Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 02-05-2026

Update as of April 30th, 2026 – Admin action is needed and the content has been updated. Thank you for your patience. 

Migration of channels is complete with a few pending channels for which we have shared more information here for admin remediation. Admins must take action within 30 days, by June 5th, 2026, to remediate specific private channel configurations that are currently not eligible for migration. There are two impacted scenarios.

• The first includes private channels with no users, where the roster is empty and the channel is inaccessible to any tenant user.
• The second includes private channels that contain only guest users and no in-tenant owners. In both cases, these channels cannot be migrated in their current state.

To complete migration of these channels, admins are required to add at least one in-tenant user as an owner to each affected private channel by June 5th, 2026. This ensures the channels have valid ownership and meet requirements. If no action is taken by June 5th 2026, impacted channels will be soft deleted and remain recoverable for 30 days. After this period, they will be permanently deleted. All deletions will continue to honor applicable retention policies, legal holds, and compliance requirements.

To identify impacted channels, admins can use the updated powershell cmdlet Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus – which now provides per-channel details for channels in the above state. Once identified, admins can use Microsoft Graph APIs to add in-tenant users as channel owners and complete remediation. Please see FAQ below for sample response and additional data.

We are in the process of expanding higher limits for membership and number of private channels in private channels as well as meeting support, targeting completion in May 2026.

New limits for private channels will rollout starting late April 2026. Private channels not yet migrated would not receive new limits until their migration is complete.

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 will begin in early October 2025 and continue through late April 2026 (previously March). During this period, private channels will continue to operate normally. Admins and compliance managers should complete any required policy changes by October 2025, before the migration begins. Changes to private channel limits and meeting scheduling will follow in late April through early May 2026 (previously early April).

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 April 2026 (previously March). Updated channel limits and meeting scheduling will complete in early May 2026 (previously April). Restricted clouds rollout will begin in April 2026 (previously March).

[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.

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 is available for tenants to check whether their migration has started or is completed.

The command will be Get-TenantPrivateChannelMigrationStatus

Sample Response

TenantId                     : <tenantId>

MigrationStatus              : RequiresAdminAttention

MigrationStartTimeStamp      : 2/10/2026 6:48:20 AM

MigrationCompletionTimeStamp :

Details                      : (see parsed JSON below)

Parsed Details JSON

{

  “totalChannels”: 10,

  “migratedChannels”: 6,

  “failedChannels”: 1,

  “ownerlessChannels”: 2,

  “remainingChannels”: 1,

  “ownerlessChannelsDetails”: [

    {

      “channelThreadId”: “<channelId>@thread.tacv2”,

      “teamId”: “<teamId>”

    },

    ]

}

Note: The Details field is returned as a single JSON string. The formatted version above is shown for readability.

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 April 30, 2026: The API will be in Public Preview starting 05/01 and will be available to all customers. Customers must be licensed for Agent 365 in order to use the Agent 365 Graph APIs. Thank you for your patience.

[Introduction]

We are introducing two new Microsoft Graph APIs that enable admins to programmatically access and manage agents and apps within their organization. These APIs provide greater flexibility for reporting and integration scenarios without relying on manual UI workflows.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 502875.

[When this will happen:]

Frontier (Preview): Now available. 

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin mid-April 2026 (previously end of March) and is expected to complete by early May 2026 (previously end of February).

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: Admins managing Copilot agents and apps within Microsoft 365 environments.

What will happen:

• New Graph API endpoints will be available:
  • GET graph.microsoft.com/copilot/admin/catalog/packages – Retrieves a complete inventory of all agents and apps (Microsoft, External, Shared, and Custom).
  • GET graph.microsoft.com/copilot/admin/catalog/packages/{id} – Fetches detailed metadata for a specific agent or app, including properties and manifest details.

• These APIs allow for automated reporting and integration workflows.
• No changes to existing UI workflows or admin policies.
• These Graph API endpoints are available to users with an existing Microsoft 365 license; no additional license or add-on is required.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Review the Microsoft Graph API documentation to familiarize yourself with usage and capabilities at this time.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

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

To streamline data export processes and improve security, Microsoft is retiring the Viva Insights export capability via Microsoft Graph Data Connect (MGDC). This change does not impact other export alternatives via Viva Insights.

