Attach File to MS Teams Chat with External contact

Herschel Salan 41

I am connected with an "External" contact in MS Teams Chat and would like to share a file or graphic. The paperclip attachment is not available. I confirmed the other user is logged in to MS Team.

Both companies using MS Teams enterprise.

73454-missing-paper-clip-for-attachement-ms-teams-chat-w.jpg

Michael Uray 1 Reputation point

2022-01-24T09:01:14.317+00:00

There is also a request for it in the Microsoft feedback portal:
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/6e59eda6-272e-ec11-b6e6-00224827b493
Samantha 6 Reputation points

2022-05-02T04:18:19.193+00:00

Just in case anyone is still looking for this - if you start a new chat, attach a document and THEN add the recipient in the To: field, the attachment will still be there. This has worked in a few scenarios for me anyway which is kinda frustrating. I don't want users to be able to share to external this way as it increases the risk of unmonitored data exfiltration but it's not supposed to work, so there's going to be some mental gymnastics involved in preventing users for using this work around.
Darell Craighead 11 Reputation points

2022-06-22T19:31:32.157+00:00

I would like to add more to this conversation. @Herschel Salan

I collaborate frequently with another Teams organization. From both sides we see each other as "external". I am not able to drop files into chat with the other organization, but users in the other organization CAN drop files into chat. How can that be? I understand the guidance in the article posted as accepted answer, but either there IS a setting somewhere that changes that behavior or the article is incorrect, or something else must be going on here.

Please advise.
Eric S 1 Reputation point

2022-10-31T14:05:53.913+00:00

If it's strictly an image you want to include (haven't tried it with anything else), you can copy the image in File Explorer and then paste it into the Teams chat box.

Accepted answer

Sharon Zhao-MSFT 25,056 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2021-03-03T03:43:55.073+00:00

@Herschel Salan ,

This is by default.

External access user cannot share files. The following image shows what could external users do:

For more details, please refer to this article.

If the response is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.
Sharon Zhao-MSFT 25,056 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2021-03-05T06:37:08.043+00:00

@Herschel Salan
Do you have any further question on this topic?
If the suggestion helps, please be free to mark it as an answer for helping more people.

Herschel Salan 41 Reputation points

2021-03-05T15:25:02.387+00:00

Sharon,
Thank you for your comment. Just to confirm, sharing by files is not available for External Users and it's by Default and can't be changed. Only Guest in Team Channel can access shared files.
Thanks in advance for my follow-up question.
Herschel

Sharon Zhao-MSFT 25,056 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2021-03-08T08:48:48.027+00:00

@Herschel Salan
sharing by files is not available for External Users and it's by Default and can't be changed. Only Guest in Team Channel can access shared files.
That's true.

If you have any further question on this topic, please feel free to drop us a note.
If the suggestion helps, please be free to mark it as an answer for helping more people.

Miroslav Zaťko 11 Reputation points

2022-01-29T13:40:44.283+00:00

Hi all,
any chance to change this strange default setting in future releases?
Or make it configurable at least?

Thank you.
Mirec

Kyle Maulden 25 Reputation points

2023-07-11T21:19:38.3266667+00:00

This shouldn't an accepted answer as the explanation makes no sense.

I can't drag and drop an image I want to share into an external user's chat, or attach it with the paperclip icon. Yet I can copy, then paste that image into the chat and it works! So obviously the ability is THERE, Microsoft just decided to make it difficult. Same with the mobile app. I can't "Share" an image into an external user chat... but I can go into the chat, hit the + icon, select Media, then send the image that way.

So obviously the ability to send this stuff EXISTS, Microsoft has just decided to implement it in a picky, non-sensical manner.
Sign in to comment

1 additional answer

Anonymous

2023-04-21T13:39:08.1766667+00:00

This is hard to believe. Does MS set that rule or do individual organizations? Can it be overridden?
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Martin Petz 30 Reputation points

2023-05-08T08:15:11.6066667+00:00

I have looked far and wide in settings and the MS documentation.

It seems this is a setting that Microsoft has locked for all tenants.

As far as I can see there is no way to open up the second most basic function of a chat client, being sharing a file with anyone.

I can understand, why this is not open by default, larger companies will want to restrict file sharing, but ther needs to be a way to open up sharing with any contact inside or outside the company (for specific users or company wide) in the admin interface.

Yes, you can set up guests and channels but a lot of the time all users want to do is share a doc or snap from a meeting session with someone outside the org. There is no need for channels or guest accounts for this.

As it stands the lack of this option is turning into a security issue. What happens with this setting unavailable is that users are hindered in their productivity. In the end frustrated users will look for ways to solve their problem, ignore corporate policy and default back to e-mail or even worse, personal messenger apps.

MS needs to enable global file transfer via Teams as an option ASAP.

Scott Endersby 5 Reputation points

2023-09-22T00:35:54.51+00:00

Yet you can do this easily on your phone Teams app with the same external users but not the desktop, this is ridiculous beyond belief that it is simply not a admin managed switch to enable or disable for your OWN organization. If your organization does not want it employees to file share thru teams they can very easy hit the switch off. Microsoft could very well just make this the default starting configuration. Put simply this is a Microsoft bug in teams they cant fix or simply don't listen to their customers wishes here. Its time to get this function fixed and available for those that just don't want it but need it to run there business efficiently. We want action NOW.

Kyle Maulden 25 Reputation points

2023-09-22T00:44:10.4833333+00:00

If I've learned one thing in my career in IT, it's that Microsoft doesn't listen to users in the forums what so ever. I think unless you're part of a special very limited focus group, specifically recruited to give feedback, your wants, needs, and opinions just go into a black hole. And these focus groups clearly don't represent the vast user base, because there's so many insanely basic features and issues that Microsoft continues to ignore year after year, like this. Or... when are we getting categories in Outlook mobile again? Another super basic feature that they haven't bothered to implement on mobile for years now?
Sign in to comment