Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 17-06-2026

Updated June 15, 2026: We are updating this post as a reminder. SharePoint Alerts will be fully turned off starting in mid-July 2026. Please visit SharePoint Alerts retirement | Microsoft Community Hub for the latest updates and timelines.

Microsoft is retiring the SharePoint Alerts feature to streamline and modernize user notifications. With Power Automate, organizations can benefit from an enhanced, versatile solution that goes beyond traditional alerts, offering seamless integration across Microsoft 365 services and more.

Key Points

• Major: Retirement
• Timeline:
  • Starting from July 2025, the creation of new SharePoint Alerts will be gradually turned off for newly onboarding tenants.
  • Starting from October 2025, the SharePoint Alert expiration feature will be gradually activated. Once activated, any SharePoint Alert will have a validity of 30 days starting from its first run, then it will expire. Users can self-service re-enable expired SharePoint Alerts and extend their expiration for another 30 days. Re-enabling and extending SharePoint Alerts can be done by using the “Manage my alerts” list/library menu item, opening the SharePoint Alert to update, extending its expiration date and clicking OK. For more details refer to this support article.
  • Starting from January 2026, the creation of new SharePoint Alerts will be gradually turned off for all tenants.
  • Starting July 2026, Microsoft will remove the ability to use SharePoint Alerts, existing SharePoint Alerts cannot be extended anymore and will not work anymore.
• Action: Review and assess impact

How this will affect your organization

If your organization still uses SharePoint Alerts, they will no longer function from July 2026 onwards. We recommend customers to port their SharePoint Alerts to the Power Automate platform or alternatively create a SharePoint Rule. To help you with the transition to Power Automate the following set of Power Automate templates can be used by either browsing https://make.powerautomate.com/templates and searching for the template name or alternatively using the links. Template names and links are in the table below.

What you need to do to prepare

It’s recommended to update your user training content and prepare your help desk to support your organization with this retirement. SharePoint Alerts users will be notified of this feature retirement via banners in both the relevant SharePoint Online page and Alert emails and users can self-service extend the alerts they deem required.

For admins:

• Optionally use the Microsoft 365 Assessment tool to scan your tenants for SharePoint Alerts.
• Review the documentation on using Power Automate with SharePoint Online.
• Review the documentation on using SharePoint Rules.
• Note: There will not be an option to extend SharePoint Alerts beyond July 2026.

Learn more:

• Detailed support article with additional resources.

Updated June 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction:]

Microsoft Edge for Business will soon support summarization and contextual grounding with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. This enhancement enables users to ask Copilot questions about multiple open browser tabs, Microsoft 365 documents (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and YouTube videos directly from the Edge side pane.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 496364, 499423, and 499424.

[When this will happen:]

• General Availability (Multiple browser tabs and YouTube videos): Currently Available
• General Availability (Microsoft 365 documents): Rollout is expected to begin August 2026

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: Users signed in to Microsoft Edge for Business with their Entra ID and who have access to Microsoft 365 Copilot.

What will happen:

• Users will be able to ask Copilot questions about open browser tabs, Microsoft 365 documents, and YouTube videos.
• The feature will be off by default.
• If Copilot is restricted from accessing page content via Data Loss Prevention (DLP) or the EdgeEntraCopilotPageContext policy, it will be suppressed to maintain DLP integrity.
• Existing DLP and policy configurations will be respected.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date; no admin action is required before rollout.
• Ensure users who need this capability have access to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Ensure your tenant is configured to support Microsoft 365 Copilot and that eligible users meet all licensing prerequisites, including Entra ID sign-in and applicable Microsoft 365 service plans.
• Review your current DLP and Edge policy configurations to determine potential impact.
• Notify users about this upcoming capability.
• Update internal documentation if needed.

Learn more:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat in Edge and Access to Page Content | Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Learn
  
• Microsoft Edge – Policies | Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Learn
  

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated June 16, 2026: We have decided to pause GCCH release at this time. We will communicate via Message center when we are ready to proceed. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We are retiring SharePoint One‑Time Passcode (SPO OTP) authentication in OneDrive and SharePoint starting July 2026. Beginning in May 2026, new external sharing invitations and authentication will start using Microsoft Entra B2B instead of SPO OTP. This transition simplifies external collaboration, aligns authentication with Microsoft identity standards, and enables consistent guest lifecycle management, governance, and Conditional Access coverage across Microsoft 365.

[When this will happen]

• May & June 2026: Invitation and authentication for new external sharing transitions to Microsoft Entra B2B. Users who previously authenticated via SPO OTP will continue to have access to specific people links even without a B2B guest account yet.
• July 2026: Retirement of SPO OTP authentication begins. External users without a guest account get access denied on previously shared specific people links. To restore access, a guest account must be created in Entra B2B, or an allowed user must share/re-share at least one file/folder/site.
• Retirement is expected to complete by August 31, 2026.
• GCCH: We will communicate via Message center when we are ready to proceed.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• All Microsoft 365 tenants (commercial, government, sovereign).
• All external users who access OneDrive or SharePoint files, folders, or sites.

What will happen

• The EnableAzureADB2BIntegration setting will no longer control external sharing behavior beginning May 2026.
• SPO OTP authentication will retire beginning July 2026.
• The option to disable Entra B2B integration will be removed.

Impact on external users

• External users who already have an Entra B2B guest account in your directory:
  • No change in behavior.
• External users without a B2B guest account:
  • Specific people links shared after changes rolled out to your tenant:
    • A guest account will be automatically created via the Entra B2B Invitation Manager.
    • Authentication will use Entra B2B (email OTP available if enabled).
  • Specific people links shared before changes rolled out to your tenant:
    • SPO OTP authentication continues until July 2026.
    • After July 2026, these users will receive access denied until a matching B2B guest account exists.

Restoring access after retirement

• Admins can manually create a guest account for the external user at any time.
• Alternatively, an internal user with permissions needs to share or re-share at least one file, folder, or site, which will automatically create the guest account and restore access to all previously shared content.