• Onboarding of new customers and scenarios to Viva Insights export via MGDC will stop 30 days from this announcement.
• Existing customers will retain access to current MGDC data export pipeline until full retirement. Existing customers can access current MGDC data export pipelines until July 2026.

Who is affected: Organizations using Viva Insights export via Microsoft Graph Data Connect.

What will happen:

• Starting in late November 2025, onboarding of new customers and Viva Insights datasets to MGDC will no longer be available.
• Existing users will retain access to current datasets until full retirement.
• Customers are encouraged to transition to supported export alternatives:
• Viva Insights Power BI Connector to Microsoft Fabric
• This connector allows you to export Viva Insights data into Microsoft Fabric for advanced analysis and reporting. Learn more:Export query data using the Power BI connector
• All Viva Insights query types supported: Yes
• Automated exports: Yes
• Row-level data export: Yes
• Charges: Yes (Fabric usage). Learn more: Dataflow Gen2 pricing for Data Factory in Microsoft Fabric
•  Setup: Refer to setup steps outlined in Export query data using the Power BI connector.
• Access query results: Refer to Dataflow Gen2 data destinations and managed settings.
• Flat file export option available.
• CSV Export

Note: Customers who prefer a flat file export can use the CSV export feature. Learn more: Download and import results in Excel.

What you can do to prepare

• If you are an existing MGDC customer, select an alternative export method.
• To offboard from MGDC-based export:
  1. Check access to output folders from previous runs.
  2. Stop and delete all Data Factory Copy activity pipelines.
  3. Delete MGDC app registrations.
  4. MGDC admin should deselect “Viva Insights” from enabled datasets:
     • In Microsoft 365 Admin portal, go to Settings > Org settings.
     • Under Services, select Microsoft Graph data connect.
     • Deselect Viva Insights.

For additional questions, raise a support ticket.

Learn more: 

• Dataflow Gen2 data destinations and managed settings | Data Factory | Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn
  
• Dataflow Gen2 pricing for Data Factory in Microsoft Fabric | Data Factory | Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn
• Download and import results in Excel – Access query results and modify existing queries | Viva Insights | Microsoft Viva | Microsoft Learn
• Export Viva Insights data using MGDC | Viva Insights | Microsoft Viva | Microsoft Learn
• Export query data using the Power BI connector | Viva Insights | Microsoft Viva | Microsoft Learn

Compliance considerations

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

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a private chat feature for organizers, co-organizers, and presenters in structured meetings and webinars in Microsoft Teams. This separate chat enhances collaboration by allowing key participants to communicate privately before, during, and after the event, without involving attendees. Additionally, we are unifying backroom chat behavior in town halls to ensure consistent functionality across all structured meetings. Currently, backroom chat behavior varies depending on whether streaming chat is enabled for town halls and whether the organizer has a Teams Premium license. This update removes that inconsistency.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 392328 and applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, Teams for the web, Teams for iOS/Android, MTR-W and MTR-A devices.

[When this will happen:]

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

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: Admins managing Microsoft Teams meetings, webinars, and town halls.

What will happen:

• New private chat for organizers, co-organizers, and presenters: This chat is separate from attendee chat and is available before, during, and after the event.
• Unified backroom chat policy for town halls: The default setting will be ON for all town halls, regardless of streaming chat availability or license type.
• Existing town halls will adopt the new policy once meeting options are updated.
• If admins turn the backroom chat policy OFF, previously enabled town halls will lose access after update.
• Non-TPre town halls (those without a Teams Premium license) will have backroom chat ON by default after rollout and update.

Two potential impacts:

• If an admin explicitly turns the new backroom chat policy OFF, any already-scheduled town hall that previously had backroom chat ON will lose access once the meeting options are updated.
• For non-TPre town halls where backroom chat was previously OFF, it will switch to ON by default after the rollout and a meeting options update.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Review your Teams meeting policies and decide whether to enable private chat for organizers and presenters.
• Communicate this change to helpdesk staff and event organizers.
• Update internal documentation to reflect the new backroom chat behavior.
• If you want to disable backroom chat, adjust the policy in the Teams admin center.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated May 1, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re updating how entities inserted from Add Work Content under the + menu behave in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat. With this change, entity names (such as document titles, people names, or other referenced objects) will no longer be inserted as text within the input box, making it easier for users to craft clean prompts without needing to manually delete entity labels. 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.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 552592.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid-May 2026 (previously mid‑February) and completes end of May 2026 (previously end of April).

