Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 18-02-2026

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

We’re introducing enhancements to OneDrive that simplify the process of managing files when employees leave your organization. These updates improve visibility, streamline bulk transfers, and help ensure important content remains accessible and shared appropriately.

This feature is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 493946.

When this will happen

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCCH, DoD): We will begin rolling out in mid-October and expect to complete by late April 2026 (previously end of January).

How this affects your organization

Managing OneDrive content for departing employees is now more efficient. Key improvements include:

• Redesigned notifications: Account cleanup emails are now more prominent, reducing the chance of being overlooked.
• Improved filtering: New filters help managers quickly locate shared or important files.
• Bulk file transfer with preserved sharing: The “Move and keep sharing” feature allows multiple files to be transferred while retaining existing sharing permissions.
• Consolidated alerts: When six or more files are moved, collaborators receive a single streamlined notification.

These updates help ensure a smooth handover and reduce the risk of losing critical files.

When a user account is deleted, OneDrive access is automatically granted to the manager or designated secondary owner. The recipient receives an email notification with access details and information about the OneDrive retention period. Seven days before the retention period ends, a second reminder email is sent, stating that the OneDrive will be permanently deleted in seven days.

Steps to transfer files:

1. From the email, click View files to access the departing user’s OneDrive.
   
2. Use the Shared filter to view only shared files, or All to see everything.
3. Select files using the checkbox in the table header.
   
4. Click Move to, choose a destination, and check Keep sharing with the same people.



5. Click Move to again to complete the transfer.

Collaborators will receive a single notification once the move is complete:

What you can do to prepare

No admin action is required before rollout. You may want to:

• Inform managers and secondary owners about the new experience.
• Update internal documentation to reflect the new transfer process.
• Watch this guided walkthrough: Simplified file transfer for departing employees

Learn more: OneDrive retention and deletion – SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

Compliance considerations

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

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the content and timelines. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re improving the reliability of Copilot chat by ensuring that conversations are preserved even when users navigate away from a chat. With this update, a session entry is created in the navigation pane as soon as a prompt is submitted. This allows users to return to the conversation later without losing context or progress.

This capability will be available to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot users.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 500638.

[When this will happen:]

• Worldwide (General Availability): Rolling out from December 12, 2025 (previously December 3), to March 2026 (previously January 12)
• GCC: Rolling out from January 19, 2026 (previously January 3), to March 2026 (previously February 2)
• GCC High: Rolling out from January 19, 2026 (previously January 3), to March 2026 (previously February 2)
• DoD: Rolling out from January 19, 2026 (previously January 3), to March 2026 (previously February 2)

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: All Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot users in commercial, GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments.

What will happen:

• A session entry will now appear in the navigation pane immediately after a prompt is submitted.
• Users can navigate away from a chat and return later without losing the conversation.
• This update improves continuity and reduces the risk of session loss.
• No changes to admin settings or policies are required.

[What you can do to prepare:]

No admin action is required at this time. You may wish to:

• Inform helpdesk staff of this behavior change.
• Update internal documentation if you describe Copilot chat behavior.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. This feature will be enabled for en-US only initially. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction:]

Audio summaries help users absorb content quickly, but they’ve traditionally been passive, one-way experiences. Listeners can’t clarify, explore, or dive deeper without breaking flow — forcing them to pause, switch modes, and manually search for answers. Based on feedback for more dynamic and immersive audio experiences, Microsoft is introducing real-time voice interactions in Podcast. The new interactive podcast feature transforms this into a dynamic, conversational experience, where users can join the hosts’ discussion of their document, ask questions in real time, and uncover insights naturally — staying immersed while gaining understanding faster.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 523206.

[When this will happen:]

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

[How this affects your organization:]

• Who is affected: Customers with Copilot licenses who generate audio overviews.
• What will happen:
  • Users will be able to join podcast conversations and ask questions in real time.
  • The feature enhances document-based podcasts with interactive voice capabilities.
  • The feature will be ON by default for eligible users.
  • No changes to existing admin policies are required.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No admin action is required.
• Communicate this change to helpdesk staff.
• Update internal documentation if you reference podcast or audio overview features.
• For more information, refer to upcoming documentation in the Microsoft Learn portal.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

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

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

[When this will happen:]

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

[How this affects your organization:]

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

What will happen:

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

Two potential impacts:

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

[What you can do to prepare:]

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

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

Introduction

In early November, we announced voice in the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app. Now we’re expanding that offering to Microsoft 365 Copilot app on desktop and the web, as well as in the Microsoft 365 apps, starting with Word and PowerPoint on desktop and web and Outlook on desktop, web, and mobile. 

