Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 31-03-2026

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

Coming soon to Microsoft Purview | Information Protection: To help improve label usability and configuration, the sensitivity labeling scheme will be simplified to only consist of labels and label groupings.

This move to a dynamic architecture will make it easier to move a child label into label groups, out of label groups, and between label groups without losing referential integrity, allowing customers to better scale and reorganize their labels across their entire data estate.

Tenants in scope for manual migration to the new label scheme will see a message on the Sensitivity labels page in the Purview portal, where the tenant admin can access a simple manual migration wizard to opt in to the migration, which should complete in less than a few minutes or even seconds, depending on the label configuration.

If you do not see this message, your tenant does not meet the criteria for manual migration (your tenant lacks applicable parent labels). This new label scheme will be rolled out to your tenant in the coming months. (and we will send a separate MC post in advance).

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 386900.

[When this will happen:]

Public Preview (Worldwide): Modern labels have been in Public Preview since July 7th 2025. This post announces the rollout of modern label scheme to new tenants and tenants with applicable parents.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early December 2025 and expect to be completed by early May 2026 (previously mid-March). As part of GA, customers with non-applicable parents will be auto migrated to the modern label scheme while migration for customers with applicable parents will continue to be opt-in for 12 months post-GA. We will auto-migrate customers with applicable parents to the modern label scheme once the 12-month extension ends. 

[How this will affect your organization:]

During migration, to ensure label scoping integrity, any applicable parent label will be converted to a child label under a new label group, and then both parent and child label will have the same display name as the original parent label. Non-applicable parent labels will automatically be converted to label groups.

A parent label is deemed applicable if it has a different scope from any of its children, has label actions, or is published separately from its children.

The manual migration wizard provides a preview of the migrated scheme so admins can better understand how their sensitivity label scheme will change after the migration.

After migration, admins are free to make changes to their migrated label scheme, including unpublishing applicable parent labels that were converted to children during migration.

Users will not notice any change in how labels are viewed or applied. This change will be on by default.

Example of a migrated label scheme:

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified dates with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your tenant’s label scheme to ensure it is up to date. You may want to notify your admins about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Optionally, before you migrate your production tenant, consider migrating a test tenant configured with a label scheme that is representative of your production tenant, to become familiar with the migration process and the modern label scheme.

Learn more: Learn about sensitivity labels | Microsoft Learn

Updated March 30, 2026: Chat Notes respect data residency at creation time based on the chat creator’s Preferred Data Location (PDL). If no PDL is set, Chat Notes are stored in the tenant’s central or default regional location. If the creator’s PDL changes later, the associated Chat Note is not automatically migrated, even though the chat data may move. Microsoft is aware of this limitation and is working to address it.

Introduction

We’re introducing Teams Collaborative Notes (powered by Loop) in group chats across desktop and web experiences. This feature enables users to co-create and edit notes, agendas, and action items directly within the Teams chat interface, enhancing real-time collaboration without switching contexts.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 498159.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Rollout begins late September (previously early September) and completes by late October 2025 (previously early October).  
• General Availability: Rollout begins early November 2025 (previously early October) and completes by end of January 2026 (previously mid-November 2025).

How this affects your organization

Users will see a new Notes tab in group chats, allowing them to create and collaborate on Loop components such as agendas and action items. These components are editable inline, supporting synchronous collaboration directly within Teams.  

This feature is on by default for all tenants. Users do not need to install anything to begin using it.

What you can do to prepare

• You can manage this feature via the Teams Admin Center. If desired, Collaborative Notes can be disabled at the tenant level.
• Review internal documentation and training materials to ensure users are aware of the new Notes tab and its capabilities.
• Admins can manage the feature via the Teams Admin Center under: Messaging → Messaging Settings → Messaging Notes
  • Alternatively, it can be configured using the PowerShell cmdlet: Set-CsTeamsMessagingConfiguration

Compliance considerations

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

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the title. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re improving external collaboration in Microsoft Teams by enabling file attachments and Loop sharing in 1:1, group and meeting chats with external users. This update improves the collaboration experience for Files and Loop and add a new control for IT admins. Specifically, Files and Loop components will be shared automatically with external participants in the chat and won’t require any action by the sender by default. Additionally, Entra B2B Guests in your organization will be able to attach and share files from their home tenant’s OneDrive or SharePoint. 

This change applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Mac desktop, and web and is associated with Roadmap ID 492625.

Screenshot 1: File sharing option is available in external chats

Screenshot 2: Files shared have an external label and always open on Web

Screenshot 3: Teams automatically shares the file or Loop component when uploaded to external chats

Screenshot 4: User can also manually change permissions before sharing

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release: Rollout begins late October 2025; expected to complete by mid-November 2025
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins mid-January 2026

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

All Microsoft Teams users in your organization who participate in 1:1, group, or meeting chats with external users, including guest and Teams for Free users.

