Microsoft is rolling out a Slack-to-Teams migration tool, and it's not great

Microsoft aims to simplify transitions from Slack to Teams with a new migration tool, but its initial limitations undermine its effectiveness. Announced via the Microsoft 365 Message Center and spotted by Windows Central, the tool targets organizations seeking to consolidate collaboration platforms.

The tool migrates public and private Slack channels into corresponding Teams channels, preserving existing structures. Administrators can initiate these transfers through a centralized interface designed to "reduce complexity and improve continuity." Rollout began in late January 2025, with Microsoft expecting global availability by February.

Critical gaps in functionality

The migration tool's most significant limitation is its handling of direct messages. Personal DMs and group chats won't transfer during initial migration. Microsoft hasn't clarified if this functionality will arrive later, leaving organizations without historical private communications. This omission impacts organizations where ad-hoc conversations complement formal channel discussions.

Why Microsoft built this tool

Teams continues competing aggressively with Slack since its $27.7 billion acquisition by Salesforce. The migration tool represents Microsoft's latest effort to attract Slack users by lowering switching barriers. However, the partial migration capability may frustrate administrators expecting comprehensive data portability.

Practical implications

For organizations considering migration:

• Channel content transfers maintain project histories
• User education is essential for adopting Teams equivalents
• Manual solutions needed for preserving DMs (screenshots/exports)
• Testing is crucial before full deployment

Microsoft hasn't specified if future updates will address these limitations. For now, the tool simplifies channel migration but falls short of being a complete solution, requiring careful planning around its constraints.