Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 13-02-2025

The In development for Microsoft Intune page in our documentation has been updated.

How does this affect me?

The In development page provides a list of features in upcoming releases of Microsoft Intune to assist in your readiness and planning. The list has now been updated. You will start seeing these changes in the next month or in a subsequent release.

What do I need to prepare for this change?

You can inform your IT staff and helpdesk of the upcoming changes listed on this page. Plan to update your user guidance, if you feel any of these features would be important to your users.

Additional Information

Intune In development

Before this rollout, users can apply a sensitivity label to a non-Office file or a PDF file in Microsoft Windows to apply protection that encapsulates the file into a .pfile file type that can verify user authorization and rights on the file. A user who needs to modify and collaborate with others on a .pfile can use Microsoft Purview Information protection (MPIP) to remove the label and protection on the .pfile, make changes, and then reapply the label and protection to the updated file.

After this rollout, Microsoft Purview Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (EDLP) will be able to simplify and protect the collaboration experience in managed Windows devices in conjunction with the MPIP client. Non-Office files and PDF files stored on managed devices will be labeled while retaining their original file types to allow a user to modify and update the file on their device. When a user copies and uploads a labeled file to a destination external to their Windows device, EDLP will help enforce the rights protection by converting the file to a .pfile for secure sharing to other users. If the other users are also protected with EDLP, they can use MPIP to remove the label on the shared files before collaborating.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 476494.

[When this will happen:]

Public Preview: We will begin rolling out mid-March 2025 and expect to complete by mid-April 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-May 2025 and expect to complete by mid-June 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

There is no change to your organization current’s use of labels on non-Office files and PDF files. This feature requires enablement by admins in the Purview portal.

In the Purview portal, go to the Data Loss Prevention settings to enable this feature for users.

After the feature is enabled, users with MPIP installed will be able to convert any .pfile that the users have permissions to access on their trusted Windows devices.

When users try to transfer an RMS-labeled file (Microsoft Azure Rights Management Services) to a destination outside the managed device, EDLP will notify the user that the file will be converted to a .pfile.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

There is no impact to your current Data Loss Prevention configuration in your organization. Admins can look at public documentation to understand the feature. [please provide helpful inks]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your current configuration to determine the impact for your organization. You may want to notify your users and admins about this change and update any relevant documentation.

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

Coming soon for Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: We will increase the limits for Hold policies for eDiscovery Premium. You will be able to add more locations into a single Hold policy within a case. This message applies to the new Purview portal only. Classic eDiscovery and Microsoft Graph are not currently supported.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-February 2025 and expect to complete by late February 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

After this rollout:

• We will increase the maximum number of mailboxes in a single case hold from 1000 to 2000. This limit includes the combined total of user mailboxes and the mailboxes associated with Microsoft 365 groups, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Viva Engage groups.
• We will increase the maximum number of sites in a single case hold from 100 to 2000. This limit includes the combined total of Microsoft OneDrive sites, Microsoft SharePoint sites, and the sites associated with Microsoft 365 groups, Teams, and Viva Engage groups.
• Overall, the maximum allowed locations in a premium case hold policy in a premium case is 4000.
• The limits for holds for a standard case remain the same as before this rollout: The maximum number of mailboxes is 1000 and the maximum number of sites is 100.

No other settings for eDiscovery hold will change after this rollout.

If your organization downgrades its eDiscovery license from premium to standard, we will not remove existing holds, but you will not be allowed to add new holds. For example, for a policy with a high number of locations (such as 1500 mailboxes and 1500 sites), if the case setting or the license is downgraded to E3, you will not be able to add more locations (based on E3 limits), but you will be able to remove locations.

Learn more: eDiscovery (Premium) limits | Microsoft Learn

[What you need to do to prepare:]

No changes needed from the customer side for this change. The change will be available via backend enhancement and will apply to new as well as existing hold policies.

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your current configuration to determine the impact for your organization. You may want to notify your admins about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Users will be able to summarize files with Summarize for me using Microsoft Copilot within one-on-one or group Microsoft Teams chats. This feature will work on common file types like Word and PDF initially, and other file formats will be added over time. This summarization respects the file’s security policies, ensuring that only users with access to the file receive a summary, which will carry the same sensitivity label as the original file. A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to use this feature.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 418564.

 [When this will happen:] 

Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out early March 2025 and expect to complete by mid-March 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late March 2025 and expect to complete by mid-April 2025.

General Availability (GCC): We will begin rolling out mid-May 2025 and expect to complete by mid-June 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

Users will be able to summarize files with Summarize for me in Copilot within Teams chats.

