Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 18-10-2025

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management will be rolling out a new user analytics feature to help Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention, and Communication Compliance analysts access an insider risk summary of user activities.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 475058.

[When this will happen:]

Public Preview: We began rolling out in late March 2025 and expect to complete by mid-April 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): We will roll out this feature in late January 2026.

[How this will affect your organization:]

With this new feature, Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention, and Communication Compliance analysts with the right permissions can access an insider risk summary of user activities that may lead to potential data security incidents as a part of the alert investigation experience in Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Defender. This feature can help analysts gain insider risk context for a specific user and make more informed decisions about responses to potential incidents related to the user.

Insights are generated by Insider Risk Management for potentially risky behaviors of every user and are surfaced across the following experiences:

1. User activity summary in Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention alerts
2. User activity summary in Microsoft Defender alerts and user entity pages
3. User activity summary in Communication Compliance policies

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Insider Risk admins can enable user-level insights from Insider Risk Management Settings > Analytics. During the initial rollout, user analytics will be enabled for all customers who have enabled Insider Risk Management Analytics and will include an option to opt-out. Insider Risk admins should ensure data sharing is also enabled from Insider Risk Management Settings > Data Sharing.

Additional information is available here: Enable Analytics in Insider Risk Management.

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

With this rollout, if no room is booked for the meeting, an AI-generated room suggestion will be sent in the meeting chat an hour before the meeting start time when two or more attendees are co-located in the same building, making in-person collaboration easier. The room suggestion will consider location of participants, room availability, and capacity to find the best space. You can reserve the suggested room with just one click and update the invite for everyone. The organizer must have a Teams premium license for this experience to occur, which is on Teams mobile on iOS.  #MicrosoftPlaces

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 482191

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-January 2026 (previously mid-November) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously late November).

[How this will affect your organization:]

This will be a default on feature.

For a room suggestion to be generated, a meeting must have:

• Between two to seven attendees with at least two attendees that are co-located
• Teams meeting link
• Organizer has Teams premium
• No room is already booked for the meeting
• No external attendees
• Not an all-day event 

Room suggestions will be generated in buildings where at least two attendees, who haven’t declined the meeting, share the same work location. For instance, if a meeting has four attendees, with two in Building X and two in Building Y, suggestions for both buildings will be sent. Distribution lists are not considered.

If a meeting is moved, canceled, or the suggested room becomes unavailable, the card will update dynamically upon clicking ‘Reserve’.

[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 also want to notify your team about this change and update any relevant documentation. We recommend making sure that your rooms are properly added to Places directory with a building associated.  

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Copilot can help users engage with their content in a new and dynamic way—through audio. This new feature will enable Copilot to turn documents, meetings, and files into an audio overview, creating a listening experience that’s easy to follow. Users can ask Copilot to generate an audio overview in the Copilot chat pane, and Copilot will bring the content to life through a podcast-style discussion between two hosts who offer insightful commentary, draw connections between topics, and even exchange lively banter about the key points of their content. Soon, Copilot will also allow users to choose how they want to listen: select one or two speakers, adjust the style from concise to playful, and tailor the length to short, medium, or long. This capability is integrated directly into the tools users are familiar with—OneDrive, Teams, Word, and Copilot Notebooks—so it’s ready whenever and wherever they are.  

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap IDs: 487423, 478649, 485747, 487854, 490051

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide):

• This capability will begin rolling out in Copilot Notebooks on web for English only in May 2025 
• This capability will begin rolling out for Copilot in OneDrive on web for English only in May 2025
• This capability will begin rolling out for Copilot in Teams on desktop and mobile for English only in October 2025  
• The podcast-style overview will begin rolling out for Copilot in Word on web and Windows desktop in May for English only. The ability to configure the audio overview format will be available in Word on web and desktop in August 2025 (previously July). 

[How this affects your organization:]

To generate an audio overview in Word, open the Copilot chat pane and ask Copilot to generate an audio overview. Podcast-style overviews will be available in Word on web and desktop in English only in May. The ability to configure the audio overview format will be available in Word on web and desktop in English only in the coming months.  

