Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 11-03-2026

Updated March 10, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

You can now switch between accounts on the Copilot chat tab on iOS and Android. Simply swipe left to open the left-navigation and select from the list of supported accounts.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 490213

[When this will happen:]

1. General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): We will begin rolling out in early September 2025 (previously early July) and expect to complete by end of May 2026 (previously early February).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Currently, users are only able to access the Copilot Chat tab with their default account or privacy, even if they have other accounts that support Copilot. With account-switching on iOS and Android, users will be able to access Copilot Chat from other accounts that support Copilot, enabling them to access their chat history and graph data associated with those accounts.

iOS:

Android:

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically with no admin action required. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation as appropriate.

Updated March 10, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re updating the SharePoint Maps web part to use Azure Maps as its data provider. This migration modernizes the mapping experience, improves reliability, and aligns SharePoint with Microsoft’s long-term mapping platform strategy. Most existing functionality will continue to work as expected.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): Rollout will begin in mid-March 2026 (previously early March) and complete by mid-April 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Organizations using the SharePoint Maps web part (formerly Bing Maps) on modern SharePoint pages.
• Admins responsible for allowlists, network security, or governance of SharePoint sites.

What will happen:

• The Bing Maps web part will be renamed to Maps.
• Azure Maps services are currently available except in China. 
• Place and Address search will continue to work.
• Business Entity search (searching for organizations or points of interest by name) will no longer be supported.
• Autosuggestions will no longer support Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.
• Bird’s eye and Street view modes will be removed, with automatic fallback to Road view.
• No admin toggle is provided; migration occurs automatically.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Add atlas.microsoft.com to your organization’s allowlist if applicable.
• Confirm network access, firewall, and proxy configurations allow traffic to this domain.
• Review SharePoint pages that use the Maps web part.
• Communicate this change to site owners or helpdesk staff.
• Update internal documentation if needed.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated March 10, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. 

Introduction

To reduce notification noise and improve signal quality, Microsoft will disable Teams Meeting Recording (TMR) expiration notification emails. Customer feedback indicates these emails generate high volume with minimal engagement. Only the email notifications are being removed; recording expiration and deletion behavior remains unchanged.

When this will happen

June 1, 2026

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:

• All Microsoft 365 tenants
• Users who receive Teams meeting recording expiration emails

What will happen:

• Users will no longer receive email notifications when a Teams meeting recording expires.
• Recording expiration and deletion policies remain unchanged.
• No admin action or policy updates are required.
• This change is enabled by default.

What you can do to prepare

• No action is required.
• Optionally notify users and helpdesk teams of this change.
• Update internal documentation if it references expiration emails.
• Learn more and reply to our survey: Upcoming change: disabling Teams meeting recording expiration notification emails | Tech Community

Compliance considerations

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

Updated March 10, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re enhancing Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat by enabling users to draft, edit, and send Outlook email directly within Copilot Chat. When Microsoft 365 Copilot identifies an email‑writing intent, it will open an embedded Outlook compose form. This improvement reduces context switching and streamlines everyday communication workflows.

[When this will happen]

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in late March 2026 (previously early March) and is expected to complete by late April 2026 (previously early April).

[How this will affect your organization]

Who is affected

• Users licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Users with Exchange Online mailboxes
• Users accessing Copilot Chat on desktop (“big screen”)

What will happen

• When users ask Copilot to draft an email, an embedded Outlook compose form will appear directly within Copilot Chat: 

  

• Users will be able to:
  • Edit the email content
  • Modify recipients
  • Send the email from within Copilot Chat
  • Open the draft in Outlook to continue editing
• The feature will be on by default for all eligible users.
• Availability:
  • Available: Copilot Chat desktop app
  • Not available: Copilot Chat mobile app or chat sidebar
• Existing Outlook and Exchange Online policies—including DLP—continue to apply.
• No admin configuration changes or new controls are introduced.

Note: Access to this feature requires an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

[What you can do to prepare]

No action is required.

You may choose to:

• Inform your helpdesk and end users about this new email‑drafting experience in Copilot Chat.
• Update internal documentation if you describe Copilot Chat workflows.
• Review which users in your organization are licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot.