Voice enables Microsoft 365 Copilot users to have natural, back-and-forth conversations with Copilot simply by speaking. It lets you quickly capture your ideas, whether you’re brainstorming, drafting a response, or preparing for a meeting. Just say “help me prepare for my next meeting” to get an instant response from Work IQ, grounded in your work data, context, and preferences.  

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 516569.

When this will happen

• Public Preview: Rollout began in November 2025 and is expected to complete in December 2025.
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in December 2025 and is expected to complete in February 2026 (previously January).

How this will affect your organization

Who is affected: All Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users.

What will happen

• Users can start a voice conversation with Copilot by selecting Start a new voice chat in the Copilot input box.
• There is no admin control to disable this feature at the tenant or group level.
• Voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot is available only for Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users.
• Text transcripts from voice conversations are stored and managed the same way as text conversations in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
• Users can continue a voice chat in the background while moving between apps or with a locked screen on desktop.
• Audio from voice chats will be interrupted if users play audio from another app.
• Background noise suppression is included, but background speech may still be picked up.
• Voice is available in all languages supported by Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• While in voice chat, Copilot can respond using existing memories stored in user Personalization settings. Users cannot modify or edit memories from voice chats yet due to privacy considerations.

What you need to do to prepare

• Review how privacy and security of organizational data is protected when using this feature: Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Learn.
• Communicate the availability and benefits of this feature to your users.
• Remind users to ensure microphone permissions and device settings are compatible with voice activation.

Learn more: Voice turns Microsoft 365 Copilot into your thought partner

Compliance considerations

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

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Rollout on mobile platforms (Android and iOS) are in progress, expected completion by 3/30. Thank you for your patience. 

We’re introducing a new capability that enhances Microsoft Copilot by integrating historical Copilot conversations into Microsoft Search. This update allows users to retrieve past interactions—including chats from notebooks, agents, and the main Copilot chat interface—directly within the search results page (SERP). A new “Copilot Chats” data source will also appear in the right rail, enabling users to scope their search specifically to Copilot-generated content.

A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to access this feature.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 506751.

• Public Preview (Worldwide): Rolling out early November 2025; expected completion by mid-November 2025.
• Targeted Release (Worldwide): Rolling out mid-November 2025; expected completion by early December 2025 (previously late November).
• General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out mid-December 2025 (previously late November); expected completion by end of March 2026 (previously end of February).

• Who is affected: All users of Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365.
• What will happen:
  • Users will be able to search and retrieve historical Copilot conversations from:
    • Notebooks
    • Agents
    • The main Copilot chat interface
  • A new “Copilot Chats” data source will appear in the right rail of the search results page: 

  

  • Users can scope their search to only include Copilot-generated content.
  • Each user will only have access to their own Copilot conversations.
  • No changes to tenant-wide settings or permissions are required.

• No action is required from tenant admins at this time.
• You may wish to inform your users about this new search capability to help them take full advantage of Copilot.

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

We’re introducing the SharePoint list agent powered by Microsoft 365 Copilot to simplify list creation. This new capability enables users to create SharePoint lists through natural language conversations and automatically convert structured content (such as tables) generated by Copilot into lists.

This message is associated with Microsoft Roadmap ID 534606.

• Frontier Public Preview: We began rolling out in early December 2025 and expect to complete by early January 2026.
• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late February 2026 (previously late January) and expect to complete by late February 2026.

Who is affected:

• Users with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot experiences, including Copilot Chat in supported apps such as Teams, Outlook, and Word.
• A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required.

What will happen:

• During Frontier Public Preview, the SharePoint list agent will be available as an opt-in feature. Admins must enable it in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• At General Availability, the SharePoint list agent will be installed and ON by default for tenants with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Users will be able to create SharePoint lists directly from supported Copilot-enabled apps.
• The agent supports structured content inputs such as orders, travel requests, invoices, expenses, project items, hiring status, products, and books.
• Admins can disable the agent at any time via the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Key capabilities include:
  • Effortless creation: Instantly generate lists from Copilot conversations or structured Copilot content in one step.
  • Flexible storage: Save lists to a SharePoint site or your personal OneDrive for Business.
  • Seamless integration: Works across Microsoft 365 Copilot and SharePoint, leveraging enterprise and web data.