This feature will be available by default.  

[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.

Coming soon to new Microsoft Outlook for Windows desktop and Microsoft Outlook for the web: A None color category that users can apply to Mail and Calendar items. This update provides parity with classic Outlook and more flexibility and customization for users to categorize their emails and calendar events. By selecting the None option, users can choose to have items without a designated color, allowing for cleaner organization and more control over which items stand out visually.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 469035.

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: We began rolling out late December 2024 and expect to complete by late February 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late February 2025 and expect to complete by late March 2025.

General Availability (GCC, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out late March 2025 and expect to complete by late April 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

Before this rollout, the None color category displayed as gray.

After the rollout:

• Mail items will not have a color, which is the same behavior in classic Microsoft Outlook.
• Calendar items will retain the default category color related to the user’s chosen theme, which is the same behavior as the previous version of Outlook.

This change will be available by default.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before or after the rollout. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Learn more: Create and assign color categories in Outlook – Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)

#newoutlookforwindows

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

• Current Channel
• Monthly Enterprise Channel
• Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview)
• 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 February 11th, 2025 (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
• Current Channel
• Monthly Enterprise Channel
• Monthly Enterprise Channel
• Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview)
• Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview)
• Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

• Users will be able to describe the purpose of their agent in natural language, including instructions such as tone that the agent should follow.
• Users will be able to configure the agent in the configure tab, providing inputs such as website grounding or including SharePoint files and connectors.
• Users will be able to test the agent within the test chat pane prior to publishing.

• Dataflows
• Bring your own Azure Datalake Gen2 (Data can be in CSV, parquet, and delta-parquet format.)
• OneLake through Fabric Lakehouse (Data can be in CSV, parquet, and delta-parquet format.)

• Downloading the process model is not required, reducing strain on your local resources.
• Hardware requirements for large process models are not required.
• Desktop application updates are no longer required when processing analytical operations.

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Scheduling, setting up, and managing an event is not a simple task. Which is why we allow co-organizer to be added to the event so they can work alongside or on behalf of the organizer. So far co-organizers were able to set up event theming, manage registration, meeting options, view reports and more but were not able to edit event details like title, date/time, description, event group; nor publish or cancel event. Now they can! Co-organizer can edit event details, publish, and cancel the event like the organizer can. So once the co-organizer is added they will have full parity of experience as organizer and control/manage/edit event. 

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 168524

[When this will happen:]

Targeted release: We will begin rolling out mid-January 2025 (previously early January) and expect to complete by mid-January 2024 (previously mid-December).

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): We will begin rolling out mid-January 2025 (previously mid-December) and expect to complete by late February 2025 (previously mid-January).

[How this will affect your organization:]

When co-organizer opens the event scheduling page, they should have the ability to edit the details page, publish, and cancel the event. 

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Nothing required to prepare.

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Coming soon to Microsoft Purview | Data Loss Prevention: When an admin wants to enable user email notifications, policy tips also need to be enabled and vice versa. After this rollout, notifications and policy tips will be decoupled, and admins can configure the following rules to enable:

1. Only a user email notification
2. Only a policy tip
3. A user email notification and a policy tip
4. No policy tips or user email notifications

After this rollout, policy tips and user email notifications will align with the behavior currently available with Microsoft Exchange.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 394279.

[When this will happen:]

Public Preview: We will begin rolling out late June 2025 (previously late January) and expect to complete by late July 2025 (previously late February).

General Availability Worldwide: We will begin rolling out late August 2025 (previously late March) and expect to complete by late September 2025 (previously late April). 

[How this will affect your organization:]

After rollout, to configure policy tips and user email notifications, you can use PowerShell or Purview | Data Loss Prevention.

In PowerShell

After rollout, use the new parameter called -NotifyUserType with the cmdlets New-DlpComplianceRule and Set-DlpComplianceRule.

Use New-DlpComplianceRule to create a new rule. Use Set-DlpComplianceRule to update an existing rule.

• Default value: NotSet
• To enable a policy tip: PolicyTip
• To enable a user email notification: Email
• To enable a user email notification and a policy tip: Email,PolicyTip

Example 1: New-DlpComplianceRule -Name "PT rule" -Policy "Policy Name" -ContentContainsSensitiveInformation @{Name="India Unique Identification (Aadhaar) Number"} -NotifyUserType PolicyTip -NotifyUser SiteAdmin,LastModifier,Owner

Example 2: Set-DlpComplianceRule -Identity "Rule Name" -NotifyUserType Email

To check that the value is set correctly, check the following and check the parameter value for NotifyUserType:

Get-DlpComplianceRule -Identity "Rule Name" | fl

In Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Before rollout:

After rollout:

DLP examples

Rule 1: Configured to only trigger a user email notification:

Rule 2: Configured to only trigger a policy tip:

Rule 3: Configured to trigger a user email notification and a policy tip:

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified dates with no admin action required before the rollout. You may want to update any relevant documentation as appropriate.

