Microsoft Teams has become a central hub for communication and collaboration in many workplaces, enabling team members to share files seamlessly in channels and private chats. However, files can sometimes be accidentally deleted or lost, creating frustration and potential workflow disruptions. Whether it’s an important report, presentation, or shared document, recovering a deleted file from Teams is crucial.
1. Where Files Are Stored in Teams
Before diving into recovery methods, it’s important to understand how Teams manages files:
Channel Files: Files shared in a Teams channel are stored in a SharePoint site tied to that team.
Private Chat Files: Files shared in one-on-one or group chats are saved in the sender’s OneDrive for Business, inside a folder named Microsoft Teams Chat Files.
Knowing this distinction is essential because Teams itself doesn’t directly store files; it integrates with SharePoint and OneDrive for file management. So recovering a deleted file often means interacting with these services.
2. Recovering Deleted Files Using Teams’ Built-in Interface
2.1 Check the “Files” Tab in Teams
Go to the relevant channel or chat.
Click the Files tab at the top.
Look for the file you want to recover. Sometimes, deleted files are not permanently erased immediately.
2.2 Recover Files from the Recycle Bin (Within SharePoint or OneDrive)
Since channel files are stored on SharePoint and chat files on OneDrive, each has a Recycle Bin:
For channel files:
Open the Files tab in the channel.
Click Open in SharePoint (usually near the top-right corner).
In SharePoint, click on the Recycle Bin in the left sidebar.
Find your deleted file, select it, and click Restore.
For chat files:
Go to your OneDrive for Business (https://onedrive.live.com/).
Click on Recycle Bin on the left panel.
Locate the deleted file and select Restore.
Recycle Bin items remain for 93 days before permanent deletion, so acting quickly increases recovery chances.
3. Using SharePoint to Recover Deleted Files from Channels
When you delete a file from a Teams channel, it is actually deleted from the team’s SharePoint document library.
3.1 Access SharePoint Document Library
Go to Teams channel.
Click Files tab.
Click Open in SharePoint.
3.2 Use the Recycle Bin
Follow the steps in section 2.2 to restore the file.
3.3 Second-Stage Recycle Bin
If the file is not in the first-stage Recycle Bin, check the second-stage (Site Collection) Recycle Bin:
At the bottom of the Recycle Bin page in SharePoint, click Second-stage recycle bin.
Locate and restore the file if found.
4. Retrieving Deleted Chat Files from OneDrive
Files shared in chats are saved in the sender’s OneDrive.
4.1 Access OneDrive
Log in to your Office 365 account.
Navigate to OneDrive.
4.2 Recover from OneDrive Recycle Bin
Check the Recycle Bin in OneDrive and restore files as described above.
5. Recovering Files Using the Microsoft Teams Admin Center
If you are a Teams or Microsoft 365 administrator, you have additional tools:
5.1 Use Compliance Center for eDiscovery
Microsoft 365 Compliance Center includes eDiscovery tools that can locate deleted files:
Go to Microsoft 365 Compliance Center.
Use Content Search or eDiscovery to search for files.
Export recovered files.
5.2 Restore Deleted Teams Channels
Sometimes, files are lost because an entire channel was deleted.
In the Teams Admin Center, you can restore deleted teams and channels within 30 days.
Restoring the channel also restores associated SharePoint files.
6. Using Version History to Recover Previous Versions of Files
Even if the file itself isn’t deleted, you may want to recover a previous version.
Go to the file location in SharePoint or OneDrive.
Right-click the file and select Version History.
Select the version you want to restore.
This is useful if the file was overwritten or corrupted.
7. What to Do If Files Are Permanently Deleted
If files are not in the Recycle Bin and no backup is available, consider these options:
7.1 Check Backups
Many organizations use third-party backup tools for Office 365 data.
Contact your IT department about backups.
7.2 Use Professional Data Recovery Services
For critical data, professional recovery companies can sometimes retrieve deleted files from SharePoint or OneDrive backups.
8. Best Practices to Prevent Future File Loss
Educate users about file management and recovery options.
Enable versioning on SharePoint libraries.
Use third-party backup solutions for Teams data.
Set retention policies in Microsoft 365.
Regularly monitor file sharing and deletions.
Losing a file in Microsoft Teams can be frustrating, but due to its integration with SharePoint and OneDrive, there are many ways to retrieve deleted files. Acting quickly by checking Teams’ Files tab, using SharePoint and OneDrive Recycle Bins, or involving your Microsoft 365 administrator, you can often restore important documents easily.
Building a robust backup and recovery strategy along with user education will minimize the risk of data loss in the future. Teams is a powerful tool, and understanding its file storage mechanisms empowers you to keep your collaboration safe and productive.