Screenshot 1 – SharePoint list agent in the Agent store:

Screenshot 2 – SharePoint list agent in Copilot:

What you can do to prepare 

• Review whether your organization wants to participate in the Frontier Public Preview.
• Communicate this new capability to helpdesk and support teams.
• Update internal documentation if you provide guidance on SharePoint list creation.
• To disable the agent, use the admin toggle in the Microsoft 365 admin center: Settings > Org Settings > Copilot Agents > SharePoint list agent.

Updated February 17, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

[Introduction]

We’re enhancing Activity Explorer in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to provide better visibility into sensitive data detected in Exchange Online. Today, admins can only view email message bodies when investigating Data Loss Prevention (DLP) or Information Protection events. With this update, admins will be able to preview flagged email attachments directly within Activity Explorer—without downloading the email—simplifying investigations and reducing risk exposure.

This message is associated with Microsoft Roadmap ID 543969.

[When this will happen]

General Availability (Worldwide) rollout will begin in early February 2026 and complete by end of February 2026 (previously early February).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected: Admins who use Microsoft Purview Activity Explorer to investigate Data Loss Prevention (DLP) or Information Protection events in Exchange Online.

What will happen:

• Admins will be able to preview email attachments flagged for sensitive data directly within Activity Explorer:



• A preview pane will appear for supported file types.
• Email downloads will no longer be required for most investigations.
• The feature will be enabled by default; no configuration changes will be required.
• Existing DLP and Information Protection policies will remain unchanged.

[What you can do to prepare]

• No action is required. This update will take effect automatically after rollout.
• (Optional) Communicate this improvement to your security and compliance teams.
• (Optional) Update internal investigation workflows or documentation.

[Compliance considerations]

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

[Introduction]

Microsoft is retiring SharePoint Designer 2013, which follows the Microsoft Fixed Lifecycle Policy and will reach end of support on July 14, 2026. This retirement aligns with our commitment to modernize workflow automation and customization experiences using supported tools such as Power Automate.

[When this will happen]

End of support begins in mid-July 2026, with retirement enforcement occurring between mid-July and late July 2026 across all Microsoft 365 environments (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, and DoD).

[How this affects your organization]

Who is affected: Organizations that use SharePoint Designer 2013 for SharePoint workflows or site customizations.

What will happen:

• Microsoft will no longer provide support, security updates, or fixes for SharePoint Designer 2013.
• No extensions or exceptions will be offered beyond the retirement date.
• Workflows built with SharePoint Designer 2013 will require migration to supported alternatives such as Power Automate.
• The SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) can migrate supported workflow actions to Power Automate.

[What you can do to prepare]

We recommend the following actions before July 14, 2026:

• Review existing SharePoint Designer 2013 workflows and customizations.
• Plan and complete migration to supported technologies.
• Update internal documentation, helpdesk knowledge bases, and user communications.
• Use the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) 4.1 to assess and migrate supported workflow actions to Power Automate.
• Note: The SharePoint Migration Tool lets you migrate SharePoint Designer 2013 workflows to Power Automate.
• Review SharePoint Designer 2013 lifecycle details and workflow migration guidance as part of your planning.

No extension options will be available after the retirement date.

Learn more:

• Guidance: Migrate from classic workflows to Power Automate flows in SharePoint | Microsoft Learn
• Microsoft Fixed Lifecycle Policy | Microsoft Learn
• SharePoint Designer 2010 and 2013 workflow migrations to Power Automate | Microsoft Learn
• SharePoint Designer 2013 Lifecycle | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

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

• HideCategoryView: This is a net new policy that can be applied to the updated Start menu design. Turn off the new category view in the “All \[apps\]” section, so devices show the grid view by default. Note: If you already have HideAppList enabled, you don’t need to enable HideCategoryView since devices won’t have the “All \[apps\]” section. 
• ConfigureStartPins: This policy can be applied to all versions of Start and only includes an update. When the optional applyOnce flag is set, the pinned layout is applied only during initial provisioning. After that, users can customize their Start menu without those changes being reset during routine policy refreshes. This addresses a previous issue where users’ pinned sections could be unexpectedly refreshed.

• Review policies in Start Policy CSP. 
• Learn more at Start policy settings. 
• Learn more about HideCategoryView Start Policy CSP. 
• Learn more about ConfigureStartPins Start Policy CSP.