[What you need to do to prepare]

No admin action is required. However, to ensure a smooth transition:

• Inform users that some external collaborators may see access denied beginning July 2026 for older links authenticated via SPO OTP.
• If your organization relies on email OTP authentication via Entra, ensure it is not disabled in Entra External ID settings. See Email OTP for B2B guests.
• Review external sharing policies and conditional access settings for guests in SharePoint and Entra admin centers.
• Optionally, identify external collaborators without guest accounts via external sharing reports. Proactively create guest accounts to retain access.
• Update internal documentation.

Learn more:

• Add and manage B2B collaboration users in the Microsoft Entra admin center | External ID | Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn
• Email one-time passcode authentication for B2B guest users | External ID | Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn
• Frequently Asked Questions: Improvements to external sharing in OneDrive & SharePoint | SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Overview: B2B collaboration with external guests for your workforce | External ID | Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn
• Quickstart: Add a guest user and send an invitation | External ID | Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn
• SharePoint and OneDrive integration with Microsoft Entra B2B | SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

Updated June 15, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re introducing endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) events as a queryable data source in Data Security Investigations (DSI) in Microsoft Purview. With this update, administrators can build endpoint DLP queries directly in DSI using filters such as date range, and DSI will automatically pull files associated with those events into the investigation for analysis. This integration helps security teams examine endpoint DLP activity at scale, reducing time and effort spent triaging individual alerts and improving the ability to identify patterns and potential data exfiltration scenarios.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558547.

[When this will happen]

• Public Preview: Rollout begins in early June 2026 (previously late April) and completes in early June 2026 (previously mid‑May).
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid-June 2026 (previously mid‑May) and completes in mid-June 2026 (previously mid‑May).

[How this will affect your organization]

Who is affected

Admins and security investigators using Data Security Investigations (DSI) and endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

What will happen

• A new Endpoint DLP tab will appear in the DSI search experience, alongside the existing Query Builder and Audit tabs.
• Admins and investigators can query endpoint DLP events using date range filters (additional filters coming soon).
• Files associated with matching endpoint DLP events will be automatically added to the investigation scope for analysis using DSI’s AI‑powered tools.
• This feature will appear automatically for eligible tenants when rollout completes. No admin action is required to enable it.
• There is no user impact.

[What you can do to prepare]

No action is required. Optionally, you may:

• Review how endpoint DLP query capabilities work within DSI.
• Update internal documentation for alert triage and investigation workflows, if applicable.
• Inform security teams and endpoint DLP administrators about this new capability.

Learn more: 

• Learn about Data Security Investigations | Microsoft Purview | Microsoft Learn
  
• Learn about Endpoint data loss prevention | Microsoft Purview | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

Updated June 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We are expanding the Data Security Posture Agent in Microsoft Purview with a new credential scanning capability. This update helps your organization discover exposed credentials and related data security risks across scoped locations. The agent analyzes selected data locations to detect sensitive credential types—including Microsoft Entra user credentials, private keys, and API tokens—and provides risk scores, AI-generated insights, confidence ratings, and credential categories so you can review, confirm, and take action from a single task board view.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558436.

[When this will happen]

• Public Preview: Rollout will begin in late March 2026 and complete by early April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in early October 2026 (previously late June) and complete by early November 2026 (previously early July).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Admins who manage Microsoft Purview and use the Data Security Posture Agent within Microsoft 365 tenants

What will happen

• A new credential scanning capability will be added to the Data Security Posture Agent under the Explore Agent tab (figures 1-5):

1.

2.

3.

4.

• The feature uses LLM-powered credential detection to:
  • Scan selected data locations for exposed credentials.
  • Detect Entra ID credentials, private keys, API tokens, and other credential types.

• Each finding includes:
  • A risk score
  • AI-generated insights
  • A confidence score
  • A credential category
• A task board experience will be available to track progress, review findings, and take action.

[What you can do to prepare]

• Set up the Data Security Posture Agent in Microsoft Purview > Explore Agent using the required admin roles.
• Communicate this change to your security and compliance teams.

Learn more: 

• Get started with Microsoft Purview Posture Agent in Data Security Investigations | Microsoft Learn
• Security Copilot Agents in Microsoft Purview overview | Microsoft Purview | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

Updated June 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

Copilot Notebooks enables users to generate Excel spreadsheets directly from the content and references collected in a notebook. Copilot creates a structured spreadsheet based on the notebook’s context, which can then be opened and edited in Excel. This capability streamlines the transition from ideas and source material into a usable spreadsheet by reducing manual setup and formatting.

[When this will happen:]

• Public Preview via Frontier: Rollout begins in late March 2026 and is expected to complete by late April 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in early June 2026 (previously late May) and is expected to complete by mid-June 2026 (previously early June).

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Users with access to Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Notebooks
• Organizations using Excel in Microsoft 365
• A Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license is required to use this feature

What will happen:

• Users will be able to generate an Excel spreadsheet from content and references stored in a Copilot Notebook.



• The generated spreadsheet opens in Excel and can be edited like any other Excel file.
• The feature is enabled by default for eligible users.
• Existing Microsoft 365 security, compliance, and Copilot policies are respected.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required.
• Review internal guidance or helpdesk documentation related to Copilot and Excel workflows.
• Consider notifying users that Copilot Notebooks can now generate Excel spreadsheets from notebook content.

Learn more: Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks | Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated June 15, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

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

In parallel, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat will unify Work and Web tabs into a single, streamlined Copilot Chat experience. As part of this change, Copilot Analytics will consolidate Copilot Chat (Work) and Copilot Chat (Web) reporting into one unified Copilot Chat metric.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 557981.