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

The Universal Print anywhere feature offers customers Pull Print queue functionality through Microsoft Universal Print. This feature allows admins to configure one or more virtual printer queues and map any number of registered printers in Universal Print to these virtual printer queues. The goal is to simplify the end-user’s experience as the user only needs to know the one printer for their region/location and can walk up to any physical printer near them to securely release their print jobs.

Universal Print anywhere is initially paired with the Secure release with QR code functionality. Additional secure release options will be made available in the future.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 395937.

[When this will happen:]

Public Preview: We will begin rolling out late November 2024 (previously early October) and expect to complete by late December 2024 (previously late October).

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC High, GCC): We plan to begin rolling out late May 2025 (previously late January) and expect to complete by late June 2025 (previously late February).

[How this will affect your organization:]

This is a new feature, and we do not expect any impact on your existing use of Universal Print.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Admins should set aside some test printers that are configured with Secure release with QR code. Additionally, admins should make sure the mobile Microsoft 365 app is installed on their mobile devices through the mobile device’s application store/marketplace and the appropriate organization user account is configured in the Microsoft 365 app.

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

In mid-January, Microsoft Copilot will become available to users with an Entra account in Microsoft Teams and Outlook. If pinned, Entra users will be able to access the Microsoft Copilot app directly from the left rail in Outlook and Teams. On Teams Mobile, the pinned app will show up in the top header. Microsoft Copilot will also become available in the Store for users to add on their own, managed by the same admin settings used for app availability today. Outlook Mobile will have Copilot show up in the tab bar starting in February.

Note: During the rollout, the Microsoft Copilot app will temporarily be available for Semi-Annual Channel users of classic Outlook for Windows. These clients will respect admin and user preferences, but we typically do not show Copilot features in Semi-Annual Channel of classic Outlook for Windows. After customers update to Version 2408 or newer, the Microsoft Copilot app will once again be hidden for Semi-Annual Channel users.

In addition, users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will have Copilot automatically pinned in the left rail in Teams, along with the Copilot chat that is automatically pinned in the Teams Chat pane for them today.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 420330

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): The Microsoft 365 Copilot app will be pinned by default in the Teams left rail staring late January 2025 (previously mid-January) and is expected to complete by late February 2025 (previously late January).

• On Teams Mobile, the pinned app will show up in the top header. 
• Outlook Mobile will have Copilot show up in the tab bar starting in mid-February 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide): The Microsoft Copilot app will be available to install and pin in Outlook starting mid-February 2025 (previously late January) and is expected to complete by mid-March 2025 (previously late February). The Microsoft Copilot app has now shipped 100% worldwide to Teams and is available to install and pin.

[How this will affect your organization:]

Starting mid-January, Microsoft Copilot admins and users will be able to pin the Copilot app in Teams and Outlook. Copilot will not be pinned by default for users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. If pinned, users will be able to access the Microsoft Copilot app in Teams and Outlook.

If your admins or users previously chose to pin Microsoft Copilot across the M365 app, Teams, and Outlook before pinning was released on Teams and Outlook, Microsoft Copilot will be retroactively pinned for them there.

Microsoft Copilot will also be added to the Store for users to add on their own. For licensed users, Microsoft 365 Copilot has already been installed, and users can open it from the Store.

Finally, in Teams, users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will be able to access Copilot in the left rail as a pinned app by default, along with the Teams Chat pane where they can find it today. On Teams Mobile, users can access Copilot in the top header, and on Outlook Mobile in the tab bar.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Admins can control if Microsoft Copilot is pinned in Teams and Outlook using the same Copilot pinning control shared previously to pin Copilot in the Microsoft 365 app. Admins can also pin Microsoft Copilot in Teams by adding Copilot to Pinned apps in app Setup policies and assigning the policies to unlicensed users in Teams admin center.

With the pinning control, you have the option to pin or not pin Copilot for your users. If you select to not pin Copilot, you also have the option to allow your users to be notified to make this choice. If no action is taken, Copilot will not be pinned but users will be notified to pin it themselves.