To generate an audio overview in Teams, navigate to meeting recap page, click on :” audio recap ” on upper right corner, Or to the Meet app and select the ‘audio recap’ tab. Choose the transcribed meeting or multiple meetings, and select ‘Generate audio overview.’ Audio overview for Copilot in Teams will be available on mobile and Windows desktop in English only in September 2025 (previously June).   

To generate an audio overview in OneDrive web, select the Copilot icon for the file, then select ‘Generate an audio overview.’ Copilot will generate a narrated summary of the file highlighting the key points. Users can choose to switch to a podcast-style discussion from the ‘…’ menu on the overview player, and Copilot will regenerate the overview in the style of a podcast discussion between two hosts. You can also generate an audio overview from the chat pane. This will be available for Copilot in OneDrive on web in English only in May and coming soon to mobile in August 2025 (previously June 2025).

To generate an audio overview in Copilot Notebooks, select ‘Generate audio overview’ near the top of the notebook. Copilot will generate a podcast-style discussion of the referenced files with key insights. This capability will be available in Copilot Notebooks on web in English only in May 2025.

Generate audio overviews of documents, meetings, and files with Copilot 

[What you need to do to prepare:]

You may consider updating your training and documentation as appropriate. These features are available to users with a Copilot license.

Review the following resource to understand how to manage Microsoft 365 Copilot access within your organization:

• Manage Microsoft 365 Copilot scenarios in the Microsoft 365 admin center

You can manage Copilot for specific apps or users through either the Microsoft 365 Admin center or Group Policy.

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

This feature will empower administrators to manage the availability of trusted Microsoft Teams apps based on rules, for enhanced security. Admins will be able to manage Microsoft 365 certified apps in the Teams admin center through a new control in Org-wide settings. You can further customize the availability of these apps based on permissions accessed and publisher names. The system automatically checks the Microsoft 365 certified apps that meet all the conditions you specify and makes those apps available.  

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 485712.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early December 2025 (previously mid-November) and expect to complete by mid-December 2025 (previously early December).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Before this rollout, you cannot manage at bulk the availability of Microsoft 365 certified apps. They are only controlled by third-party app tenant settings.

After this rollout, you can manage Microsoft 365 certified apps availability from org-wide settings in the Teams admin center at Manage apps > Actions > Org-wide app settings > Microsoft 365 certified apps. 

You can configure additional criteria from the Customize availability option:

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified dates with no admin action required before or after the rollout. Review your current configuration to assess the impact on your organization. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation. This new control will be disabled by default.

Learn more: Manage org-wide app settings in Manage your apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout)

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

We’re updating how Microsoft Edge handles external links for enterprise users. Before this rollout, Edge opens external links using the last used profile. After this rollout, for users signed in with Microsoft Entra ID, Edge will default to the Primary work profile to open links. The Primary profile is typically the most secure and appropriate profile for work-related content. This change will be on by default.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 494835.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late August 2025 (previously late June) and expect to complete by mid-November 2025 (previously mid-September).

[How this will affect your organization:]

This change affects the user experience for how external links are opened in Microsoft Edge:

• Windows users: The Primary work profile is the one signed in with the Entra ID account used to join the device. If this profile exists, Edge will use it by default for external links.
• macOS and Linux users: If only one work profile signed in with an Entra ID account is detected, it will be used as the Primary work profile. If multiple Entra ID profiles are present, the setting will not apply.

Admins can manage this behavior using the EdgeOpenExternalLinksWithPrimaryWorkProfileEnabled policy:

• Enabled or Not Configured: Edge will use the Primary work profile by default.
• Disabled: Edge reverts to using the last used profile.

Learn more: Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation EdgeOpenExternalLinksWithPrimaryWorkProfileEnabled | Microsoft Learn

Before this rollout:

Users see Last used (default) selected by default in Edge Settings at edge://settings/profiles/multiProfileSettings

After this rollout:

Users will see (default) Work selected by default in Edge Settings at edge://settings/profiles/multiProfileSettings

[What you need to do to prepare:]

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 about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

[Introduction]

We’re expanding the reach of SMS appointment notifications in Microsoft Teams. Soon, organizers with a Teams Premium license will be able to send SMS notifications to phone numbers in Australia using Microsoft Bookings, the Virtual Appointment Teams meeting template, and other Teams experiences. This update enhances global communication capabilities without changing existing SMS behavior.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late July 2025 and expect to complete by late November 2025 (previously late September).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Previously, SMS appointment notifications in Microsoft Teams did not support Australian phone numbers.