[When this will happen]

• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in mid-June 2026 (previously early June) and expect to complete in late June 2026 (previously mid-June).
• General Availability (GCC): We will begin rolling out in mid-June 2026 (previously early June) and expect to complete in late June 2025 (previously mid-June).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

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

What will happen

• New metrics will appear in the Copilot Dashboard and Advanced Analysis.
• Copilot Chat (Work) will be renamed as Copilot Chat, and Copilot Chat (web) will be renamed as Copilot Chat (legacy web).
• You will be able to track Copilot usage in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Microsoft Edge, and OneNote:

   

  

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

[What you can do to prepare]

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

[Compliance considerations]

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

[Introduction]

Today, Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) can only protect content after it’s saved to disk. Based on customer feedback and ongoing security investments, we’re introducing the ability to detect and block egress activities on unsaved files. This enhancement helps organizations prevent data leakage earlier in the workflow by applying DLP protection before content is written to the device.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 511791.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out this feature in early April 2026 and expect to complete by mid‑April 2026.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Organizations using Endpoint DLP in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal
• Admins who configure or manage Endpoint DLP policies
• Users on devices running anti‑malware Client version 4.18.26020 or later

What will happen

• New policy controls will be available that allow admins to detect or block egress activities involving unsaved files.
• When enabled:
  • Audit print and transfer activities for unsaved files: Endpoint DLP will log egress actions involving unsaved files.
  • Block print and transfer activities for unsaved files: Endpoint DLP will block egress actions involving unsaved files.
• Policy evaluation will begin earlier in the process, before a file is saved to disk.
• This feature is off by default and requires admin configuration to take effect.
• Existing policies continue to function with no changes unless these new settings are configured.

[What you can do to prepare]

• Ensure devices in scope are running anti‑malware Client version 4.18.26020 or later.
• Review your existing Endpoint DLP policies and determine whether to enable the new unsaved‑file controls.
• Update internal documentation or helpdesk materials that describe DLP behavior.
• Communicate these upcoming policy options to your security and compliance teams.

[Compliance considerations]

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

Updated June 15, 2026: We have updated the content and timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 558922.

[When this will happen:]

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

*Simulcast for Zoom is pending bug fixes for rollout.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Organizations hosting Microsoft Teams meetings with participants joining via Direct Guest Join from Zoom, Google Meet, or Cisco devices.

What will happen:

• Meetings joined through Direct Guest Join will support up to 16 participant videos in a 4×4 video grid.
• Simulcast streaming will improve video quality and reliability across heterogeneous meeting platforms.
• The enhancement is enabled by default.
• No changes are required to existing Teams policies or meeting workflows.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required.
• Inform users about upcoming improvements to cross‑platform meeting quality.
• Update internal documentation or helpdesk guidance if applicable.

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated June 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

Microsoft Teams is introducing enhanced recap sharing. Meeting organizers can grant access to meeting recordings, transcripts, AI-generated summaries, and notes when copying or sharing a recap link. This update improves how meeting content can be shared with people who were not part of the original meeting.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 559606.

[When this will happen:]

• Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out in late May 2026 (previously mid-May) and expect to complete by end of May 2026 (previously mid-May).
• General Availability (GCC): We will begin rolling out in early June 2026 and expect to complete by early June 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early June 2026 and expect to complete by late June 2026.
• General Availability (GCC High): We will begin rolling out in early September 2026 (previously early July) and expect to complete by mid-September 2026 (previously early July).

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Microsoft Teams users who organize or attend meetings with recaps enabled.

What will happen:

• Meeting organizers can:
  • Grant access to the meeting recording, transcript, AI summary, and notes when copying or sharing a recap link.
  • Specify which people receive access at the time the recap link is shared.
• Meeting attendees who are not organizers can:
  • Copy or share recap links.
  • Recipients who were not in the meeting will be prompted to request access.
• The feature will be available by default.

To use this feature:

1. Select the Share menu in the top-right corner of the recap page or on the recap thumbnail in the meeting chat.

Screenshot 1: Recap page with Share menu highlighted:

>

Screenshot 2: Meeting chat with Share icon highlighted:



2. If the user is the meeting organizer: The user can specify people and copy or share the recap link while granting recap access to the specified people.

Screenshot 3: Share this recap options available to a meeting organizer:



If the user is not the organizer: The user can copy the recap link or share it by sending the link in a Teams chat. People who were not in the meeting will need to request access.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required.
• Inform users about the new sharing experience.
• Update internal documentation or helpdesk guidance if needed.

Learn more: Recap in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support (we will update the Share recap section before General Availability)

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated June 15, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

To strengthen customer control over sensitive investigation data, Microsoft is extending Customer-managed key (CMK) protection to Microsoft Purview eDiscovery Direct Export. For tenants that have configured Data Encryption Policies (DEPs) using the Microsoft 365 Data-at-Rest Encryption Platform (MDEP), eDiscovery export packages will now be automatically encrypted using your organization’s CMK. This helps ensure exported investigation data remains protected under customer-controlled encryption policies throughout the export lifecycle, without changing the existing eDiscovery user experience.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 557684.

[When this will happen:]

• Public Preview: We will begin rolling out early May 2026 and expect to complete by early June 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide):  We will begin rolling out early September 2026 (previously mid-June) and expect to complete by end of September 2026 (previously mid-July).

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Microsoft 365 tenants with Customer-managed keys enabled through Data Encryption Policies (DEPs), and request that Microsoft Support enable this feature for Purview eDiscovery Direct Export in their tenant
• Admins and investigators using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery Direct Export

What will happen:

• eDiscovery Direct Export packages for CMK‑enabled tenants will be encrypted at rest using tenant‑owned keys.
• Encryption is applied automatically based on existing DEP configuration.
• CMK configuration is dynamically validated through MDEP at export time.
• No change to the eDiscovery user experience.
• Only enabled for specific tenants by request to Microsoft Support 

[What you can do to prepare:]

To use CMK encryption for eDiscovery Direct Export, your organization must complete the following steps:

1. Configure Customer Key (self-service) Your Microsoft 365 administrator must have Customer Key enabled through the Microsoft 365 Data-at-Rest Encryption Platform (MDEP) with a DEP in PolicyAssigned status.
• This requires:
  • Two Azure subscriptions dedicated to Customer Key
  • Azure Key Vault(s) with RSA keys provisioned
  • A DEP created and assigned to your tenant
  • Follow the setup guidance here: Create two new Azure subscriptions | Microsoft Learn
2. Request feature enablement (contact Microsoft Support)
   • After Customer Key is configured, your organization must contact Microsoft Support to request that CMK for eDiscovery Direct Export be enabled for your tenant. This feature requires Microsoft-side service configuration that is not automatically applied. Work with your Microsoft Support contact or Customer Success Account Manager (CSAM) to complete enablement.