[How this will affect your organization]

Who is affected: All users with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat in commercial (non-government) clouds.

What will happen:

• When users insert entities through Add Work Content (+):
  • The entity pill will appear in context, but the entity name will no longer be inserted as text in the chat input box:

     

• This change creates a cleaner prompt-building experience by removing extraneous text.
• No admin controls are changing.
• This update is enabled by default for all tenants.

[What you can do to prepare]

No action is required.

Optional steps include:

• Informing helpdesk or training teams about the change.
• Updating internal documentation that references entity insertion behavior in Copilot or Copilot Chat.

Learn more: Using Context IQ to refer to specific files, people, and more in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations]

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

Updated April 30, 2026: We have updated this post as a reminder. We will begin the Targeted Release (TR) rollout on May 5, with an expected ramp to 100% TR by the end of the week. All customers and users in the TR program will automatically receive the new SharePoint experience, with no option to opt out at either the tenant or user level.

We recommend that customers explore the experience ahead of TR to ensure readiness.

For users and tenants already opted in via EAP or Public Preview, we will preserve their current state, their experience as of Monday will remain unchanged.

[Introduction]

We are introducing a new SharePoint experience that includes a redesigned SharePoint app bar, a refreshed SharePoint start page for finding sites, content, and news, and support for AI-assisted creation, management, and discovery features. The new experience applies to all SharePoint users. Some capabilities in this experience use AI. Access to those capabilities requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 547732.

Before the new experience rolls out broadly, it will be available as a public preview. During the preview period, administrators can enable the experience for their tenant to evaluate the changes and prepare users. When enabled during preview, the experience applies to all users in the tenant. Users may opt out of the new experience during the preview period.

When the public preview ends, Targeted Release rollout will begin, followed by General Availability (GA). Starting with Targeted Release, the new SharePoint experience will automatically apply to all tenants and users. Any tenant-level preview settings or individual user opt-outs from the preview period will be overridden, and no controls will remain. We recommend customers try the experience ahead of TR to be better prepared.

[When this will happen]

• Public Preview: Rolling out in early March 2026; expected completion by late April 2026.
• Targeted Release: Rolling out in early May 2026 (previously late April); expected completion by mid-May 2026 (previously June).
• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): Rolling out in mid-June 2026 (previously early May); expected completion by mid-July 2026 (previously end of July).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• All SharePoint users
• Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will have access to AI capabilities included in this experience.
  

What will happen

When the new experience is enabled—either during preview or as part of the Targeted Release and General Availability (GA) rollout—users will see an updated SharePoint app bar that introduces entry points for discovering content, publishing communications, and building SharePoint solutions.

The updated app bar includes:

Discover

A refreshed start experience to find relevant sites, content, and news.

Publish 

A unified publishing hub that brings together pages, news, and campaign-style communications powered by Amplify.

Build 

A centralized place where makers can create and manage SharePoint sites, lists, libraries, and AI-powered agents from a single surface.

The app bar will also include:

• OneDrive – Provides quick access to files.
• Home – Appears when a Home site with global navigation is configured in the tenant.

Additional updates include:

• Updated page, news, library, and list experiences with improved content visibility
• Neutral theming applied across SharePoint product surfaces (site-level branding remains unchanged)

[What you can do to prepare]

If you plan to enable the preview experience:

• Enable the setting in the SharePoint admin center: Settings → SharePoint → New SharePoint Experience
• Review documentation: Enable the new SharePoint experience (preview) | SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | SharePoint | Microsoft Learn
• Review changes to the SharePoint navigation experience, including the new app bar: SharePoint App Bar
• Communicate expected UI changes to helpdesk teams and users before enabling the preview.
• Update internal documentation that references SharePoint navigation or app bar elements.

