Microsoft tosses Teams Live chat into its feature graveyard

Microsoft is discontinuing Live chat in Teams, a feature that was introduced about 18 months ago, as the company aims to concentrate resources on newer customer engagement and communication solutions. The service will be retired on October 5, with customer messages ceasing to reach Teams thereafter. Microsoft blocked new setups on August 6, urging users to remove the widget from their websites before the retirement.

Any residual instances will be concealed after the retirement date. Live chat was a simple feature included with the Teams versions of Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, and Premium plans. Companies could embed a chat widget on their websites, and messages from visitors would be directed to a support team within Teams. Administrators could set business hours and designate up to 25 users to manage conversations.

Despite the removal of Live chat, existing customer data and Teams channels will remain accessible; however, no new conversations, escalations, or interactions will be feasible.

Microsoft directed customers to Dynamics 365 Contact Center with Live Chat and Copilot Studio's contact center AI tools as alternatives. In March 2025, Microsoft had initially announced the service's arrival, with General Manager of Microsoft 365 & Copilot, Small and Medium Business, Brenna Robinson, expressing excitement about enhancing customer experiences through the introduction of live chat in Microsoft Teams.

However, Robinson is now Microsoft's General Manager for AI Business Solutions. Live chat has been relegated to Microsoft's warehouse, where it joins other discontinued Teams features, reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark's Ark of the Covenant. Microsoft has eliminated several Teams services in recent months. In February, the company announced the end of Teams live events, which were replaced by a Teams events experience.

Additionally, the Teams Together mode, which created a virtual meeting space for users, was also discontinued. Live chat is another casualty of Microsoft's efforts to declutter and streamline Teams' feature-rich environment. The company has not disclosed details about the newer customer engagement and communication solutions it intends to offer, although its recommendation of Copilot Studio suggests that AI is already in the pipeline.