Important:

• If your tenant does not have CMK properly configured through MDEP at export time, direct export jobs will proceed without CMK encryption.
• No changes to the eDiscovery user experience are required — CMK encryption is applied transparently to export packages.
• Encryption scopes, storage accounts, and containers are managed automatically by the service; no additional storage configuration is needed.
• Exported data retention remains 14 days, unchanged by CMK.

Learn more: Export search results in eDiscovery | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated June 15, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

To help organizations deliver more polished and branded town hall events, Microsoft Teams is introducing the ability for organizers and presenters to upload custom background images in the Manage what attendees see experience. This enhancement allows teams to replace default backgrounds with branded visuals—such as company logos or event-specific designs—so presenters and shared content appear consistently on brand for attendees. This feature is available for Teams events organizers with a Teams Enterprise license. This update applies to Teams for Windows desktop and Mac desktop.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 561493.

[When this will happen]

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

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Organizers and presenters of Teams town hall events
• Users assigned a Teams Premium license
• Tenants using Manage what attendees see in town halls

What will happen

• Organizers and presenters can upload custom background images directly within the Manage what attendees see experience.
• Uploaded backgrounds appear behind presenters and shared content in supported town hall layouts.
• JPEG and PNG image formats are supported, with recommended resolution guidance shown during upload.
• Custom backgrounds appear alongside existing default background options in the background picker.
• The feature is enabled by default for eligible users and applies only to town hall events where Manage what attendees see is enabled.
• There is no change to standard Teams meetings or webinars.

[What you can do to prepare]

• No admin action is required before rollout.
• Consider notifying users who organize or present town halls about this new capability.
• Prepare branded background images that align with your organization’s visual identity guidelines.
• Update internal documentation or event playbooks if you provide guidance on hosting town halls.
• Optionally, run a test town hall event to familiarize presenters with the upload flow and attendee experience.

Learn more: Customize the event screen – Manage what attendees see in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations]

Updated June 15, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

Viva Engage will stop sending email notifications to frontline users (F1 and F3 licenses) who do not have an active Exchange mailbox. Previously, notifications could still be sent to users without provisioned mailboxes, resulting in repeated delivery retries, increased load on email systems, and in some cases delays to the delivery of important business communications.

This change reduces unnecessary email traffic, improves delivery efficiency, and helps ensure business-critical communications are delivered reliably and on time. Notifications through supported channels such as Microsoft Teams remain unaffected.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins mid-June 2026 and is expected to complete by early August 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Frontline users assigned F1 and F3 licenses without an active Exchange Online mailbox
• Microsoft 365 admins managing Viva Engage and Exchange licensing

What will happen:

• Viva Engage will no longer send email notifications to users without active Exchange mailboxes.
• Users with valid Exchange mailbox licenses will continue to receive email notifications as usual.
• Notifications delivered via Microsoft Teams or other supported channels are not impacted.
• The change is enabled by default and applies automatically.
• Organizations may see:
  • Reduced load on email gateways.
  • Fewer retry attempts for undeliverable messages.
  • Improved delivery reliability for critical emails.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No action is required.
• Review your Exchange Online licensing configuration to identify users without mailbox access.
• Evaluate your notification strategy (e.g., Teams vs. Email) for frontline workers.
• Inform helpdesk and user support teams of the expected behavior change.
• Update internal documentation if email notifications are referenced for frontline users.

[Compliance considerations:]

• Alters how existing customer data is processed: Email notifications to users without mailboxes are no longer attempted, reducing unnecessary processing of undeliverable messages.
• No other compliance impacts identified.

Updated June 16, 2026: We have made the decision to not proceed with this rollout at this time. We appreciate your feedback and you can safely disregard this message.

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a new capability that gives Microsoft 365 tenant administrators more control over how public organizational (HR) attributes are shared across Microsoft 365 Profile and Viva applications. This update lets admins choose which public organizational attributes are shared with Microsoft 365 Profile and which are shared only with specific Viva apps.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): Not proceeding at this time.

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected

• Microsoft 365 tenants that ingest organizational data using MODIS
• Tenant administrators who manage organizational profile data
• Viva applications that consume Microsoft 365 Profile data (for example, Viva Insights and Viva Glint)

What will happen

Today, all 26 public organizational attributes ingested via MODIS are automatically sent to Microsoft 365 Profile and made available to onboarded Microsoft 365 apps by default.

With this release:

• Six core attributes will continue to be shared automatically across Microsoft 365:
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Display name
  • Job title
  • Company
  • Country or region
• Tenant admins can configure public organizational attributes for sharing across Microsoft 365 Profile and supported Viva apps, including:
  • Choose which public HR attributes are shared with Microsoft 365 Profile
  • Share attributes with selected Viva apps independently of Profile
  • Upload organizational data intended only for app‑specific scenarios without making it available across Microsoft 365
• Attributes shared with Microsoft 365 Profile will continue to be available to onboarded Microsoft 365 apps that consume Profile data, based on existing configurations.

Impact to existing customers:

• Existing MODIS customers will be transitioned to the updated ingestion flow.
• There is no impact to existing data‑sharing configurations.
• After rollout:
  • Public attributes currently shared with Microsoft 365 Profile will continue to be shared by default.
  • Admins will see new configuration options in the MODIS ingestion flow to modify attribute‑level sharing as needed.

Screenshot 1 – Choose access for custom attributes:

Screenshot 2 – Choose attribute access for app-specific attributes: 

Screenshot 3 – Choose attribute access for Microsoft 365 attributes:

Screenshot 4 – View Microsoft 365 attributes available for all apps and services:

Screenshot 5 – Choose apps and services to share data with:

[What you can do to prepare]

• No immediate action is required.
• After rollout, review organizational data ingestion settings in MODIS to ensure that only appropriate public attributes are shared with Microsoft 365 Profile or Viva applications.

[Compliance considerations]

Updated June 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[What and Why]

Academies in Viva Learning are now available in Microsoft Teams mobile, allowing learners to access organization‑curated learning journeys directly from their mobile devices. This update extends Academy visibility and navigation to mobile, providing a consistent learning experience across desktop, web, and mobile while preserving existing admin controls and permissions.