Users can unpin Copilot in Outlook. Users can unpin Copilot in Teams if User pinning is enabled in app Setup policies.

Currently, you can remove access to Copilot in the Microsoft 365 app and copilot.cloud.microsoft as documented in Removing access to Microsoft Copilot. These controls will continue to be respected as the Copilot app rolls out in Outlook and Teams.

In addition, you will be able to allow and block the Copilot app from appearing in Outlook, the Microsoft 365 app and copilot.cloud.microsoft through Microsoft 365 admin center (MAC) like you would manage availability for any other app. These controls are already provided today for Microsoft Teams through Teams admin center.

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Coming soon to new Microsoft Outlook for Windows desktop and Outlook for the web: Notifications will be batched in the Notifications pane.

Batches are groups of cards in the user’s Notification pane separated by subject. Items from the same email thread, document, spreadsheet, etc. will be grouped into a batch. This message applies to new Outlook for Windows and Outlook for the web.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 470021.

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out early December 2024 (previously late November) and expect to complete by late December 2024.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late February 2025 (previously early January) and expect to complete by late March 2025 (previously early February).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Users can access the Notification pane by selecting the bell icon in the top right corner of Outlook. Batched notifications have a chevron (^) in the top right corner. Users can expand the chevron to see all related messages:

This feature will be available by default.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation.

#newoutlookforwindows

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.

We are introducing the App Management Unification Impact report, a new tool that offers administrators a comprehensive preview of changes to app and tenant settings before the implementation of the unified management of Microsoft Teams apps (MC796790). This report brings awareness to the expected changes, enabling admins to adjust settings in Teams admin center or Microsoft 365 admin center before unification is applied. The report is available only in tenants that have migrated to Microsoft App Centric management (MC688930).

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late February 2025 (previously early February) and expect to complete by early March 2025 (previously late February).

[How this will affect your organization:]

The report will be available on the Manage Apps page in the Teams admin center to preview changes to app or tenant settings resulting from the upcoming release of unified app management.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Administrators should run the App Management Unification Impact report from the Manage Apps page in the Teams admin center. This report will display apps and agents listed in the Teams admin center along with their tenant settings and app availability values as well as those in the Integrated Apps page of the Microsoft 365 admin center. The report will show the projected unification outcomes for each app and agent, enabling administrators to preview changes resulting from the upcoming release of unified app management (announced in MC796790, roadmap item 393931). The report will use the merge logic previously shared in public documentation. Administrators may need to make changes in either the Teams admin center or Microsoft 365 admin center and coordinate with other departments.

Updated February 12, 2025: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.

Multi-tenant organization (MTO) users will be able to see additional work information in people search results. With this feature, MTO users will be able to see the company name and department name of a user in people search results, helping users to make sure they are communicating with the right people.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out late February 2025 (previously early February) and expect to complete by late March 2025 (previously late February).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Tenant admins who have MTO enabled will be able to toggle this feature on and off in the Teams admin center.

Toggle behavior:

• This toggle will be off by default.
• Turning on the toggle will enable the ability to see company name and department name in results.
• Turning off the toggle will disable the ability to see company name and department name in results.

Instructions to toggle:

1. Navigate to the Teams admin center (TAC).
2. Navigate to the Teams Client Config page.
3. Using the Enable Extended Work Info in People Search toggle:

a. Switch the toggle to on to enable the ability to see company name and department name in results.

b. Switch the toggle to off to disable the ability to see company name and department name in results.

For more information, see Set up a multitenant org in Microsoft 365.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Tenant admins will need to complete cross-tenant synchronization and sync the company name field in order to take advantage of this feature.

For more information, see Synchronize users in multitenant organizations in Microsoft 365.

Updated February 5, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Coming soon to Microsoft SharePoint: The new Preview mode can be used to understand how Pages and News posts will appear on different device types when viewed by an audience.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 473452.

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out mid-February 2025 (previously late January) and expect to complete by late March 2025 (previously late February).

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out late March 2025 (previously late February) and expect to complete by late April 2025 (previously late March).

[How this will affect your organization:]

After this rollout, a Preview button will display in the command bar while users are editing Pages and News posts in SharePoint. After selecting Preview, users can see what the page will look like in view mode for the audience. When previewing Pages, users can navigate between Desktop and Mobile device types. When previewing News posts, users can also choose to view the email version as Desktop or Mobile device types.

This change will be available by default.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

You may want to notify users, update your user training, and prepare your help desk.

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before or after the rollout.

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