[Compliance considerations]

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

• This security update includes improvements that were a part of update KB5077181 (released February 10, 2026).
• This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates.
• This update adds high‑confidence device targeting, expanding coverage for automatic Secure Boot certificate delivery.
• This update improves File Explorer search reliability when searching across multiple drives or “This PC”. 
• This update improves the reliability of choosing trusted catalog files. It adds a warning dialog that helps you confirm that the file you select comes from a trusted source. ​​​​​​​

• Windows 11, version 26H1: KB5079466
• Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2: KB5079473
• Windows 11, version 23H2: KB5078883
• Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024: Hotpatch KB5079420
• Windows 10, versions 22H2 and 21H2: KB5078885
• Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and Windows Server 2019: KB5078752
• Windows 10 LTSB 2016 and Windows Server 2016: KB5078938
• Windows Server 2025: KB5078740
• Windows Server 2025 Datacenter: Azure Edition: Hotpatch KB5078736
• Windows Server 2022: KB5078766
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition: Hotpatch KB5078737
• Windows Server 2012 R2: KB5078774
• Windows Server 2012: KB5078775

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

• Current Channel
• Monthly Enterprise Channel
• Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

[When this will happen:]

We'll be gradually rolling out these updates of Microsoft 365 Apps to users on those update channels starting March 10th, 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 these latest updates and begin deployment.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To get more details about these updates view the following release notes:

• Current Channel
• Monthly Enterprise Channel
• Monthly Enterprise Channel
• Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

Starting with the May 2026 Windows security update, Windows Autopatch is enabling hotpatch security updates by default because they are the quickest way to get secure. This change in default behavior will impact all eligible Intune devices. Additional controls are expected in April. 

[When this will happen:]

• Devices will start receiving hotpatch updates by default with the May 2026 Windows security update.
• A tenant setting to opt out of hotpatch updates is expected to be available on April 1, 2026, or soon after.

 [How this will affect your organization:]

Devices that meet hotpatch prerequisites will get secure faster because full Windows security updates are applied without waiting for a restart. Devices are secured as soon as the update is installed. You do not need to wait for devices to restart, saving on average three to five days.

Devices will restart during baseline months, which are January, April, July, and October.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

If you already use Windows Autopatch, no action is needed to get hotpatch updates enabled by default. We recommend keeping hotpatch updates enabled for your devices.

To maximize the number of devices receiving hotpatch updates, ensure they meet the prerequisites. Most commonly, this means enabling Virtualization-based Security (VBS) for x86 devices.

If you’re not ready for this change, you can opt out groups of devices using Quality Update policies or the whole tenant.

[Additional information:]

Read the announcement in Securing devices faster with hotpatch updates on by default.

Learn more about hotpatch updates with the following resources:

• Hotpatch updates
• Hotpatch for Windows client now available
• Hotpatching now available for 64-bit Arm architecture
• Hotpatch for client: Frequently asked questions
• Transforming security and compliance at Microsoft
• Hotpatch efficiency unlocked: Smaller update size
• YouTube: Inside hotpatch updates for Windows
• YouTube: Hotpatching 101: Enable virtualization-based security (VBS)

[Introduction]

Microsoft is retiring the -Credential parameter used when connecting to Exchange Online PowerShell. Starting with module versions released in July 2026 and later, the -Credential parameter will be removed from both Connect-ExchangeOnline and Connect-IppsSession cmdlets. Organizations using this parameter in automation scripts must migrate to a supported authentication method before that date. This change improves security by moving away from legacy authentication methods that do not support modern protections such as multifactor authentication (MFA).

[When this will happen:]

• The -Credential parameter will be removed from Connect-ExchangeOnline and Connect-IppsSession cmdlets in Exchange Online PowerShell module versions released beginning July 2026.
• A separate server-side retirement of the underlying authentication flow is planned for a later date and will be communicated in advance.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Microsoft 365 administrators using Exchange Online or Security & Compliance PowerShell
• Organizations with automation scripts that use the -Credential parameter

What will happen:

• If your organization uses the -Credential parameter in PowerShell scripts or automation workflows connecting to Exchange Online or Security & Compliance PowerShell, those scripts will break when you update to an Exchange Online PowerShell module version released beginning July 2026.
• No impact if your organization does not use the -Credential parameter