Rollout Schedule

• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out end of June 2026 (previously mid-June) and expect to complete by early July 2026 (previously end of June).

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

• Users accessing Viva Learning in Microsoft Teams mobile

Platforms / Services

• Microsoft Teams (mobile)
• Viva Learning

What will happen

• Learners will see all Academies they have permission to access under the Academy tab in Teams mobile.

Screenshot 1: Academies visible in Viva Learning on Microsoft Teams mobile:



Screenshot 2: Learners can open an Academy to navigate Sections, Sub-sections, and Learning Paths:



• Learners can:
  • View Academies they are authorized to access.
  • Navigate Sections and Sub‑sections configured by admins.
  • Open Learning Paths and the courses within them.
  • Land directly on the Academy view when opening a shared Academy link.
  • Access the Microsoft Copilot Academy on mobile through notifications.
• Academies on mobile are view‑only.
• All Academy creation, permissions, and curation continue to be managed on Viva Learning web and desktop.
• Updates made by admins on web or desktop automatically appear on mobile.
• This feature is enabled by default and respects existing permissions.
• No policy or configuration changes are required.

[Action Required / Recommendations]

• No action is required.
• Consider notifying helpdesk staff and learners about mobile availability.

[Compliance Considerations]

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

Updated June 16, 2026: We have corrected the image embed included below. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

[What and Why:]

Starting with Microsoft Edge 152 (Stable on August 27), Edge will move to a 2-week release cycle. This change enables faster delivery of security updates and platform improvements, while reducing the size and complexity of individual updates. For organizations, this means more predictable validation cycles with smaller, more frequent changes. For organizations that prefer a more deliberate pace, Extended Stable remains unchanged in timing. 

[Rollout Schedule:]

• General Availability (Worldwide):  We will begin rolling out in late August 2026 and expect to complete by late August 2026.
• First release under the new cadence: Edge 152 (August 27, 2026)

[Impact on Your Organization:]

Who is affected: Organizations using Microsoft Edge Stable channels

Platforms/Services: Microsoft Edge (Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile)

What will happen:

• The Stable channel (the default release channel for most organizations, delivering new features and fixes regularly) will move from a 4-week to a 2-week release cycle.
• Each release will contain smaller feature updates and faster delivery of security and platform fixes.
• The Extended Stable channel (an optional channel designed for organizations that need more time to validate updates) will continue to update every 8 weeks.
• Extended Stable updates will be published every fourth release (for example, versions 156, 160, 164).
• There’s no change to existing admin policies or management tools.
• Updates continue to deploy automatically based on your configured update settings.

Screenshot: Edge Stable updates every 2 weeks, with Extended Stable on an 8‑week cycle for slower change:

[Action Required/Recommendations:]

No action is required to receive this update.

We recommend:

• If using Stable channel: prepare for more frequent updates and adjust validation cadence
• If using Extended Stable channel: no changes required
• Establish a pilot group on the Beta channel for early testing
• Update internal documentation or helpdesk guidance

Learn more: Faster updates, enterprise-friendly schedule: the new Microsoft Edge release cycle | Microsoft Edge Blog

[Compliance considerations:]

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

[What and Why]

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is introducing a policy recommendation panel to help administrators identify gaps in insider risk coverage and strengthen protections. While policies provide protection against insider risks, organizations may not always have visibility into missing or high-value configurations. This enhancement provides guidance on which policies are missing or offer the most incremental value, using analytics to generate actionable recommendations that improve coverage across scenarios such as data leakage, data theft, risky AI usage, IP theft, and security violations.

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management correlates various signals to identify potential malicious or inadvertent risks. It enables organizations to define policies based on their governance needs and is built with privacy by design, including pseudonymization by default, role-based access controls, and audit logging to help protect user privacy.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 560600.

[Rollout Schedule]

• Public Preview: Rolling out from mid-June 2026 through late June 2026
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out mid-July 2026 and expected to complete by late July 2026

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

• Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management administrators
• Organizations using Insider Risk Management policies

Platforms/Services

• Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management (web experience)

What will happen

• A new Policy Recommendation panel will be available on the Policies page.
• The panel will analyze existing policies and identify potential gaps in coverage.
• Administrators will receive recommendations to create policies addressing risks such as data leakage, data theft, and risky AI usage.
• The feature is enabled by default and available automatically as part of the rollout.
• Existing policies and configurations remain unchanged.
• There is no impact to user workflows.

[Action Required/Recommendations]

No action is required.

Recommended actions:

• Review recommendations in the Policy Recommendation panel.
• Evaluate suggested policies to improve insider risk coverage.
• Update internal governance or risk management processes as needed.
• Communicate this enhancement to security and compliance teams.

[Compliance considerations]

[What and Why:]

We are informing you of a known issue affecting screen sharing reliability in Microsoft Teams on macOS under certain system conditions and on older macOS versions (earlier than macOS Tahoe 26.4). Users may experience scenarios such as blank or black screen sharing, unexpected interruptions, or failures to start sharing sessions. To help users recover more quickly and reduce meeting disruption, Teams will begin surfacing in-product guidance when a failure is detected and direct users to relevant documentation and recommended remediation steps, including updating macOS where applicable.

[Rollout Schedule:]

• Update to the latest macOS version now.
• We will begin rolling out in-product guidance for screen sharing failures in late June 2026 and expect to complete by mid-July 2026

[Impact on Your Organization:]

Who is affected:

• Users in GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments who use Microsoft Teams on macOS
• Users on older macOS versions (earlier than macOS Tahoe 26.4)
• Users whose devices are experiencing system constraints, such as low memory or disk pressure
• IT admins and helpdesk teams that support macOS device update policies and Teams troubleshooting

Platforms/Services:

• Platform: macOS
• Service: Microsoft Teams
• Cloud instances: GCC, GCC High, DoD

What will happen:

• Users may encounter screen sharing issues such as:
• Blank or black screens during sharing.
• Unexpected interruptions during sharing sessions.
• Failure to start screen sharing.
• When a failure is detected:
• Users will see an in-product message prompting them to retry sharing.
• Where applicable, users will be prompted to update their macOS version.
• Updated documentation will outline common causes and remediation steps.
• Updating to macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later resolves the issue.
• As a mitigation, users can enable:
• Teams Settings > General > Screen sharing > Use Mac OS native sharing.
• No restart is required after changing this setting.
• This guidance experience is enabled by default; no admin configuration is required.