[Compliance considerations]

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

Updated May 1, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

This feature is rolling out to new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook for iOS and Android. It is not yet available in classic Outlook for Windows. We’ll share an update when support is added.

We are expanding Microsoft Copilot capabilities in Outlook to include shared and delegate mailboxes. This update allows users who already have access to Microsoft 365 Copilot to use Copilot features, including Copilot Chat, directly while working in shared or delegated mailboxes. This change is designed to improve productivity for teams that collaborate using shared inboxes such as executive assistants, support desks, HR, and finance teams.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 554936.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out early April 2026 and expect to complete by early May 2026.
• General Availability: We will begin rolling out early May 2026 and expect to complete by early June 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Users who have access to shared or delegated mailboxes in Outlook
• Organizations where users are licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot

What will happen:

• Users can access Copilot Chat in Outlook directly while working in a shared or delegated mailbox, rather than only from their primary mailbox.
• Copilot features such as Summarize and Draft will work in shared and delegated mailboxes.
• Support includes full-access shared mailboxes as well as shared folder permissions.
• Users no longer need to include mailbox-specific phrases (for example, “in <mailbox>@domain.com”) when prompting Copilot. Prompts can be written as if the mailbox were their own, and responses are grounded in the active shared mailbox.
• Folder-level permissions are supported for accessing Copilot Chat in shared and delegated mailboxes.
• Copilot conversation history is saved to the user’s primary account, ensuring there is no sharing of conversation history between users who access the same shared mailbox.

[What you can do to prepare:]

No action is required to enable this feature.

• Review shared and delegated mailbox permission models, including folder-level permissions, to ensure they align with your organization’s expectations.
• Inform users that Copilot conversation history remains associated with their primary account, even when Copilot is used from a shared mailbox.
• Update internal documentation or training materials to reflect that Copilot can now be used directly within shared and delegated mailboxes in Outlook for eligible users.

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated April 29, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re expanding model choice in Microsoft 365 Copilot with the addition of Anthropic Claude for users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Claude is available in Copilot Chat in Frontier, alongside the latest OpenAI models, giving users the flexibility to choose the model best suited for their tasks. This expansion reflects our commitment to delivering the latest AI innovation for work—while maintaining the security, compliance, and privacy standards customers expect from Microsoft.

[When this will happen:]

• Frontier availability: Claude is available now in Frontier.
• General availability (web/desktop/macOS/mobile): Rolling out gradually; expected completion early April 2026 (previously late March).

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license

Who is not affected:

• For Government and Sovereign clouds, Anthropic models are not available and will not be visible in the model selector
• For Tenants in EU/EFTA and the UK Anthropic is off by default and requires opt-in

What will happen:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users will be able to select Claude as an option in the model selector within Copilot Chat.
• In regions where Anthropic is configured as a subprocessor and is set to Off by default, admins can choose to opt in to make Anthropic models available for their organization.
• Enterprise Data Protection for Microsoft 365 Copilot continues to apply, with no changes to existing protections.
• Anthropic operates as a Microsoft subprocessor under the Microsoft Data Protection Addendum and Product Terms.
• Anthropic models are currently excluded from EU Data Boundary and in‑country processing commitments.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No action is required. However, it’s recommended that you review internal guidance and communicate to users that availability.
• If your tenant is in a region where Anthropic is Off by default, review the subprocessor setting and opt in if you want Anthropic models available to users. Learn more: Anthropic as a subprocessor for Microsoft Online Services | Microsoft Learn
• Learn more about Anthropic as a Microsoft subprocessor: Anthropic as a subprocessor for Microsoft Online Services

Updated May 1, 2026: We have paused rollout of this feature at this time. We will communicate via Message center when we are ready to proceed. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

[Introduction]

We are updating the Chat-only Copilot experience in Excel to better align with the editing experience. As part of this update, users who want to access additional Copilot agents (such as Researcher or Analyst) can do so by selecting the “…” menu in the header and choosing M365 Copilot.

