How to Update Your Connected Service Settings in Microsoft Teams
Connected service settings in Microsoft Teams control optional cloud features like web link previews, GIPHY GIF suggestions, and OneDrive file recommendations in your chats. Turning off these features stops Teams from sharing your data across cloud services and helps cut down on chat distractions while keeping the app fully working.
You can turn off these optional features on Windows at any time in the app settings if you want more privacy or a quieter workspace.
Click your profile picture in the top-right corner of Teams, select Settings, then go to Privacy. Toggle “Optional Connected Experiences” off to disable features like link previews and GIFs. This reduces reliance on cloud services but may disable some helpful functions.
Step 1Open Your Teams Settings
Microsoft Teams settings are located by clicking your profile picture in the top-right corner of the app window and selecting Settings from the menu. This opens the control panel where you can manage teams connected services, privacy preferences, and app notifications. Once the settings window pops up, you can easily navigate between different tabs to control how your account behaves.
Here’s how to find it:
- Find Your Profile Picture: Look for your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner of the Microsoft Teams window. It’s usually a small circle with your photo or the first letter of your name.
- Click for Options: Click on your profile picture. A menu will pop up with options for your account and the Teams app.
- Choose “Settings”: In this menu, click on “Settings.” This opens the main settings window for Microsoft Teams.
Step 2Change General Connected Experiences
General connected experiences in Microsoft Teams are controlled by clicking Privacy in the left sidebar of the settings menu. Turning on these features allows Teams to download link previews and fetch online content automatically. You can switch these connected services on or off at any time depending on how much data you want the app to share with external Microsoft servers.
Here’s how to get there:
- Choose "Privacy": Find and click on "Privacy" in the left-hand sidebar. This area lets you manage how Teams uses outside services and your information.
- Find "Optional Connected Experiences": In the Privacy settings, look for a section or a switch called "Optional Connected Experiences." This is where you control services like GIPHY and URL Preview (for non-video links).
- Use the Switch: To turn off these optional cloud services, click the switch next to "Optional Connected Experiences." Turning this off stops many features that use Microsoft or other companies' cloud services, including website link previews.
Disabling "Optional Connected Experiences" reduces reliance on external servers to protect your privacy. However, doing so also removes helpful conveniences like hover-card link summaries. Restoring these features requires toggling "Optional Connected Experiences" back on.
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Summary
Optional connected experiences in Microsoft Teams, including link previews and GIFs, are controlled through the Privacy menu.
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Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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