What you can do to prepare:

• If you are using the -Credential parameter, begin migrating your scripts now. Do not wait until July 2026. Choose the appropriate alternative based on your scenario:

• Interactive admin access: Switch to modern authentication with MFA. Learn more: Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.
• Automation outside Azure: Use app-only authentication (certificate-based or client secret). Learn more: App-only authentication for unattended scripts in Exchange Online PowerShell and Security & Compliance PowerShell.
• Automation within Azure: Use managed identity authentication (no secrets required). Learn more: Use Azure managed identities to connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.
• Review internal documentation and communicate changes to admins

• If you are not using the -Credential parameter, no action is required.

Additional information

This change is currently client-side only and will not take effect automatically. Your existing scripts will continue to work if you continue using an Exchange Online PowerShell module version released before July 2026. The -Credential parameter will only be removed when you upgrade to a module version released in July 2026 and later.

A separate server-side retirement of the Credential parameter authentication flow is planned for a later date. When that occurs, the -Credential parameter will stop functioning even on older module versions. Microsoft will communicate that timeline separately and provide advance notice before any service-side changes take effect.

We strongly recommend migrating proactively rather than waiting, to avoid disruption when either change occurs. If you have questions or concerns, contact Microsoft Support or leave a comment on the Exchange Team Blog post.

[Compliance considerations:]

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a new Follow option for meetings in Outlook Mobile.  This feature helps users stay informed when they cannot attend by prompting organizers to record the meeting and by ensuring followers receive key updates and follow‑up items.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in mid‑March 2026 and is expected to complete by mid‑April 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• All users who schedule or respond to meetings in Outlook Mobile. Attendees will only see the option to respond with Follow if a meeting has two or more participants and when the organizer has requested responses.

What will happen

• A new Follow option will appear as the third option in the mobile RSVP menu. To select “Maybe,” tap the three dots … : 

  

• The Maybe RSVP option will move into the overflow menu:  

  

• The No response option will move to the second position in the RSVP list.
• The feature will be on by default for all tenants.
• Organizers may receive prompts to record the meeting or address follow‑up items when attendees choose to Follow.
• No changes to existing Outlook or Exchange Online admin policies.

[What you can do to prepare]

No admin action is required.

Optional steps:

• Notify helpdesk and support teams about the updated RSVP options and UI behavior.
• Update internal end‑user documentation if your organization provides guidance for meeting responses.

Learn more: Follow a meeting in Outlook | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations]

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

[Introduction]

We are introducing a new satisfaction rate metric in the Microsoft 365 Copilot analytics dashboard. This metric aggregates user-provided thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback across Microsoft 365 apps over the past 28 days. It helps organizations understand how users perceive Copilot responses and provides improved visibility into sentiment trends. The satisfaction rate will appear in the Impact tab, with filtering options for scope, organization, and job function.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 496655.

[When this will happen]

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

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected:

• All Microsoft 365 tenants with users who have access to the Copilot analytics dashboard.
• Admins who manage Copilot feedback visibility or sentiment reporting.
• Users with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.

What will happen:

A new Satisfaction rate metric will appear in the Copilot analytics dashboard under the Impact tab.

• The metric aggregates all thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback on Copilot responses from the past 28 days.
• The dashboard will include a 4‑month backfill of satisfaction data, going back to Dec 16, 2025.
• Page‑level filters (organization, scope, job function) allow admins to view sentiment in more detail.
• For organizations that have enabled Copilot feedback collection in the Microsoft admin center, aggregated tenant‑level sentiment will appear automatically.
• No changes to user workflow; no admin policy configuration is required.

Screenshot 1 – View of the Satisfaction rate hero card:

Screenshot 2 – View of the Satisfaction rate – 6 month trend:

[What you can do to prepare]

No action is required.

However, you may choose to:

• Inform Copilot dashboard users about the new metric and how it can support sentiment analysis.
• Update internal documentation or helpdesk materials to include this new reporting capability.
• Review existing Copilot feedback settings in the Microsoft admin center if you want to manage how user sentiment is collected.

Learn more: Connect to the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard for Microsoft 365 customers | Viva Insights | Microsoft Viva | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

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