What will happen:

With this update:

• Unless the user chooses to share File and Loop by pasting links, external users in chat will be automatically provisioned to allow frictionless collaboration.
• You can disable automatic provisioning and have the user change permissions manually by using policy controls.
• If disabled, users will have to manually provision the file to users in the chat.
• Guest users will be able to upload files from their home tenant’s OneDrive and SharePoint.
• Files shared by external users will continue to display an External tag for clarity.
• Loop components will now be rendered inside external chats in Teams.
• Recipients will access File and Loop components as B2B guests within the resource tenant. If they are not already added as guests, they will need to give consent and might need to complete MFA, depending on your company’s B2B policy, before viewing the chat content.

• No action is required to enable the feature—it will be automatically available as the rollout progresses.
• To disable the automatic provisioning behavior for files and loops set the AutoShareFilesInExternalChats attribute of TeamsMessagingPolicy to Disabled. Learn more: Set-CsTeamsMessagingPolicy documentation.
• To provide seamless Loop access experience for external users, we recommend turning on Entra B2B Guest Access. Refer to: Microsoft Entra B2B integration for SharePoint & OneDrive – SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn.
• For configuration guidance, refer to: Set-CsTeamsFilesPolicy documentation (documentation will be updated before rollout).
• Review the following article: Share Files and Loop components in external (federated) chats

Compliance considerations

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

Brand Impersonation Protection for Teams Calling adds proactive safeguards against fraudulent or deceptive external callers who attempt to appear as trusted organizations. This helps reduce social-engineering risks and improves tenant security when users receive first-contact external calls. This update aligns with Microsoft’s ongoing investments in caller identity protection and secure collaboration.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 543239.

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: Rollout will begin early May (previously early April) and is expected to complete by late May (previously late April).
General Availability: Timelines will be communicated in a future message.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• All organizations using Microsoft Teams Calling that receive inbound VoIP calls from first-contact external callers.

What will happen:

• Teams will evaluate inbound calls for signs of brand impersonation.
• Users will see high-risk call warnings before answering suspicious calls.
• Warnings may continue during the call if risk signals persist.
• Users can accept, block, or end the call.
• The feature will be enabled by default.
• Existing Teams Calling policies remain unchanged.

[What you can do to prepare:]

No admin action is required at this time.

• Inform helpdesk staff that users may begin seeing high-risk call warnings.
• Update internal training materials if applicable.
• Review Microsoft documentation on caller ID security when available.

Before rollout, we will update this post with new documentation.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the timeline and content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We are introducing a redesigned Meet app in Microsoft Teams that delivers a new, unified Events experience. This update modernizes how users create, discover, and manage events—bringing webinars, town halls, and custom events into a single streamlined workflow. Users will continue to access their current Meetings and Audio recap experiences without any disruption. 

Please note that with this change, the app will also be renamed to “Events”.

Screenshot 1: Discover experience for attendees showing Events happening now and upcoming ​

This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, and Teams for the web and is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 547834.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out late February 2026 (previously early February) and expect to complete by mid-March 2026 (previously mid-February).
• General Availability: We will begin rolling out mid-June 2026 (previously early April) and expect to complete by late June 2026 (previously late April).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Who is affected:

• All users who currently use the Meet app in Microsoft Teams.
• Applicable across all Teams clients where the Meet app is available.

What will happen:

• Users will see the redesigned Meet app with a modernized, unified Events experience.
• A centralized Events hub to create, edit, and track events.

Screenshot 2: Manage all your events in different stages



• Simplified scheduling for custom events, webinars, and town halls using templates. 

Screenshot 3: New simplified scheduling form



• Custom events created using Create from scratch will automatically honor the appropriate policy set—Town hall policies for broadcast‑type events and Webinar policies for collaborative events.
• Ability to schedule events using shared and delegate mailboxes.
• Event landing pages with Q&A and Polls.
• Seamless upgrade path for current Webinars and Town halls.
• A redesigned Events home to help users discover and revisit events.

Screenshot 4: Event landing page for Attendees to engage before or after event



• Meetings and Audio recap remain accessible via a continuity banner.
• No impact on existing events.
• No changes to admin controls.
• Classic Meet remains available during preview and general availability.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

No administrative action is required.

• Review and update internal training and communication materials.
• Inform event organizers of the upcoming unified Events experience.
• Encourage users to pin the Meet app in Teams.
• Share training resources within your organization.

Before rollout, we will update this post with new documentation.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

Starting in mid‑February 2026, the Microsoft 365 apps for Mac suite installer a shim for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. This change helps organizations more easily deploy the Microsoft 365 Copilot Mac app by enabling users to download the full application directly from the shim.

The Microsoft 365 Copilot Mac app brings AI assistance to macOS, helping users search, analyze, and create from a single, secure desktop experience.