[When this will happen]

• General Availability (Worldwide): We will communicate via Message center when we are ready to proceed.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

All Excel users with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses

What will happen

• Users can continue to use the chat‑only Copilot experience in Excel to ask questions, analyze data, and receive insights without modifying workbook content.
• However, users who want to access additional Copilot agents (such as Researcher or Analyst) can do so by selecting the “…” menu in the Excel header and choosing M365 Copilot:

  

• Existing Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing and policy controls are respected.
• There is no change to workbook editing behavior or data permissions.

[What you can do to prepare]

No admin action is required.

• Inform helpdesk and support teams about the new access path to Microsoft 365 Copilot from Excel.
• Update internal documentation or training materials that describe Copilot experiences in Excel.
• Review Microsoft 365 Copilot documentation if you want to understand available agents and licensing requirements.

Learn more: Edit with Copilot in Excel | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations]

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

• Administrators and supervisors can retrieve the wait time metric through the Agent Availability APIs, enabling Copilot Studio agents or custom logic to decide whether to escalate, defer, or route conversations based on real-time queue conditions.
• The system computes the average wait time using an exponential moving average algorithm, giving more weight to recent connected conversations and automatically excluding abandoned ones.

• Stage-aware guidance: See insights and next actions prioritized by the current business process flow stage and substage signals, so guidance matches the selling motion.
• Delta-first updates: Lead with what changed since the last review, why it matters for this stage, and the next best actions to take.
• Always-visible critical risks: Keep urgent cross-stage risks visible when they require immediate attention.
• Out-of-the-box stage coverage: Get built-in guidance across Qualify, Develop, Propose, and Close, with support for customer variations.

• Set calendar hours
• Set the project manager
• Set schedule mode if the import process allows override
• Select the source MPP file
• Select the target project

[Introduction]

Microsoft Agent 365 is moving to general availability (GA) on May 1, 2026. GA indicates that Agent 365 is ready for enterprise production use, with clearer licensing boundaries, improved governance, and predictable support. This release incorporates customer feedback from the Frontier program while continuing to provide a dedicated path for early access to preview capabilities.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): May 1, 2026

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Microsoft 365 tenants currently enrolled in the Agent 365 Frontier program
• Admins managing Agent 365 through:
  • Microsoft 365 admin center
  • Microsoft Entra
  • Microsoft Defender
  • Microsoft Purview
  • Microsoft Intune
• Organizations planning to evaluate or deploy Agent 365 in production

What will happen

Agent 365 GA experience

• Trial and paid Agent 365 licenses now represent the GA, enterprise-ready experience.
• Agent 365 licenses are available as:
  • A standalone SKU
  • Part of Microsoft 365 E7
• GA licenses are available across all commercial channels. Information about EDU, Charity, and Government SKUs will be shared later.

Frontier program

• Frontier continues to provide early access to preview features.
• Frontier and preview features are clearly labeled in-product as Preview or Frontier.
• Frontier is not intended for production deployment and does not include SLAs.

Workload-specific details

• Microsoft 365 admin center
  • No functional changes at GA.
  • Preview and Frontier features remain clearly tagged.
• Microsoft Entra
  • Agent-related Identity Governance features (such as access packages and lifecycle workflows for agent sponsor maintenance) require an Agent 365 license to continue use.
  • Existing use of Conditional Access and Identity Protection for agents continues without change.
  • Network Control for agents (for example, prompt injection protection, threat intelligence filtering, shadow AI detection, web and URL filtering, and network file filtering) requires an Agent 365 license.
  • Network Control on local endpoint devices continues to work if the Global Secure Access client is installed. Learn more about installing the Global Secure Access client for Windows.
• Microsoft Defender
• Agent protection features remain in preview for Defender for Cloud Apps and Defender for Cloud.
• Copilot Studio AI security posture, real-time protection, and investigation capabilities will require an Agent 365 license when each feature reaches GA in a future release.
• Microsoft Purview
• Frontier participants retain access to Purview capabilities for agents, including:
  • AI Observability
  • Data Loss Prevention
  • Insider Risk Management
  • Communication Compliance
  • Compliance Manager
  • Data Lifecycle Management
  • eDiscovery
• After the Frontier program ends, Purview coverage for all agents managed in Agent 365 will require an Agent 365 license.
• Microsoft Intune
• Frontier customers licensed with Intune can discover Windows devices running OpenClaw via a new Agent 365 Shadow AI page in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Admins can apply policies to block common OpenClaw execution methods and link to the Intune admin center for advanced controls.