[Action Required/Recommendations:]

Action is recommended:

• Identify users running macOS versions earlier than macOS Tahoe 26.4.
• Communicate this known issue and expected symptoms to users.
• Recommend updating affected devices to macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later where possible.
• Review device management policies to ensure updates can be applied.
• Update internal helpdesk documentation to include:
  • Symptoms of screen sharing failures.
  • macOS update as the primary resolution.
  • Alternative mitigation using Mac OS native sharing.
• Prepare support teams to assist users who require elevated privileges to update macOS.

Suggested helpdesk message: If screen sharing in Teams on macOS shows a blank screen, stops unexpectedly, or fails to start, retry sharing and ensure the device is updated to macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later. You can also enable “Use Mac OS native sharing” in Teams under Settings > General > Screen sharing.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

[What and Why]

Microsoft Viva Engage is updating its GIF integration to use GIPHY, aligning with Microsoft Teams and creating a more consistent experience across Microsoft 365.

This change ensures users have a familiar and seamless way to search for and insert GIFs across apps. The GIF experience in Viva Engage remains the same, with no changes to how users discover or share GIFs.

[Rollout Schedule]

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in late June 2026 and is expected to complete by late July 2026.
• Web and desktop: Late June through early July 2026
• Mobile: Early July through late July 2026

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

•  All Microsoft Viva Engage users in Microsoft 365 tenants

Platforms/Services

•  Viva Engage on web, desktop, and mobile, including integrations with Microsoft Teams

What will happen

• For most users, this change will happen automatically with no disruption.
• The GIF provider in Engage will change from Tenor to GIPHY.
• On web and desktop, the GIF button in the publisher will automatically display GIFs from GIPHY after rollout.
• For mobile users, there may be a short period when GIFs are unavailable in Viva Engage mobile and in Engage experiences within Microsoft Teams mobile until users update to the latest version of the Engage app..
• Previously posted GIFs will continue to render normally and no existing content is impacted.
• Users can continue to share GIFs by pasting external GIF links into posts.
• The GIF toggle in the Engage admin center will continue to function as it does today and will respect existing tenant settings.
• No changes to existing admin configurations are required.

[Action Required/Recommendations]

• No action is required for web and desktop experiences.
• Inform mobile users to update the Viva Engage app when the latest version becomes available.
• Review your organization’s GIF usage settings in the Engage admin center if needed.
• Inform users that use of GIF functionality is subject to GIPHY Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

[Compliance considerations]

[What and Why:]

OneDrive is transitioning to the cloud.microsoft domain. Users will start seeing new URLs shown in the examples below as a part of their OneDrive experiences. Existing links continue to work — both domains will operate side by side indefinitely. 

As part of this transition, OneDrive URLs will change: 

• Previous domain: contoso-my.sharepoint.com/
• Unified domain: onedrive.cloud.microsoft/

This change aligns OneDrive with the broader Microsoft cloud domain strategy, creating a more consistent and recognizable experience across Microsoft 365 services. This update simplifies how users identify trusted Microsoft endpoints while maintaining compatibility with existing URLs and integrations.

[Rollout Schedule:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by late June 2027.

[Impact on Your Organization:]

Who is affected:

• All users accessing OneDrive
• Admins managing Microsoft 365 environments, network configurations, and custom solutions

Platforms/Services:

• OneDrive(web primarily)

What will happen:

For users: 

• Users will start seeing the cloud.microsoft domain in their OneDrive experiences (e.g., onedrive.cloud.microsoft instead of contoso-my.sharepoint.com).  
• When users access content from geos different than their own, they will see a globe icon. 
• No changes to file access, sharing, or collaboration functionality.  
• The previous domain and unified domain will continue to exist side by side. Existing links will continue to work.  

For admins: 

• No changes to admin functionality. 
• The SharePoint URLs used for file storage and APIs remain unchanged (e.g., contoso-my.sharepoint.com continues to work for API calls).
• Important: Organizations with custom solutions that rely on OneDrive URL patterns should review those dependencies. Official Microsoft APIs (Microsoft Graph) will continue to function without changes. Custom solutions that parse or hardcode browser URLs may require updates. 

What is NOT changing: 

• Existing links and bookmarks will continue to work. Links to previous domains are backwards compatible and will remain supported.
• There are no forced redirects from legacy URLs. Both domains will work side-by-side during and after the transition.
• SharePoint site URLs (e.g., contoso.sharepoint.com) are not affected by this change.
• Microsoft Graph APIs and other official APIs are not changing.
• File ownership, permissions, and sharing settings are unchanged. 
• Consumer OneDrive URLs are not changing at this time and remain on live.com domain 

[Action Required/Recommendations:]

No immediate action is required, but we recommend the following:

• Review any custom solutions that depend on OneDrive URL patterns.
• Ensure network rules allow traffic to *.cloud.microsoft.
• Update internal documentation and training materials with the new URL format.
• Prepare helpdesk teams for user questions about URL changes.
• Educate users to recognize the cloud.microsoft domain as trusted

Optional administrative considerations:

• Review tenant allow list settings for external sharing
• Evaluate Tenant Restrictions v2 if applicable to your organization
• Consider upcoming capabilities such as anonymous link controls

Learn more: Configure Tenant Restrictions – Microsoft Entra ID – Microsoft Entra External ID | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations:]

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

[What and Why]

We are updating how task dates behave in Microsoft Planner to improve flexibility and predictability when managing tasks. Previously, Planner enforced that a task’s due date must be on or after its start date and automatically adjusted one date when the other was changed. With this update, that constraint is being removed. Users will be able to set a start date after a due date or a due date before a start date. In Planner in Teams and on the web, editing one date will no longer automatically adjust the other date to maintain ordering.