[When this will happen]

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in mid‑February 2026 and is expected to complete by mid-May 2026 (previously mid‑March).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected: Organizations that deploy Microsoft 365 apps for Mac using the suite installation package.

What will happen:

• The Microsoft 365 apps for Mac suite installer will include the Microsoft 365 Copilot shim app.
• Users will be able to download and install the full Microsoft 365 Copilot app by opening the shim app from the Applications folder.
• Existing installations of Microsoft 365 apps on macOS are not affected.
• Organizations that want to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot to devices already running Microsoft 365 apps should deploy the shim app separately.

[What you can do to prepare]

If your organization deploys Microsoft 365 apps for Mac using the suite installer package:

• Ensure the Microsoft 365 Copilot shim app is not excluded during deployment.
• Ensure that your organization does not use managed Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) configurations.
• Confirm that Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) is enabled on macOS devices.
• Confirm that devices meet the minimum requirement of macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later.
• Ensure network connectivity is available so the shim app can download the full app.
• This guidance is applicable for all users, not specifically those who want to deploy the shim app separately.
• Review: Deployment guide for Office for Mac | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn.

How can you exclude the shim app from suite installer package during deployment

Method 1 – While downloading the suite installer package

1. Click on customize on the installation type page. 

2. Uncheck Microsoft 365 Copilot to remove the shim app 

Method 2 – While using Configuration Profile or Mobile Device Management (MDM) 

Apply the following preferences –

More context – Set suite-wide preferences for Office for Mac – Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn 

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the timeline and content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a refreshed Copilot‑inspired new tab page in Microsoft Edge for Business.  This update brings search, chat, and web exploration together into a single search box, along with Copilot‑suggested actions and curated work content designed to help users stay focused and complete tasks more efficiently. Users can also view personalized news and activities.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558256.

[When this will happen]

• Public preview: Rollout began in mid-November 2025 and will complete by early April 2026.
• General availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in early May (previously early April) and will complete by late May 2026 (previously late April).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Admins managing Microsoft Edge for Business
• Users who choose to enable the Copilot new tab page experience

What will happen

• Admins will see a new configuration option in Edge Management service to enable or manage the Copilot new tab page experience.
• Users will continue to see their existing new tab page unless they opt in to the Copilot new tab page.
• The new tab page provides a single search box, Copilot‑suggested actions, and curated work content when enabled:

   

• Users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license may see limited content in the Copilot Prompt Card.
• The CopilotNewTabPageEnabled policy will be available to configure via Intune and ADMX in Edge 148.
• Existing Microsoft Edge policies remain supported; no policy changes are required.
• No default experience changes will occur without admin or user enablement.

[What you can do to prepare]

No admin action is required before this rollout.

If you want to configure the experience or prepare your organization, you can:

• Review configuration options for the new tab page in Edge Management service when available.
• Inform helpdesk staff or users as needed.
• Update internal guidance if you maintain documentation about the Microsoft Edge new tab experience.

Learn more: Configuring Copilot Mode | Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a new slash command, /createworkflow, in the Microsoft Teams message compose box. A workflow is an automated process that handles repetitive tasks for users, such as sending notifications, creating tasks, or starting approvals when something happens in Teams. With this update, users can type /createworkflow while composing a message to quickly begin creating an automation, instead of navigating through menus. This change is designed to make workflow creation faster, easier to discover, and more accessible directly from chats and channels.

This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, and Teams for the web. It is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558544.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release (Worldwide): We will begin rollout in late April 2026 and expect to complete by late April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rollout in late April 2026 and expect to complete by complete by mid-May 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:
All Microsoft Teams users.

What will happen:

• Users can create workflows directly from the compose box using the /createworkflow slash command.

Screenshot: Example of the /createworkflow slash command appearing in the Teams message compose box

• The feature is enabled by default.
• No existing admin policies are changed.
• Workflow creation is faster with fewer clicks.
• If the Workflows app is blocked for users, they will see the Create Workflow slash command, however they will not be able to use it and will see the following dialogue:
  

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No action is required.
• Optionally inform users about the new slash command.

Learn more: Use commands in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated March 30, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re adding new building‑level insights to the recommended actions page in the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal. This update helps IT admins identify buildings with high Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) utilization that still have bring-your-own-device (BYOD) rooms in them, creating an inconsistent user experience from room to room. These insights support more consistent meeting experiences across buildings and help organizations optimize room‑technology investments. Available with a Teams Rooms Pro or Shared Space license.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 553591.

[When this will happen]

• General availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early May 2026 (previously early April) and expect to complete by late May 2026 (previously late April).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Organizations using the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal with Teams Rooms Pro or Shared Device licenses

What will happen

• A new building‑level insights view will appear on the portal’s Recommended actions page:

   

• Insights will highlight buildings with high MTR usage and remaining BYOD meeting rooms: 

  

• These insights are designed to help IT create more consistent room to room experiences for users within a building.
• No changes will occur to existing configurations, policies, or settings.
• The feature will be enabled by default for tenants with eligible licenses.

