Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 13-01-2026

Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.

In response to customer feedback, we are introducing enhanced flexibility, greater scalability, and streamlined compliance management for private channels in Microsoft Teams.

Note: It is important for compliance managers to review and take appropriate action before migration starts for these changes to private channels.

[What’s changing?]

Private channels will transition use a channel mailbox instead of individual user mailboxes.

Organizations with compliance policies (retention, legal hold, data loss prevention, or eDiscovery) for private channels must review these policies and must apply policies to the Microsoft 365 group for the channel’s team before migration begins to ensure continuity of the policy for a private channel. Existing policies will continue to apply to user mailboxes; post-migration, new data will be governed by policies on the group. Note that policies applied to the team’s group can apply to all channels in the team.

After the transition to updated private channels in your organization, private channels will be updated as follows.

1. Private channels are no longer limited to 30 per team. Instead, private channels can be added up to the limit of 1000 total channels per team.
2. Private channels can now have up to 5000 members, instead of 250.
3. Meetings can now be scheduled in private channels.
4. Compliance policies for private channels are part of the team’s group policies instead of the individual user level.

The migration of private channels to the updated capabilities will begin in early October 2025 and continue through January 2026 (previously December 2025). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025 (previosly September), before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in February 2026. Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. This post will be updated soon with details on the PowerShell command.

As part of this change, newly created private channels will not be created with a document library by default; the root folder is used as a default location for any new files.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out private channel migration early October 2025 (previously late September) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will begin rollout in early February 2026 and we expect to complete by end of February 2026.

[Action required by compliance managers and admins]

1. Purview eDiscovery and Legal Hold

With this change, private channel data will move from user mailboxes to the group mailbox, aligning with how shared channels data is stored. Previously, legal holds were applied to user mailboxes since private channel data resided in each member’s mailbox. Post-migration, the latest version of private channel message data from each user’s mailbox is moved to the private channel’s group mailbox. Message edits and deleted messages will not be copied into the group mailbox.

Note: For users on hold, copies of message edits and deleted messages will remain in the user’s preserved library folder until the hold expires, while the latest version of private channel message data from each user’s mailbox is copied to the private channel’s group mailbox.

Before migration

If a legal hold exists for a private channel, admins must also apply the policy to the team’s group, in addition to the policy already applied to users’ mailboxes, in order for a hold to apply to new data generated and stored in the private channel’s mailbox. Note that policies applied to the team’s group can apply to all channels in the team.



Screenshot 1: Setting up a new hold in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

After migration

For existing holds admins will need to ensure that the hold is applied to the user mailbox as well as the new group mailbox, in order for a hold to apply to existing and new message data. Any new legal holds will need to be applied to the group.

For complete eDiscovery, include both the private channel’s users’ mailboxes and the team’s group mailbox to retrieve pre-migration messages, message history, and post-migration new content.



Screenshot 2: Configuring an eDiscovery search in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

2. Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

With this change, private channel messages will be included as a part of the DLP policy scoped to the private channel’s team’s group, as opposed to the user mailbox.

Before migration

Admins must modify the “Teams chat and channel messages” policy for private channels to add the team’s group containing the private channel, in addition to the user mailbox, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team’s group can apply to all channels in the team.

After migration

Ensure that “Teams chat and channel messages” policy for private channels is scoped to the team’s group containing the private channel.



Screenshot 3: Configuring a data loss prevention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

3. Purview Retention Policy

After this change, creation of new private channel-specific policies will not be possible in the Purview portal. Instead, “Teams channel messages” policies applied to the team’s group will now include private channels. Existing private channel policies will remain in effect and preserve all held message data in user mailboxes. Editing of existing policies will not be supported but policies can be removed.

Before migration

Apply current private channel retention policies (previously on user mailboxes) to Teams channel messages to include the team’s group, in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to solutions > Data Lifecycle Management > Retention policies. Note that policies applied to the team’s group can apply to all channels in the team.

After migration

If the parent team’s group retention policy differs from the private channel’s policy, create a new or equivalent policy to ensure consistent retention.



Screenshot 4: Configuring “Teams channel messages” for a retention policy in Microsoft Purview compliance portal.




4. Microsoft policies for Optical Character Recognition

Before Migration:

• In Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to Settings, -> Optical character recognition (OCR), -> Select locations and scope to [1] all users and groups or [2] specific users and groups

After Migration:

Set the settings for “all users and groups” to cover private channels as specific users and groups are not supported.