After this rollout:

• Users with a Teams Premium license will be able to send SMS notifications to recipients in Australia.
• The Australia country code will be added to the phone number drop-down menu where applicable.
• There is no change to how SMS notifications function.

This enhancement applies only to customers with a Teams Premium license. If your organization does not currently use Teams Premium, this feature will not be available.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

No admin action is required. This update will roll out automatically. However, you may wish to:

• Notify your Teams Premium users about this expanded capability.
• Update internal documentation to reflect support for Australian phone numbers.
• Review your licensing to ensure the appropriate users have access to Teams Premium features

Learn more: 

• Use SMS text messages to remind customers of their appointments
  
• virtualAppointment: sendVirtualAppointmentReminderSms – Microsoft Graph v1.0 | Microsoft Learn
  

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

We’re introducing a new Workflows experience in Microsoft Teams that is rebuilt from the ground up based on feedback. 

The Workflows app helps you automate repetitive tasks and streamline everyday processes across Teams and Microsoft 365. Whether you’re scheduling messages, managing approvals, syncing updates across apps, or triggering actions from chat messages, Workflows makes it easy to build automations in just a few clicks. It’s powered by Power Automate and designed to help you stay focused on what matters most.

This new version addresses previous concerns around complexity and performance, delivering a faster, more intuitive, and streamlined interface. With the updated experience, users can now create powerful automations in three steps or fewer.

This release is part of our broader effort to make automation more accessible and impactful for every information worker. Whether you’re new to automation or a seasoned pro, the new Workflows app is designed to meet you where you work—and help you get more done with less effort. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 491632.

When this will happen

• Public Preview & Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out in September 2025.
• General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late January 2026 (previously October).

How this affects your organization

The new Workflows experience is designed to reduce complexity and improve usability. It introduces:

• A streamlined, performant user interface that works across Teams chats, channels, and SharePoint lists and libraries.
• A redesigned template library for faster discovery of common workflows.
• Natural language-to-flow capabilities that allow users to describe what they want to automate.
• A Madlib-style editor that simplifies customization using plain language and dynamic placeholders.

Under the hood, the new Workflows experience is still powered by Power Automate—so you get the same enterprise-grade reliability, security, and extensibility you trust. This update does not impact existing workflows or internal compliance processes. The feature will be on by default and requires no admin configuration.

i. Workflows v2 Home Page Experience:

ii. Workflows v2 Template Catalog Experience:

What you can do to prepare

No admin action is required at this time, but you can:

• Inform users about the upcoming changes to the Workflows experience in Teams and SharePoint.
• Reassure users that existing workflows and policies will remain unaffected.

Learn more:

• Browse and add workflows in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support – will be updated before WW rollout
• Add or run a workflow from a message in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support – will be updated before WW rollout
• Add or run a workflow from the messaging area in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support – will be updated before WW rollout
• Add or run a workflow in chats, chat messages, channels, and channel posts in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support – will be updated before WW rollout
• Creating a workflow from a chat in Teams – Microsoft Support – will be updated before WW rollout

Compliance considerations

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

Updated October 7, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.     

What and Why

We’re introducing immersive events in Microsoft Teams, enabling organizers to host interactive virtual experiences using avatars in customizable 3D environments. This feature enhances engagement for remote and hybrid meetings by allowing attendees to move freely in a virtual space, participate in spatial audio conversations, and express themselves with avatar reactions. This update aligns with our goal to make virtual collaboration more engaging and inclusive—no additional app downloads required.

Rollout Schedule

Public Preview: Rolling out now. Join Teams Public Preview to try it today.

General Availability: November 14th, 2025

Impact on Your Organization

Who is affected:

• Organizers with Teams Premium licenses (or Microsoft Mesh Trial) are enabled to schedule immersive events via Teams Calendar
• Co-organizers and Attendees are enabled to join immersive events without requiring a Teams license.

What will happen:

• Organizers can schedule immersive events directly from the Teams calendar on PC or Mac.
  • Immersive events will appear under the “Organization templates” in the “New event” dropdown menu (within Teams Calendar).
• Organizers can customize 3D spaces with images, videos, and 3D models—no coding required.
• Attendees can join via PC, Mac, or Meta Quest headsets and interact using avatars, spatial audio, and reactions, and take selfies to share in the Teams chat.
• Organizers can manage attendees with host controls, moderate interactions, and guide the experience.
• Each immersive event supports up to 300 attendees.