[What you can do to prepare]

No action is required.

If relevant to your organization’s deployment planning, you may:

• Review your current MTR and BYOD room distribution in the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal.
• Update internal documentation or planning guidance as needed.
• Share this update with teams responsible for meeting room technology decisions.

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

[Introduction]

Microsoft Teams includes audio announcements for PSTN (phone dial‑in) participants when Copilot is used in Copilot Only mode, which is Copilot without transcription. These announcements inform PSTN participants when their audio is being processed by Copilot during calls and meetings.

[When this will happen]

• General Availability (Worldwide and GCC): Rollout is complete.
• General Availability (GCCH and DoD): Rolling out in late June 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Organizations that use Copilot in Copilot Only mode
• PSTN participants in:
  • 1:1 PSTN calls
  • Group calls with PSTN participants
  • Meetings joined via Audio Conferencing (dial‑in)
  • Users connecting by “Call Me”

Copilot is accessible to users who are licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot. This capability requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license for the user who enables Copilot, but awareness is relevant for all tenants because PSTN participants may hear these announcements when joining calls hosted by organizations that use Copilot.

Teams desktop, web, and mobile clients are not affected.

What will happen

PSTN participants will now hear audio announcements when Copilot processes or stops processing their audio.

When Copilot Only mode starts:

• PSTN users hear a notification that Copilot is processing their audio.
• This plays when a PSTN participant joins a call with Copilot Only mode already enabled or when Copilot Only mode is turned on during a call.

When Copilot Only mode stops:

• PSTN users hear a notification that Copilot is no longer processing their audio.

Announcements follow the same localization behavior as existing recording or transcription announcements.

No new admin controls or tenant-level settings are added.

If your organization uses Copilot with transcription, no behavior changes occur, as the existing transcription announcement already communicates this information.

[What you can do to prepare]

No admin action is required. These announcements play automatically when PSTN participants are present and Copilot Only mode is active.

You may want to:

• Inform helpdesk and support teams about the new audio announcements.
• Update internal documentation related to audio conferencing and Copilot behavior.
• Notify users who frequently join meetings via phone that they may hear new audio prompts.

Learn more:

• Get started with Copilot in Microsoft Teams Phone | Copilot in Teams | Copilot | Microsoft Support
• Use Copilot in Microsoft Teams meetings | Copilot in Teams | Copilot | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

[Introduction]

Today, IT admins can enable or disable third‑party model providers, such as Anthropic and xAI (US only), at the tenant level in the Microsoft Admin Center. With this update, admins will be able to assign access to a third‑party model provider to specific users or groups within the tenant.

This update is related to MC1193290, which announced that Anthropic models would be enabled by default for many customers in certain Copilot experiences and offered under the Microsoft Product Terms and Data Protection Addendum (DPA) as a Microsoft subprocessor.

This message corresponds to Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 557371.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late April 2026 and expect to complete in late April 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Organizations that use or plan to use third‑party model providers in Microsoft 365 Copilot and in Copilot Studio
• Admins who manage access in the Microsoft Admin Center, Power Platform Admin Center (PPAC), or Copilot Studio

What will happen

• Admins will see a new control in the Microsoft Admin Center that allows assigning a third‑party model provider to specific users or Entra ID groups.
• The setting will apply at the provider level, not at the individual model level.
• Assignments will be enforced consistently across the Microsoft Admin Center, PPAC, and Copilot Studio.
• The control will apply to subprocessors and independent processors for all current and future third‑party model providers.
• Admins can add up to any combination of 999 groups and users; nested groups are supported. 

[What you can do to prepare]

• Review your existing settings for Anthropic and xAI (US only) in the Microsoft Admin Center.
• Update user or group assignments to align with your internal governance policies.
• Update any existing agents and experiences that may be impacted when model access is limited by Entra ID security groups.
• Communicate any planned changes to your helpdesk or impacted user groups.
• Update internal documentation where you track AI access or model provider settings.
• Review Microsoft documentation on managing third‑party model providers when it becomes available.

Learn more:

• Anthropic as a subprocessor for Microsoft Online Services | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Choose an external model as the primary AI model | Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
• Enterprise data protection in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Microsoft Products and Services Data Protection Addendum (DPA) | Licensing Resources and Documents | Licensing | Microsoft
• Product Terms | Licensing | Microsoft

[Compliance considerations]

1. In the Copilot Service admin center, go to Channels > Messaging accounts.
2. Select + New account, provide the name and channel type, then choose Infobip.
3. Enter your Infobip API base URL and API key.
4. Add your available Infobip SMS numbers.
5. Save the configuration to activate the channel.