[What you can do to prepare]

No action is required to remain enrolled in the Frontier program.

• Important to note:
  • Frontier access continues automatically at GA.
  • A temporary interruption to Frontier access (up to 48 hours) may occur during the transition.
  • Frontier does not include production SLAs or support guarantees.
• If you plan to use Agent 365 in production:
  • Start an Agent 365 trial or purchase a paid license.
  • Review which workloads and features in your tenant require Agent 365 licensing.
• To opt out of the Frontier program:
  1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
  2. Go to Copilot > Settings > Copilot Frontier.
  3. Set access to No access.
• Share this update with your security, compliance, and helpdesk teams to set expectations about GA versus preview experiences.

Learn more:

• Get started with Microsoft Agent 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Install the Global Secure Access client for Windows | Global Secure Access | Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn
• Microsoft Agent 365: The Control Plane for Agents 
• Monitor agents with Microsoft Defender | Microsoft Agent 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Protect agent identities with Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Agent 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Start an Agent 365 trial
• Use Microsoft Purview to manage data security & compliance for Microsoft Agent 365 | Microsoft Purview | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

• Xbox mode is now available on Windows 11 PCs, including laptops, desktops, and tablets. Xbox mode provides a streamlined, full-screen interface that places games front and center while minimizing background activity. You can enter Xbox mode from the Xbox app, Game Bar settings, or by pressing the Windows logo key + F11.
• You can now experience haptic feedback on supported input devices when performing certain actions, such as aligning objects in PowerPoint, snapping or resizing windows. Haptic feedback can be managed in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, Touchpad, or Pen > Haptic signals.
• Enterprise State Roaming (ESR) can now be managed through Windows Backup for Organizations policies, simplifying configuration for IT administrators. To learn more, see Enterprise State Roaming.
• This update adds support for a dynamic app removal list to the “Remove Default Microsoft Store Packages” policy for Windows Enterprise and Education. Administrators can remove additional MSIX/APPX apps by specifying package family names using Group Policy. For more information, see Policy-based in-box app removal.​​​​​​​
• This update improves the performance of launching startup apps after starting your device (apps listed under Settings > Apps > Startup).

• Windows 11, version 26H1: KB5083806
• Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2: KB5083631

[Introduction]

Microsoft Teams is improving the call transfer experience on desktop (Windows and Mac) to make transferring calls faster and more intuitive. This update simplifies the workflow, reduces the number of steps required, and helps users quickly find the right transfer target.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 561028.

[When this will happen:]

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

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• All Microsoft Teams users on desktop (Windows and Mac) using Teams Phone

What will happen:

• Transfer and Consult transfer are now separate top-level actions in the call controls. Previously, both options were grouped under a single Transfer button that opened a dropdown menu, requiring two clicks to initiate either action. Transfer and Consult transfer buttons are now available directly in the call controls, reducing each to a single click.

Screenshot: Teams call screen showing an active call; the call control bar at the top shows that the Consult and Transfer buttons are available during the call:



• Suggested transfer targets. When a user opens the transfer dialog, they’ll see a list of suggested contacts based on their transfer history, displayed as quick-select options beneath the search bar. This helps users who frequently transfer calls to the same people quickly find the right person without searching. Suggestions are scoped to the user’s primary line and do not include transfers made on behalf of delegate or shared lines.
• Updated default transfer behavior. Based on user feedback, the default transfer type has changed from safe transfer to blind transfer. With blind transfer, the call is handed off immediately, and the user can move on without waiting for the target to answer. Previously, the default was safe transfer, which kept the call window open until the target picked up and rang back if the target did not answer. Safe transfer is still available by enabling the “Ring Back” toggle in the transfer dialog.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required before the rollout.
• You may consider the following:
• Inform users about the updated call transfer experience.
• Update internal training materials or documentation.
• Prepare helpdesk teams to support user questions.