Action Required / Recommendations

• Verify that organizers have a Teams Premium license OR a Microsoft Mesh Trial license.
• Test immersive event creation:
  • Go to Teams > Calendar > New Event dropdown > Immersive event.
  • Create, customize, and join a test immersive event to validate setup.
• Communicate this feature to helpdesk and relevant users.
• Update internal documentation if you maintain Teams feature guides.

More info on preparing your organization for immersive events.

Compliance Considerations

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

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the expected end date for this maintenance activity. We thank you for your patience.

Planned Maintenance: Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

We have maintenance planned for Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

[When this will happen:]

• Starting: September 1, 2025
• Ending: March 30, 2026

[How this will affect your organization:]

As part of our upcoming planned DLP maintenance, we’ve identified a few rules in your tenant where the backend priority settings don’t align with what’s shown in the UI. We’re addressing this to ensure that all the rules applied to the tenant will work as you intend.

To minimize disruption, this maintenance is scheduled outside of standard business hours. However, we understand that for organizations with a global presence, business hours can vary. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience as we continuously working to enhance DLP.

[Changes to Rule Priorities:]

During this planned maintenance, you may notice that the “Last modified date” and “Last modified by” fields for impacted rules have been updated. Rest assured, we are not altering the contents of any rules; we are simply adjusting their priority settings to ensure optimal performance.

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated this MC ID. Thank you for your patience. 

We’re introducing a new Account Manager experience in Outlook for Windows. This feature helps users better manage their Microsoft accounts by providing quick access to account details, displaying their profile picture, and enabling account switching (if permitted by your organization). This update aligns the experience with classic Outlook and enhances user productivity.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 497546

When this will happen:

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in early January 2026 (previously early October 2025) and is expected to complete by late January 2026 (previously late October 2025).
Targeted Release: Rollout will begin in early December 2025 (previously early October) and is expected to complete by late December 2025 (previously late October).

How this affects your organization:

Once the rollout is complete, users will see the new Account Manager in the title bar of Outlook for Windows. Key capabilities include:

• Displaying the user’s profile picture, automatically synced from their Microsoft account.
• Providing access to the Microsoft account page, consistent with the experience in classic Outlook.
• Allowing users to add and manage accounts, if permitted by your organization’s policies.

This feature is on by default and does not require admin configuration.

What you can do to prepare:

No admin action is required. You may wish to inform your helpdesk and users about the new experience to reduce potential confusion.

Compliance considerations:

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

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

We’re introducing a new request and approval experience in the Microsoft 365 admin center for Microsoft agents. This update enables users to request access to agents—even those currently unavailable due to your organization’s configuration—directly from the Agent Store.

You can manage these requests centrally from the Copilot > Agents & connectors page in the Microsoft 365 admin center, streamlining access control and improving visibility into user interest.

Note: This request flow applies exclusively to agents built by Microsoft and does not extend to other agents available in the store.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 494809.

When this will happen

Rollout will begin late October 2025 (previously late September) and complete in mid-November 2025 (previously mid-October).

How this affects your organization

This update enhances flexibility and transparency in agent access management:

• Admins retain full control over access decisions and benefit from:
  • Centralized management of agent access requests.
  • Granular control to approve or reject requests at the individual user level.

This feature is on by default and requires no configuration to enable.

What you can do to prepare

No setup is required—this feature will roll out automatically.

To prepare:

• Visit the Copilot > Agents & connectors page in the Microsoft 365 admin center to view and manage agent access requests.
• Approve or reject requests based on your organization’s policies.

Compliance considerations

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

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the expected rollout dates for this MC ID. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

We’re introducing a new way to build automations in SharePoint using Workflows—the same fast, intuitive experience available in the Teams Workflows app. This update simplifies automation across SharePoint, Teams, and Microsoft 365, helping users streamline tasks like notifications, approvals, and file actions with just a few clicks.