• Select the Visualize option on a grid page to generate a chart based on the visible columns and applied filters in the current view.
• View the chart side by side with the data grid, so you can more easily interpret key trends and patterns in your data.
• Select Explain to see an AI-generated summary that helps you understand why Copilot chose the specific visualization.
• Hover over data points or select chart elements to drill into details—filtered results will update automatically in the grid.
• Use the chart selector to personalize the visualization by choosing from nine chart types, including bar, pie, column, and line.
• Add or remove columns and filters in the view, and Copilot will automatically update the chart.
• Use additional controls to refresh the chart, expand it to full screen, close the chart pane, or copy it as a PNG.
• Share your feedback with the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons to help improve the feature.

• Voicemail left during business hours vs. outside-of-business hours.
• Voicemail left for an individual or group.
• Filter empty voicemails and classify them as abandoned calls.

• List conversations with overflow action of any type that triggered direct callback.
• Identify the overflow condition that’s triggered, before work items are queued, when work items are queued, or out of operation hours.
• Identify the time the overflow action was triggered.
• Identify whether the customer accepted the callback option and the time it was accepted.
• Identify when callback was initiated by the system.
• Identify if and when the callback notification was accepted by a service representative.

• Enter natural language queries to filter and locate records in smart grids.
• Apply filters automatically by typing queries such as “opportunities with estimated revenue greater than 10000 USD”.
• Sort records in the grid using conversational input.
• View applied filters and clear them with one click to return to the default grid view.

• Form API: Retrieve forms by ID, manage their visibility, and interact with controls.
• List API: Access lists, toggle their visibility, and retrieve HTML elements.
• User API: Handle authentication actions like sign-in and sign-out.
• Web API: Use OData-compliant methods to create, retrieve, and query records.

• Persona‑based filters: Agents segment the timeline by specific AI agents or human contributors to rapidly locate relevant activity threads.
• Extensible highlights: Ensure custom agent actions or partner‑developed plug-ins can surface consistently across the timeline.
• Performance and data‑processing improvements: Enable responsive filtering even as AI‑generated activity volume increases, ensuring the timeline remains a reliable source of historical truth.

• Manual cleanup: Best for smaller migrations or when you want to review apps individually.
• Automated cleanup by using Power Automate: Best for bulk migrations by using preapproved recommendations.

• Seamless integration with Dynamics 365 Contact Center proactive engagement.
• Use the existing capabilities of consent, audience configurations, and quiet times.
• Design your journey to include conversational text messages and react to message outcomes.
• View detailed engagement metrics, such as the number of attempts, outcomes, and specific results for each conversation interaction in the out-of-the-box journey reporting.
• Access all text conversations and engagement interaction data in storage and build custom reports using Microsoft Fabric integration.

[Introduction]

We’re introducing new capabilities in Researcher to help teams review AI‑generated research more confidently and reduce rework before using outputs in business decisions.

Critique is a built-in review step in Researcher that automatically checks and improves a draft before it’s delivered. It uses a second reasoning pass to strengthen structure and completeness, prioritize reputable sources, and ensure key statements are grounded in clear citations—so the final report is more reliable and easier to trust.

Council is Researcher’s multi-model comparison mode. It runs the same question through multiple deep‑reasoning research agents (for example, GPT and Claude) in parallel, preserves each model’s full standalone report, and adds a lightweight synthesis “cover letter” that highlights where the models agree, where they diverge, and what each uniquely contributes—so you can compare perspectives and make decisions with higher confidence.

These preview features are initially available only to organizations enrolled in the Microsoft 365 Copilot Frontier program, which provides early access to experimental Copilot capabilities.

This message is associated with Roadmaps 553213 and 558538.

[When this will happen:]

Public preview: Rolling out to Frontier customers by March 30, 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Organizations enrolled in the Microsoft 365 Copilot Frontier program using Researcher
• Admins managing AI model access, including third-party models such as Anthropic Claude
• Users who generate long-form research reports using Researcher
• A Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license is required to use this feature

What will happen:

• Researcher drafts will run through Critique before delivery, improving structure, completeness, and citation quality, when “Auto” is selected as the Default option in the model picker. 
• Users will be able to enable Council, which generates:
  • Two independent, full research reports from different reasoning models (for example, GPT and Claude).
  • A concise synthesis “cover letter” summarizing areas of agreement, disagreement, and unique contributions.
• Critique and Council availability is tenant-admin controlled, including the ability to allow or block third-party models such as Claude.
• There is no change to existing user workflows unless the feature is enabled.
• Existing security, compliance, and data handling policies continue to apply.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Review your AI model access settings and confirm whether Anthropic Claude is enabled for your tenant.
• Decide whether to allow Critique and Council based on your organization’s governance and compliance requirements. There are no separate controls for these features; both are enabled when Anthropic and Claude report generation are turned on.
• Inform helpdesk and support teams about the upcoming preview features.
• Update internal guidance or training materials if Researcher is documented in your organization.