Learn more: Transfer a call in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)

[Compliance considerations:]

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

[Introduction]

We’re introducing Calendar Agent capabilities in Microsoft 365 Copilot to help users reduce meeting overload and automate routine calendar decisions. With natural-language instructions, users can allow Copilot to automatically accept, follow, decline, or remove canceled meetings based on rules they define. This capability builds on existing Copilot agent controls and respects current tenant compliance and governance settings, while helping users save time and stay focused.

[When this will happen]

Rolling out to Frontier:

• Rollout start: Late April 2026
• Rollout end: Early May 2026

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license using:
  • Outlook (classic and new)
  • Outlook on the web
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Outlook mobile (iOS and Android)
• IT admins who manage Copilot agent access and policies in Microsoft 365

What will happen

• Calendar Agent capabilities will appear in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat from calendar-related surfaces.
• Users can enable agent actions by selecting Allow Actions (Frontier) in Copilot Chat.
• Users can create ongoing, natural-language calendar instructions (for example, “Always accept meetings from my manager if my calendar is free”).
• Calendar Agent respects each user’s Outlook working hours settings.
• A new activity history view will show actions taken by Copilot, grouped by Accepted, Followed, Declined, and Deleted, with an explanation for each action.
• The feature is enabled by default for users who have Copilot and are allowed to use agents.
• No new admin controls are introduced; existing Copilot agent policies apply.
• Calendar Agent acts only on the signed-in user’s calendar and does not operate across mailboxes or tenants.

What is not changing:

• Existing admin policies, permissions, retention, and compliance boundaries remain unchanged.
• No changes are made to data residency, audit logging, or Purview enforcement.

[What you can do to prepare]

• No action is required if your organization already allows Copilot agents.
• Review your existing Copilot agent policies to confirm which users are permitted to enable agent actions.
• Consider notifying helpdesk or end users that Copilot may take automated calendar actions once users enable the feature.
• Update internal guidance if you document Copilot or Outlook calendar behavior.

Learn more: 

• Copilot in Outlook: New agentic experiences for email and calendar | Outlook Blog
• Frontier program – Microsoft Adoption

[Compliance considerations]

[Introduction]

Starting May 30, Microsoft Copilot Studio agents that are currently configured to use Claude Sonnet 4.5 will be automatically migrated to newer, supported models. This migration aligns Copilot Studio with modern model capabilities, consistent platform support, and long-term reliability. Claude Sonnet 4.5 will be moved to a retired state.

[When this will happen]

• April 30, 2026: Evaluation window opens. Makers can test and update agents to newer supported models. This evaluation window allows you to test and select the model that best meets your needs before automatic migration occurs.
• May 30, 2026: Claude Sonnet 4.5 moves to a retired state and phased automatic migration begins.
• June 30, 2026: Final migration deadline after deferral; all remaining agents are migrated automatically.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Admins and makers using Microsoft Copilot Studio
• Organizations with Copilot Studio agents currently configured to use Claude Sonnet 4.5

What will happen

• Any agents still using Claude Sonnet 4.5 on May 30, 2026, will be automatically migrated to Claude Sonnet 4.6.
• From April 30 to May 30, 2026, makers can test and proactively migrate agents to Claude Sonnet 4.6 or another supported model to validate behavior before automatic migration begins.
• Automatic migration will occur in a phased rollout beginning May 30.
• Admins can enable a one-time 30-day deferral of automatic migration (until June 30) using the Continue using retired models toggle.
• After June 30, all remaining agents will be migrated automatically.
• Agent configurations, flows, integrations, security, compliance, and governance controls remain unchanged.
• Responses may vary after migration due to differences in model behavior (for example, tone, formatting, or response quality).
• Usage analytics and reporting will reflect the new model after migration.
• Agents not using Claude Sonnet 4.5 are not affected.

