retention Policies
Organization-wide retention policies in Microsoft Purview often override individual Teams meeting expiration settings. Modifying these policies is the most effective way to prevent automatic deletion.
Even if a user manually removes the expiration date on a recording file in OneDrive or SharePoint, a backend Microsoft Purview retention policy can still force the deletion. Administrators must exclude recording locations or extend the retention period.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center and navigate to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
On the left sidebar, click on 'Data lifecycle management', select 'Microsoft 365', and then click on the 'Retention policies' tab.
Look for active policies targeting 'SharePoint sites' or 'OneDrive accounts', as these are the storage locations for channel and standard meeting recordings.
Edit the conflicting policy to either extend the retention duration beyond 120 days or add specific OneDrive/SharePoint recording folders to the policy's exclusion list.
Modify Default Teams Meeting Policy Expiration
If Microsoft Purview retention policies are not the cause, check the default Teams meeting policy which automatically sets recordings to expire after 120 days.
Use Power Automate to Relocate Recordings
If strict compliance rules cannot be altered, creating a Power Automate flow to move recordings to an unaffected long-term SharePoint library can bypass the deletion.
Take and Manage Better Meeting Notes with WPS Office
While you resolve your Microsoft Teams recording retention policies, consider utilizing WPS Office to securely document and store your meeting minutes. WPS Office is a robust, lightweight suite that handles Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents flawlessly.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions to complete the setup in minutes.
- 3. Start Documenting: Open WPS Writer to seamlessly draft, edit, and save your Teams meeting minutes in standard formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Microsoft Teams recordings actually stored?
If it is a standard meeting, the recording is saved in the 'Recordings' folder of the OneDrive account belonging to the person who started the recording. If it is a channel meeting, it is saved in the 'Recordings' folder of the corresponding Teams channel's SharePoint site.
Can individual users stop a recording from expiring?
Yes, if organizational policies permit it. A user can locate the recording in their OneDrive or SharePoint, open the 'Details' pane, click on the expiration date, and select 'Remove expiration'. However, backend Microsoft Purview retention policies can still override this manual action.
Does the 120-day expiration apply retroactively to old recordings?
No. When Microsoft introduced the 120-day default expiration policy, it applied only to newly created Teams meeting recordings moving forward. Older recordings were not assigned an expiration date by this specific default policy.