No action is required if you do not plan to enable the preview features.

Learn more: Use model choice in the Researcher agent | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations:]

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

[Introduction]

Copilot Cowork is now available in Frontier. Copilot Cowork enables users to orchestrate complex, multi-step work across Microsoft 365 without switching between apps. Copilot Cowork moves beyond answering questions to turning intent into execution by automatically generating plans, coordinating work across emails, meetings, messages, files, and data, and carrying tasks forward with visible progress and user control. This update reflects customer feedback to reduce manual coordination for real work while maintaining enterprise-grade security, privacy, and controls. Learn more on our blog: Powering Frontier Transformation with Copilot and agents.

Screenshot: The Copilot Cowork interface in Microsoft 365 Copilot

[When this will happen:]

• Copilot Cowork is now available in Frontier.
• General availability will be communicated at a later date.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license
• Users enabled for Frontier 
• English language only

Prerequisites and controls:

• The tenant must be enrolled in the Frontier program.
• Microsoft‑built agents must be enabled.
• Anthropic must be enabled as a subprocessor (default: on).
• For tenants based in the European Union (EU), Copilot Cowork is off by default due to EU Data Boundary requirements and must be explicitly enabled.

What will happen:

• Users can install Copilot Cowork from the Agent Store in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and pin it to the left rail.
• Users can describe an outcome in natural language, and Copilot Cowork will:
• Automatically generate a multi-step plan grounded in the user’s Microsoft 365 context
• Coordinate tasks across Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and others
• Continue work overtime with visible checkpoints and progress tracking
• Copilot Cowork proposes actions and requires explicit user approval before acting on tasks such as:
• Sending emails or Teams messages
• Scheduling, declining, or rescheduling meetings
• Editing or moving files
• Users can pause, adjust, or stop execution at any time and return later to review progress.
• For eligible tenants, the experience is enabled by default and respects existing Microsoft 365 permissions and policies, unless restricted by EU Data Boundary settings.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required.

Learn more:

• Copilot Cowork: Now Available in Frontier | Microsoft Learn
• Anthropic as a subprocessor for Microsoft Online Services | Microsoft Learn 
• Opt-in to use Anthropic’s models | Microsoft Learn
  
• Agent settings in Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn 

[Compliance considerations:]

• Support for OAuth 2.0 authentication along with existing JWT-based authentication.
• Aligned authentication with Copilot Studio, enabling a consistent authentication method across Dynamics 365 Contact Center and Copilot Studio agents.
• Mid–conversation authentication for synchronous live chat, allowing anonymous customers to authenticate during an active conversation when prompted by a service representative or AI agent.

[Introduction]

Microsoft Purview Data Security Investigations (DSI) is introducing a new AI-powered examination capability that helps organizations identify and understand the presence of personal data within investigation datasets. This enhancement expands DSI’s existing AI examination features by adding personal data analysis alongside credential, risk, and mitigation analysis. The goal is to help investigators more quickly assess potential privacy exposure and respond appropriately during security investigations.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 559388.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late April 2026 and expect to complete by early May 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Admins and investigators who use Microsoft Purview Data Security Investigations

What will happen:

• A new AI-powered examination type will be available to analyze investigation content for personal data.
• The analysis can identify and extract common types of personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, and bank account numbers.
• This capability is additive and complements existing AI examination types for credentials, risk, and mitigation.
• The feature is available by default and respects existing Purview permissions and investigation workflows.

Learn more: Use AI analysis in Data Security Investigations | Microsoft Learn

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required before the rollout.
• Consider notifying investigators and security teams about the new personal data examination capability.
• Update internal documentation or investigation playbooks if you reference DSI examination types.
• Review AI analysis guidance for Data Security Investigations to understand how results should be interpreted.

Learn more: Learn about Data Security Investigations | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations:]

[Introduction]

We’re increasing the maximum number of review sets per case in Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium) from 20 to 100. A review set is a set of documents where you can analyze, query, view, tag, and export data. This update is based on customer feedback from organizations running large or complex investigations and improves scalability for eDiscovery (Premium) workflows.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558858.

[When this will happen:]

• General Availability (Worldwide) We will begin rolling out mid-April 2026 and expect to complete by early May 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Admins, investigators, and reviewers using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium)
• You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates one or more users in your organization may be using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium).

What will happen:

• eDiscovery (Premium) cases can now contain up to 100 review sets per case (previously limited to 20).
• Applies to both new and existing cases.
• Cases that previously reached the 20‑review‑set limit can now create additional review sets.
• A warning banner appears when a case is close to reaching 100 review sets.
• Creation of additional review sets per case is blocked beyond 100.
• Existing review sets and their contents are not changed or affected.
• The increase is enabled by default and requires no configuration changes.

[What you can do to prepare:]

No action is required.

• Inform investigators of the new 100‑review‑set per case limit.
• Update internal documentation referencing the previous limit.