[What you can do to prepare]

We recommend that administrators and makers: 

• Review Copilot Studio agents in your tenant to identify any using Claude Sonnet 4.5.
• Test business-critical agents with Claude Sonnet 4.6 and/or Opus 4.6 during the April 30–May 30 evaluation window.
• If appropriate for your scenarios, you may also evaluate other supported models, such as Opus 4.6, during this period.
• If you encounter issues during evaluation, contact Microsoft Support through your standard support channels. 
• If you need more time to validate agents, you can defer automatic migration once for 30 days. To defer migration, enable the Continue using retired models toggle in Copilot Studio settings before May 30, 2026.
• Communicate expected response changes to stakeholders and helpdesk teams.
• Update internal documentation that references Claude Sonnet 4.5.
• Review Copilot Studio documentation for model selection and agent testing guidance.

Learn more:

• Continue using a retired AI model | Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
• Microsoft Copilot Studio documentation | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

[Introduction]

Microsoft is introducing Legal Agent for Word, a new vertical-specific Microsoft 365 Copilot experience designed for legal professionals. Built directly into Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word, Legal Agent helps legal teams review and negotiate contracts more efficiently by identifying risks, comparing clauses to internal playbooks, and proposing edits using Word’s native tracked changes. This update reduces manual review time while keeping legal professionals fully in control of document workflows.

[When this will happen]

• Public Preview (Frontier program, opt-in):
  • Rollout start: Late April 2026
  • Rollout complete: Late April 2026
• Availability is for US-based tenants.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• US tenants enrolled in the Frontier Public Preview program
• Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license
• Legal professionals using the Word desktop app

What will happen

• A new Legal Agent option will appear in Copilot Chat in Word (via the plus menu).
• Users can:
  • Review contracts to identify risks and non‑standard clauses
  • Generate negotiation‑ready redlines using Word tracked changes
  • Compare clauses against internal legal playbooks
  • Analyze specific sections for compliance with organizational standards
  • Receive AI‑generated responses grounded in document text with citations
• The feature is available by default once the tenant is enrolled in the Frontier program.
• There is no separate admin or user toggle to disable Legal Agent; access is controlled through Frontier enrollment and Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.
• No separate installation is required.
• To get the agent, simply restart Word.
• Existing Microsoft 365 security, compliance, governance, and audit controls are respected.

[What you can do to prepare]

• Enroll your tenant in the Frontier Public Preview program (opt‑in required).
• Confirm Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses are assigned to eligible users.
• Review internal legal workflows that may benefit from:
  • Contract and clause analysis
  • Playbook‑based reviews
  • AI‑assisted redlining
• Inform legal teams (in‑house counsel, contract managers, paralegals, legal ops) about the new capability.
• Update internal documentation or helpdesk guidance if needed.

No admin action is required beyond Frontier enrollment and licensing.

Learn more: 

• Agents in Microsoft 365 | AI Agents Hub | Microsoft Adoption
• Frontier program – Microsoft Adoption

[Compliance considerations]

• Ask questions in context: Ask questions directly within an opportunity to tailor meeting prep, assess risks, and plan next steps for the current stage.
• Start concise, go deeper on demand: Begin with action-oriented insights, then request deeper analysis only when needed.
• Stage-move readiness: Request guidance when preparing to advance an opportunity to the next stage.

• Trigger-based refresh: Configure which insights refresh automatically when high-value signals change.
• On-demand depth controls: Control which insights are generated only on request to manage cost and message consumption.
• Balanced guidance: Tune responsiveness vs. efficiency while keeping guidance timely and relevant.

• Power Apps (apps.powerapps.com)
• Power Apps Studio (make.powerapps.com)
• Power Automate (make.powerautomate.com)
• Power Pages design studio (make.powerpages.microsoft.com)
• Power Platform admin center (admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com)
• Copilot Studio (copilotstudio.microsoft.com)
• Power Apps vibe (vibe.powerapps.com)
• Project Sophia (projectsophia.microsoft.com)

We've released updates to the following update channel for Microsoft 365 Apps:

• Current Channel

[When this will happen:]

We'll be gradually rolling out this update of Microsoft 365 Apps to users on that update channel starting April 30th, 2026 (PST).

[How this will affect your organization:]

If your Microsoft 365 Apps clients are configured to automatically update from the Office Content Delivery Network (CDN), then no action is required.

If you manage updates directly you can now download this latest update and begin deployment.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To get more details about this update view the following release notes:

• Current Channel