MC1168293 - My requirement is to hide user from Outlook only not from Teams

To hide a user from Outlook while keeping them visible in Teams is not directly supported by Microsoft. The current functionality in Microsoft Entra and Exchange Online typically hides users from both applications when they are set to be hidden from the global address list (GAL). If you want to hide a user from Outlook, you would generally need to adjust their visibility settings in a way that affects both applications, as there is no specific setting that allows for selective visibility between Outlook and Teams.

For further assistance or updates on this functionality, it may be beneficial to check the latest Microsoft documentation or reach out to Microsoft support for guidance on any recent changes or workarounds that may have been introduced.

Dear @Alex Mathew,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand the requirement to hide a user from Outlook only while keeping the user searchable in Teams without hiding in GAL

At this time, Microsoft does not support app‑specific directory visibility. Due to recent Microsoft 365 changes, Outlook, Teams, Exchange Online, and Microsoft Search all rely on a unified directory (Entra ID). As a result, when a user is hidden from the Outlook Global Address List (GAL) using Exchange settings, the same change also affects their visibility in Microsoft Teams.

Moreover, currently, there is no Exchange policy, Teams policy, or supported configuration that allows a user to be hidden from Outlook while remaining searchable in Teams without being hidden from the GAL. This behavior is by design and applies tenant‑wide across Microsoft 365 workloads.

I completely agree with you that having more granular control over user visibility. The best way to influence change here is to share this feedback directly with the Microsoft product teams, as they actively review customer suggestions when planning future improvements. And I’d be happy to raise this feedback together with you to the Microsoft product team.

Therefore, to ensure your feedback reaches the right teams, you can submit your feedback directly to Microsoft Ideas · Community, where our product development team can know your requirements and ideas for product improvements. If enough users raise ticket for the same idea, Microsoft may consider adding this feature in the future. 

Note: As Microsoft Community moderators, please note that we are not involved in product design decisions and do not have direct access to the development roadmap, we want to assure you that your feedback has been acknowledged and is valued.  

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward for your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

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.