Learn more about eDiscovery (Premium) review sets | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations:]

[Introduction]

We are introducing a refreshed chat‑first design in the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app. This update modernizes the interface and streamlines navigation to make it faster and easier for users to start, continue, and manage chats. The improved experience is based on customer feedback and aligns the mobile app more closely with the broader Copilot visual design. The updated design will release first on iOS, followed shortly by Android.

[When this will happen]

• Public Preview: Rolling out in late April 2026 and expected to complete in late June 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCCH, and DoD): Rolling out in late April 2026 and expected to complete in late August 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• All users of the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app on iOS and Android across Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, and DoD clouds
• This feature is available to both users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (Microsoft 365 Copilot users) and users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (Copilot Chat users), but the experience varies.

What will happen

The Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app will update automatically with a new chat‑first design. Key changes include:

• Updated, modern visual design language
• Simplified chat input that supports text formatting
• Updated chat response layout for easier viewing, copying, reopening, and accessing citations
• Refreshed visual experience for voice interactions
• Streamlined navigation, including:
  • Unified profile and settings entry point
  • Chat search moved into the navigation menu
  • Create and Notebooks relocated to the overflow menu
  • Chat settings consolidated into app settings
• The new UI will be on by default for all users.
• No existing workflows are removed or altered.
• No admin configuration changes or policy updates are required.

Screenshot 1 – Redesigned navigation bar:

Screenshot 2 – Redesigned chat input:

[What you can do to prepare]

No admin action is required.

You may choose to:

• Inform helpdesk or support teams of the updated interface.
• Share internal readiness materials to help users understand the new layout.
• Review new Microsoft Learn documentation once published after rollout.

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

[Introduction]

Microsoft Teams is introducing automatic spoken language detection in multilingual meetings to improve caption, transcript, and interpretation accuracy. Teams will automatically detect each speaker’s spoken language and update it in real time as the conversation evolves. Manual spoken language selection will no longer be available. This applies to live captions and transcripts when Interpreter is enabled or when multilingual speech recognition is turned on in meeting options. The change helps ensure consistent recognition across multilingual meeting scenarios.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558543.

[When this will happen]

• Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out in early April 2026 and expect to complete in early April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in mid-April 2026 and expect to complete in mid-April 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• This change affects users who participate in multilingual meetings in Microsoft Teams when Interpreter is enabled by a user licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot, or when multilingual speech recognition is enabled by a meeting organizer or co‑organizer licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot or Teams Premium, on Android, Desktop, iOS, Mac, and Web.

What will happen

• Teams will automatically detect each speaker’s spoken language and update it in real time during multilingual meetings.
• Manual spoken language selection will no longer be available in supported multilingual meeting scenarios.
• Captions and transcripts will update automatically based on detected languages when Interpreter is enabled or when multilingual speech recognition is turned on in meeting options.
• Users may notice a simpler meeting setup experience and more consistent spoken language handling across supported multilingual meetings.
• Interpretation quality may improve, including recognition of names and industry terminology.
• Interpreter will support your organization’s Custom Dictionary from the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Traditional Chinese is now supported.
• This update is available only for the 10 languages currently supported for Interpreter, live captions, and transcripts in multilingual meetings: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Italian, German, French, and Korean.
• The feature will be on by default for tenants already using multilingual meeting capabilities.

[What you can do to prepare]

No admin action is required.

To prepare:

• Inform users that manual spoken language selection will no longer be available in supported multilingual meeting scenarios.
• Remind users that automatic spoken language detection works only for the 10 supported languages listed above.
• Review and maintain Custom Dictionary entries in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Update any internal training, adoption materials, or support documentation that describes multilingual or interpreted meeting experiences.
• Review updated Learn documentation when it becomes available.

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

[Introduction]

We are adding new Copilot metrics across Microsoft 365 apps to help you better understand how users engage with Copilot. These metrics include actions taken in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Microsoft Edge, and OneNote, and intent-based usage across Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This update expands visibility into how users adopt Copilot and supports improved insights in the Copilot Dashboard and Advanced Analysis in Copilot Analytics. 

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 557981.

[When this will happen]

• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late April 2026 and expect to complete in late May 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• This capability is available to users who are licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• All Microsoft 365 tenants with access to Copilot Dashboard or Copilot Analytics in Viva Insights

What will happen

• New metrics will appear in the Copilot Dashboard and Advanced Analysis.
• You will be able to track Copilot usage in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Microsoft Edge, and OneNote:

   

  

• Additional intent-based scenarios will be measured in Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These scenarios include suggested replies, translation, coaching, and clean data.
• The feature will be enabled automatically for all tenants.
• A rollback is available and will be managed through flight control.
• No configuration changes or policy updates are required.