[Rollout Schedule]

• General Availability (Worldwide and DoD): Rollout begins in mid-July 2026 and is expected to complete by mid-October 2026.

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

• All Microsoft Planner users across Microsoft 365 tenants

Platforms/Services

• Microsoft Planner in Teams (desktop and web)
• Microsoft Planner web app

What will happen

• This change updates how task dates behave in Planner.
• The updated behavior will be enabled by default for all users.
• Editing a start date will no longer automatically update the due date.
• Editing a due date will no longer automatically update the start date.
• Users can set start dates and due dates independently.
• Tasks may have a start date later than the due date or a due date earlier than the start date.
• Due dates will remain unchanged unless explicitly modified by the user.
• Some other Planner clients (Planner mobile etc.) may temporarily continue enforcing date ordering during rollout.
• Apps, integrations, or workflows that rely on automatic date adjustment behavior may need to be updated.
• Users who previously relied on automatic date adjustments may notice differences when editing task dates.

[Action Required/Recommendations]

No action is required.

Admins may consider the following:

• Communicate this change to users to set expectations about updated date behavior.
• Update internal documentation or training materials referencing Planner task dates.
• Review any custom apps, integrations, or automation that depend on automatic date adjustments.
• Prepare support teams to address potential questions during rollout.

[Compliance considerations]

[What and Why]

We are retiring support for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) on Amazon Linux 2 (AL2) running on ARM64 architecture, effective October 31, 2026.

[Schedule]

• Retirement effective: October 31, 2026
• After this date, support and updates will no longer be available.

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

• Organizations using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64)
• Organizations using AL2 on AMD64/x86_64 are not affected

Platforms/Services

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
• Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64)

What will happen

• Defender versions released after this build will not install on AL2 (ARM64) due to platform incompatibility.
• Version 101.25122.0004 is the last supported version for this platform.
• After October 31, 2026:
  • No security updates
  • No bug fixes
  • No technical support
• Devices remaining on this platform may:
  • Miss new features, detection improvements, and protection enhancements
  • Be exposed to increased security and stability risks over time

[Action Required / Recommendations]

Action required by October 31, 2026.

Admins should:

• Identify devices running Amazon Linux 2 (ARM64) with Defender for Endpoint.
• Prevent upgrades beyond version 101.25122.0004 on those devices.
• Plan migration to a supported Linux distribution for MDE.
• Complete migration before October 31, 2026.

No action is required for devices running Amazon Linux 2 on AMD64/x86_64 architectures.

Learn more: Prerequisites for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Linux | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Microsoft Defender | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance Considerations]

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

[What and why]

Outlook emails can now be added as references in Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks. This capability allows users to ground Microsoft 365 Copilot in email conversations, decisions, and context directly within their notebooks, alongside files and other content, to generate more relevant presentations, briefs, and summaries.

This capability extends existing Copilot grounding on organizational data into the Notebooks experience and is available in Copilot Notebooks across Microsoft 365.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 564910.

[Rollout schedule]

• Public Preview: Rolling out early June 2026 through late June 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out early July 2026 through late July 2026.

[Impact on your organization]

Who is affected

• Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license who have access to Copilot Notebooks

Platforms and services

• Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Copilot Notebooks
• Outlook (email content as a reference source)
• Web experiences where Copilot Notebooks are available

What will happen

• Users can add Outlook emails as reference sources in Copilot Notebooks through the Add reference experience, , where an email option will appear.
• Copilot can use selected emails, together with files and other notebook sources, to generate responses.
• Users can add up to 300 total sources per notebook, including emails.
• Email content reflects its state at the time it is added and does not update with future replies or changes.
• In shared notebooks, email content is only available to users who were participants in the original email.
• Email attachments are not currently supported as grounding sources.
• The feature is enabled by default, with no admin control to disable it.
• Existing Microsoft 365 permissions are respected, and users only access content they already have permission to view.
• Existing compliance, governance, and Purview protections for Outlook data continue to apply.

[Action required or recommendations]

No action is required.

Consider the following recommendations:

• Inform users about the ability to add emails as notebook references.
• Update internal training or documentation for Copilot Notebooks if applicable.
• Review existing compliance and data governance policies to ensure alignment with expanded Copilot use of email content.

Learn more: Add references to your Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebook | Microsoft Support

[Compliance considerations]

[What and Why]

We are improving how Copilot surfaces a summarized answer above your search results in Copilot Search within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on web and desktop. These updates provide more concise, scannable responses and a clearer path to continue the conversation in Copilot chat. This helps users quickly understand key insights and move into deeper exploration, improving productivity and decision making with AI grounded in organizational context.

[Rollout Schedule]

General Availability (Worldwide):

• Rollout will begin in late July 2026
• Expected completion by late August 2026

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected

• All users with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot in your tenant

Platforms/Services

• Microsoft 365 Copilot app
• Web and desktop
• Copilot Search and Copilot chat

What will happen

• The summarized answer surfaced above your search results will be shorter and easier to scan:

  

• Users will see improved UI emphasis on continuing conversations in Copilot chat via the right-hand sidebar.
• Users can instantly continue in Copilot chat from the summarized answer with full context preserved to explore details or ask follow up questions.
• The feature will be enabled by default.
• There will be no changes to existing admin controls or policies.

[Action Required/Recommendations]

No action is required.

Recommended steps:

• Inform your users about improved Copilot Search experiences.
• Update internal documentation if you reference Copilot Search functionality.
• Review Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption materials as needed.

Learn more: Microsoft 365 Copilot Search | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance Considerations]

[Introduction]

We are introducing a new capability that allows users to connect Microsoft Teams meetings to existing Microsoft Planner plans.

Currently, Teams meetings automatically create separate Planner plans for meeting-related tasks, which can result in tasks for the same initiative being spread across multiple plans. This update enables users to link meetings to an existing plan so tasks can be tracked in a single location, improving organization and continuity across ongoing work.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 561490.