Frequently asked questions

1. How can admins identify a user’s private channel memberships?
   • Use Teams Admin Center under team settings, or run PowerShell: Get-TeamChannelUser to list members.
2. When is compliance manager action required?
   • If a policy (legal hold, eDiscovery, retention, DLP) applied to a user’s mailbox, in order to include private channel messages, differs from the team policies for the team hosting the private channel. Policies must be applied to the team’s group in order to include new private channel messages in a policy. Note that policies applied to the team’s group can apply to all channels in the team.
   • During eDiscovery for users on hold or during migration, search both user mailbox and group mailbox for complete data on a private channel.
3. What if no action is taken?
   • User-level policies will not apply to a private channel’s new message data. Team-level policies will apply to private channels.
4. Why isn’t Microsoft automatically applying policies from user mailboxes to a private channel’s team?
   • Tenant admins and compliance managers must assess and apply policies as needed. Group policies apply to all channels in the Team. Some user mailbox policies are intended for all of a user’s messages, and some are intended for private channel messages. Each organization must review and decide on policies.
5. Is there any impact to end users?
   • During migration, users may see duplicate search results in Teams searches—both links will navigate to the same content in Microsoft Teams.

6. When will migration happen for my tenant and how long will it take?

Migration can start or end at different times for each tenant during the rollout period and can take some weeks depending of the tenant. To track progress, a new PowerShell command will be available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed. The command will be –

Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus -TenantId <tenantId> 

Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential 

We appreciate your attention to this important update.

Please refer to this blog post for more information: New enhancements in Private Channels in Microsoft Teams unlock their full potential 

We appreciate your attention to this important update.

Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a new capability that allows users to copy agents created in the lite Copilot Studio experience into the full Copilot Studio experience. This upgrade unlocks advanced authoring tools, broader publishing options, and enhanced governance features. It supports organizations looking to scale agent capabilities while maintaining control over lifecycle and data policies.

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins the first week of November 2025 and is expected to complete by mid-January 2026 (previously mid-December).

Who is affected:

• Users authoring agents in the lite Copilot Studio experience within Microsoft 365.
• Admins managing environments and governance in Power Platform admin center.

What will happen:

• Users can copy agents from the lite experience into the full Copilot Studio experience.
• The original agent remains unchanged and usable.
• The copied agent becomes a Copilot Studio custom agent, enabling broader lifecycle and compliance controls.
• Users can edit the copied agent in Microsoft Copilot Studio and test it before sharing.
• As a Copilot Studio custom agent, the copied agent comes with enhanced lifecycle management, usage monitoring and analytics, and governance controls.
• Admins get more governance capabilities from applying Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to ensuring Application Lifecycle Management (ALM).
• Copied agents gain access to advanced features such as:
  • Topics and Automations
  • Publishing to additional channels
  • Lifecycle management and analytics
  • Governance controls including DLP and ALM
• Admins can apply Power Platform governance policies to copied agents.
• Licensing requirements:
• Users must have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license or be on a Pay-As-You-Go plan.
• Trial licenses are supported:
  • A user holding a trial license can use this feature.
  • Admins can block trial signups via the Power Platform admin center.
  • Trial licenses include limited capabilities (such as agents cannot be published beyond personal use).
• The copy process does not impact the original agent’s data; the copy is made separately.
• All agents in the full experience are managed using Power Platform environments.

Admins should take the following steps:

• Understand Power Platform concepts: The lite version of Copilot Studio is managed via the Microsoft admin center and focuses on agents within Microsoft 365. The full version is managed through the Power Platform admin center, enabling users to build more advanced agents that can connect beyond Microsoft 365 and leverage Power Platform capabilities such as environments, Dataverse, and lifecycle management.
• Review security and governance capabilities: The full version uses Power Platform concepts, offering enhanced security and governance capabilities. Copied agents are stored in Dataverse for robust lifecycle and access management.
• Set up environments: The full experience manages agents using Power Platform environments. Admins should create or assign environments, optionally link them to groups, and configure role-based access control (RBAC). If no environments exist, users default to the standard environment. Environments are tied to a Power Platform region, so verify location settings.
• Enable environment routing: Admins can turn on Environment routing in the Power Platform admin center to guide users to preferred environments during agent copying.
• Prepare licensing: The system will verify Copilot Studio licensing before copying. Users with the Microsoft 365 Copilot license or on Pay-As-You-Go already have access. Trial licenses are available, but admins can restrict trial signups.
• Set up data policies: Define connector policies and data policies in the Power Platform admin center to restrict connections and ensure compliance. Ensure the Teams and Microsoft 365 channels are enabled for publishing.
• Add admin contact info: Including admin contact details helps users get familiar with Copilot Studio and know where to go for support.

More details will be available on Microsoft Learn starting the week of October 20, 2025.