[What you can do to prepare]

• No action is required before rollout.
• You may choose to notify relevant teams about the new metrics.
• Update internal documentation if your organization tracks Copilot usage analytics.
• Review updated online documentation when it becomes available in early May.

[Compliance considerations]

No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.

We’re clarifying our guidance around custom domain configuration for Teams event emails, based on customer feedback and recent questions.

In a previous Message Center post (MC1234575 and MC1176301), we communicated that configuring a custom domain was required to use custom HTML editing for event emails. Based on customer feedback, this is no longer mandatory effecting immediately.

[When this will happen:]

Effective immediately

[How this affects your organization:]

Premium feature of custom HTML editing for Teams Events (Webinar and Townhall) emails is no longer blocked if your tenant does not have a custom domain configured.

You can continue creating and sending event emails even without configuring a custom domain.

However, we still strongly recommend configuring a custom domain for the best and most consistent email experience, especially for events sent to external audiences.

Why we still recommend configuring a custom domain

Configuring a custom domain helps:

• Provide clearer and more recognizable sender identity for recipients associated to your tenant
• Improve email deliverability and reduce the likelihood of messages being flagged or questioned
• Create a more trusted experience for attendees receiving event invitations, updates, and reminders

If a custom domain is not configured, event-related emails will continue to leverage Microsoft provided domains, which can appear unfamiliar to recipients.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Review your tenant’s domain configuration in Microsoft 365
• Consider configuring and validating a custom domain if your organization regularly hosts external or large-scale Teams events
• Update internal guidance to reflect that custom domains are recommended, but no longer required, for advanced email customization

Documentation updates

We are updating our documentation and guidance to clearly reflect:

• The removal of the custom-domain requirement for custom HTML editing
• When and why configuring a custom domain is still recommended

You can learn more about managing email communications for Teams events on our learn page.

We’re listening

This update reflects direct customer feedback. We’ll continue monitoring support signals and feedback to further simplify and improve the event email experience.

[Introduction]

One-time Email Passcodes provide a way for tenant administrators and event organizers to verify anonymous, external presenters invited to Microsoft Teams events. When enabled, anonymous external presenters are prompted to enter a one-time email passcode before joining an event and receive a Verified label next to their name after joining.

External presenters with personal or work Microsoft accounts are asked to sign in to their account for verification instead of receiving a one-time email passcode.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 557975.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out late April 2026 and expect to complete by early May 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-May 2026 and expect to complete by late June 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Tenant administrators managing Microsoft Teams policies
• Event organizers scheduling Teams events with external presenters
• External presenters joining Teams events anonymously

What will happen:

• Tenant administrators can require verification for anonymous external presenters by configuring a new Teams Admin Center policy or by using PowerShell.
• Based on the tenant-level policy, event organizers will have additional options that apply to all external presenters for an event:
  • Verify external presenters, allowing only invited accounts to join.
  • Verify external presenters, allowing uninvited users to wait in the lobby.
  • No verification (available only if the tenant policy also allows no verification).
• This distinction allows organizers to restrict an event to invited external presenters or allow more flexibility by permitting uninvited users with the event link to join through the lobby.
• By default, the policy is set to None, allowing external presenters to join anonymously.
• When the policy is set to eOTP, all external presenters must verify their identity either by signing in with a Microsoft account or by entering a one-time email passcode.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Review how external presenters are used in your Teams events.
• Decide whether anonymous external presenters should be required to verify their identity.
• Configure the external presenter verification policy in the Teams Admin Center or by using PowerShell.
• Inform event organizers about the new verification options available to them.

Learn more: Allow anonymous presenters in a live event in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)

[Compliance considerations:]

[Introduction]

We are improving the Microsoft Teams meeting experience when the active meeting window is minimized. This update helps users stay engaged in meetings while multitasking across other apps. With this change, users can perform key in-meeting actions—such as raising their hand and sending reactions—without restoring the full Teams meeting window. Users can also choose between two different minimized views, depending on how much meeting context they want to keep visible while they work.

This change does not affect the experience when users are sharing their screen in a Teams meeting.

This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop and Teams for Mac desktop. It is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 557179.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release: Rollout begins mid-April 2026 and is expected to complete by mid-April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins late April 2026 and is expected to complete by early May 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• All users who join and participate in Microsoft Teams meetings.

What will happen:

• When users minimize a Teams meeting window, a new minimized meeting experience appears automatically.
• Users can raise their hand and send reactions without restoring the full Microsoft Teams meeting window.
• Users can choose between two minimized views:
• Expanded view: Displays up to four participant videos.



• Compact view: Does not display participant video and takes up less screen space.



• The feature is enabled by default and does not require any admin configuration.
• There is no change to the meeting experience while screen sharing.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No action is required.
• Consider notifying users and helpdesk staff about the new minimized meeting views in Microsoft Teams.
• Update internal training or support documentation if it references Teams meeting window behavior.

[Compliance considerations:]

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