[When this will happen:]

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

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected:

• Users who create or participate in Microsoft Teams meetings and use Microsoft Planner 
• Organizations with Teams, Planner, and Loop enabled

What will happen:

• Users will be able to link a Teams meeting to an existing Planner plan.
• Tasks created during meetings can be added to the selected existing plan.
• If no plan is selected, meetings will continue to create a new Planner plan.
• This feature will be available by default.
• Facilitator (the meeting task automation capability) can create tasks in the selected plan.
• Users can manually create tasks if Facilitator is disabled. 
• No changes to existing plans or previously created plans.

Learn more: Facilitator in Microsoft Teams meetings | Microsoft Support

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No action is required.
• You may want to:
  • Ensure that Teams, Planner, and Loop are enabled in your tenant.
  • Review whether Facilitator should be enabled for automated task creation scenarios.
  • Update internal documentation or task management guidance if applicable.
  • Inform helpdesk staff and users about this new option for organizing meeting tasks.

[Compliance considerations:]

[What and Why]
Starting June 16, 2026, Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork will move to general availability (GA) worldwide (Tier 1 languages), while Frontier remains the early access channel for new capabilities.  

This post is specific to managing the experience for Frontier users of Cowork.

Frontier-specific updates for June 16, 2026: This update introduces usage-based billing, enabling organizations to scale responsibly and align costs with actual usage, while maintaining enterprise-grade controls and governance. Frontier users will continue to receive early access innovations, including a new model (OpenAI GPT 5.5).

[Rollout Schedule]

• June 16, 2026 – GA begins; usage-based billing becomes available
• June 16–June 30, 2026 – Grace period for existing Cowork users in Frontier
• July 1, 2026 – Usage-based billing required for continued access for Cowork users in Frontier

[Impact on Your Organization]

Who is affected:

• Admins managing Copilot and billing configurations
• Existing Frontier Cowork users
• New Frontier users accessing Cowork after June 16

Platforms/Services:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Cowork (Frontier and GA experiences)
• Microsoft 365 Admin Center (billing and contriols)

What will happen:

• Grace period (June 16–June 30):
• Existing Cowork users (installed before June 16):
  • Continue to use Cowork through June 30 (no billing setup required)
  • Receive end-user in-app notifications (June 23–June 30) notifying the expiration date
• Admins:
  • Can onboard additional Frontier users to Cowork at no cost during the grace period (tenant must already have at least one active user)
  • Notifications in the M365 Admin Center to configure billing

• Experience changes starting June 16, 2026:
  • Cowork experience shifts from an “agent” model to a toggle-based entry point
  • Frontier continues to provide early access to new capabilities, including updated model access
• After July 1, 2026:
  • If usage-based billing is enabled:
    • Users continue without interruption
  • If usage-based billing is not enabled:
    • End users will lose access starting 7/1
    • Existing chat history and artifacts are retained and accessible when access is restored

[Action Required / Recommendations]

• Configure usage-based billing: Set Up and Manage Pay-as-you-go Billing
• Determine visibility strategy:
  • Enable usage-based billing in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center by 6/30 

Recommended:

• Enable spending policies early to establish visibility on credit consumption and ensure a seamless transition
• No charges will apply in June – no matter when you set up your spending policies, billing will only begin from July 1
• Review cost management and monitoring tools:
  • Usage-based billing overview
• Plan for your Spending Policy: To do this, we have provided you with two tools below. The current usage dashboard will help you identify current usage patterns and specific user behavior. The estimator will allow you to model your credit consumption going forward.
  • Cowork Usage Dashboard
  • Customer Cowork Cost Estimator

Additional resources

• Cowork GA blog
• Cowork documentation
• Copilot Credit Licensing guide
• Usage-based Billing and Cost Management for Copilot Credits | MS Learn
• Managing AI experiences enabled by usage-based billing | MS Learn
• Discovery setting for AI experiences enabled by usage-based billing | MS Learn

[Compliance considerations]

[What and Why] 

• A Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access the experience.
• Usage-based billing enabled via Copilot Credits

• Worldwide (General Availability – Standard Release): Beginning mid-June 2026 and expected to complete late June 2026
• Worldwide (General Availability – Deferred Release): Beginning mid-July 2026 and expected to complete late June 2026.
• Rollout occurs automatically; visibility depends on eligibility and admin configuration

• Microsoft 365 Admins
• End users who accessed Copilot Cowork via the Frontier program prior to June 16, 2026

• Microsoft 365 Copilot app (web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android)
• Microsoft 365 admin center
• Microsoft Edge (for browser-based workflows)
• Microsoft Purview
• Copilot plugin ecosystem

• Copilot Cowork becomes generally available
• Updated UI and entry point for Copilot Cowork
• Access to Copilot Cowork requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and usage-based billing enabled
• If usage-based billing is not enabled, users won’t be able to access or use Cowork. Admins can control the discoverability of Copilot Cowork and consumptive features (Copilot Settings> AI experiences enabled by usage-based billing)
• Usage is billed via Copilot Credits
• A new Cost Management dashboard in the Microsoft 365 admin center gives admins visibility and control over billing configuration, spending policies, and usage reporting.

• Communicate this change to helpdesk and 6/30 deadline to your end users
• Estimate spend and review which users should have access to Copilot Cowork
• Update internal guidance for Copilot usage and cost governance

• Copilot Credits overview
• Copilot Credit Licensing Guide
• Cowork Estimator
• Cowork documentation

[Compliance considerations]

• This service generates and stores customer data and supports the following capabilities: Purview eDiscovery, Data Retention, Purview Sensitivity Labels, Tenant Restrictions, Token Protection, Audit Logging, Customer Lockbox, Role-Based Access Control, Active-Active Hosting, Third Party Pentest Report, Customer Key, Data Export Capability, Incident Notification, Service Level Agreement.
• This service supports: Data Residency (Data At Rest).
• This service respects EU Data Boundary commitments.
• This service provides a method of communication and supports the following capabilities: Information Barriers, Purview Communication Compliance.
• This service provides a method of communicating with generative AI and supports the following capabilities: Purview Communication Compliance.
• Customer administrators can control user access to this service using the following interfaces: Licensing, Admin center UI, PowerShell Cmdlet, Admins have user/group granularity for controlling access to the service, Users have opt-in or opt-out options for use of the service.

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 June 16th, 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