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

Updated December 18, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

Coming soon to SharePoint: Site owners and admins will be able to apply two new Microsoft-designed multi-color dark themes. These official themes offer modern dark color palettes with multiple colors combinations, enabling richer visual experiences and consistent branding across sites. Both themes are available out-of-the-box and can be configured via site settings.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 526788.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release (Worldwide): Rollout begins early January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025), completes January 2026 (previously early January)
• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): Rollout begins late January 2026 (previously early February), completes February 2026 (previously early February)

[How this affects your organization:]

• Who is affected: SharePoint Site owners and SharePoint admins across all Microsoft 365 environments (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD)
• What will happen:
  • Two new Microsoft-designed dark themes (Dark Teal, Dark Blue) will be available out-of-the-box
  • Themes can be applied via “Change the look” in site settings
  • The themes update site headers, footers, section design, Text web part, and Design Ideas
  • Designed for low-light environments and compliant with Microsoft accessibility standards
  • No impact to existing themes or site functionality

Note: Previously applied PowerShell settings that disable all out-of-box themes from Microsoft remain effective, and the PowerShell command can still be used to manage the Microsoft theme availability.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required prior to rollout. After rollout:
• Notify site owners and users about the new dark themes
• Encourage exploration of the new options for improved branding and visual comfort

Learn more:

• Site theme
• Set-SPOHideDefaultThemes

[Compliance considerations:]

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the content and timelines. Thank you for your patience. 

We’re introducing federated Copilot connectors in Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling users to securely connect external apps such as Notion, Canva, or Hubspot directly within Copilot experiences like Researcher. Unlike traditional indexed connectors, federated connectors use the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to access data in real time. This allows users to fetch and read information from connected sources using their own credentials, while maintaining admin-level visibility, control, and governance in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

This feature will be available on the web platform.

A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to use this feature.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 501585.

Public Preview: Rollout will begin by January 12, 2026 (previously November 15, 2025).

• Who is affected: All tenants using Microsoft 365 Copilot with access to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• What will happen:
  • End users will be able to connect to Microsoft-published federated connectors (such as Canva, HubSpot, Linear, Intercom, Google calendar, Google contacts, Notion) directly within Copilot experiences to search or fetch live data.
  • Admins will have visibility and control from the Copilot > Connectors section, where they can
    • View all default Federated copilot connectors enabled by Microsoft.
    • Disable any connectors that are not relevant or compliant for their organization.
    • Use staged rollout to enable these connectors for a limited group of users
  • Admin can also create and manage custom MCP based federated copilot connectors for internal or specialized data sources using an MCP endpoint.

Screenshot 1 – Admin experience:

Screenshot 2 – User experience:

When a Microsoft-published federated Copilot connector first appears in the Microsoft 365 admin center (Copilot > Connectors> Your connections), it will remain admin-only for 7 days before it can be used by end users.

During this seven-day review window, admins can:

• Review newly available federated connectors
• Disable connectors that are not relevant or compliant for their organization
• Use staged rollout to limit availability to specific Entra ID groups
• Any connector disabled during this window will not be rolled out to end users.

Additional steps:

• Review the list of default connectors that will appear in your tenant under Copilot > Connectors > Your Connections. List includes: Canva, HubSpot, Linear, Intercom, Google calendar, Google contacts, Notion and more. You can find them with type ‘MCP’
• Ensure all available connectors align with your organization’s data and compliance policies. Disable any that do not meet requirements directly from the admin center.
• For custom connectors, configure your MCP endpoints with the required tools (search and fetch) and proper authentication (OAuth2).
• Communicate this change to helpdesk staff and update internal documentation as needed.

Updated January 12, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Video Overviews in Copilot Notebooks enable users to automatically generate short, narrated video summaries of their Notebook’s content. These videos combine key insights, visuals, and voiceover to create an engaging, visual overview of the entire Notebook.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 511793

Frontier Preview: Rollout began in mid-November 2025 and is expected to complete by end of January 2026 (previously late February).

• Who is affected: Users of Copilot Notebook with a valid Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
• What will happen:
  • Users will be able to generate short, narrated video summaries of their Notebook content.
  • Videos will include key insights, visuals, and voiceover.
  • The feature will be enabled by default for eligible users.
  • No changes to existing admin policies are required.
  • No impact to end-user workflow unless users choose to use the feature.

• Review whether your organization wants to participate in the Frontier Public Preview.
• Inform helpdesk and support teams of this new feature.
• Update internal documentation if you provide guidance on Copilot Notebook usage.

Learn more: Frontier: Try what’s next in AI | Microsoft 365 Copilot

Compliance considerations:

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.