Powered by Power Automate, Workflows offers a consistent experience across platforms and reduces the complexity of previous automation methods.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 491632 and MC1121517.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Begins mid-November 2025 (previously mid-September); expected completion by end of December 2025 (previously end of September).
• General Availability: Begins early February 2026 (previously mid-October); expected completion by end of February 2026 (previously mid-November).

How this affects your organization

As part of this update, list and document libraries will have a new Workflows button on the command bar menu. We’ll also be consolidating the existing Automate and Integrate menus into a single menu dropdown.

Figure i. Updated Workflows button on the command bar menu

The new Workflows experience introduces:

• A streamlined interface for creating automations directly in SharePoint lists and libraries, Teams chats, and channels.
• A redesigned template library for faster discovery of common workflows.
• Natural language-to-flow capabilities to describe automation goals.
• A Madlib-style editor for easy customization using plain language and dynamic placeholders.

Figure ii. Workflows experience opening in a SharePoint list

Figure iii. Creating a new Workflow from a template in a SharePoint document library

Workflows is powered by Power Automate and retains enterprise-grade reliability, security, and extensibility. Existing workflows and compliance processes remain unaffected. The feature is on by default and requires no admin configuration.

What you can do to prepare

No admin action is required at this time. However, you may:

• Inform users about the new Workflows experience in SharePoint.
• Update existing training and documentation that used the Integrate menu and Power Automate to create flows
• Reassure users that existing Power Automate workflows and policies will remain unchanged.
• Learn more:
  • Browse and add workflows in Microsoft Teams (will be updated before WW rollout)
  • Create a flow for a list or library (will be updated before WW rollout)

Compliance considerations

This feature leverages the Default Environment in Power Platform, if your organization has specific controls or environment policies, Workflows experiences in Teams & SharePoint will be included in those policies.

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

As a follow up to MC804771, based on Admin feedback, we are updating the behavior for automated hiding of inactive channels to be opt-in (suggestions) only. With this update, Teams will offer users suggestions on channels that are inactive, and the user is prompted to review their inactive channels and hide them only if they choose. The user will also be able to view when they last visited the channel to help them decide if they would like to hide the channel. The settings support this opt-in workflow and there are no changes to the on demand hiding process.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 325780

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: Available now.

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out in January 2026.

[How this will affect your organization:]

Before this rollout:

Users had to manually manage their relevant channels list by hiding inactive and irrelevant channels.

After this rollout:

Manage preferences for automated suggestions via Teams Settings

If users prefer to manage channels manually, they can opt out of the auto-suggestions process. Simply go to Teams settings, select General, and toggle off “Suggestions for hiding inactive channels.”

Hide inactive channels on demand when needed

Users can manually view which channels are inactive and choose to hide some or all of them whenever you need. This can be done from Settings, under General, by clicking the “Get Suggestions” button. Note that this action can be performed once every 24 hours.

Automated suggestions of inactive channels

With this, Teams will suggest channels that have been inactive for the user. Once the inactive channels are identified, the user is notified with the coach mark message, “Looks like you haven’t visited some channels lately. Hide them to help you focus.”

The user can select Review and Hide to see the details and decide which channels they would like to hide. The user can choose not hide any channels by selecting Not Now.

If a user has less than or equal to 25 shown channels, no channels will be suggested for that user. This feature is on by default and all Teams users on the affected platforms will have access to it.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Admins need to be aware of this feature, but no additional action is needed.

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

AI Workflows in the Workflows app for Microsoft Teams provide users with intelligent automation templates powered by Microsoft 365 Copilot. These workflows are powered by scheduled Copilot prompts through predefined templates for easier setup, helping users automate complex tasks and streamline daily operations. Admins can enable this feature by allowing access to the Workflows app in Teams.

This feature is available only to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

This message applies to Teams for Web and Mac.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 500379.

When this will happen

Targeted Release: Rolling out late September 2025; expected completion by early October 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out late January 2026 (previously mid-October); expected completion by mid-February 2026 (previously late October).

How this affects your organization

Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and access to the Workflows app in Teams will see new workflow templates powered by scheduled Copilot prompts. These templates simplify setup and enhance productivity through intelligent automation.

Screenshot 1 – Workflow setup experience showing Copilot-powered workflow: 

Screenshot 2 – Examples AI workflow templates on the homepage of the new Workflows app in Teams:

This feature is off by default unless the Workflows app is enabled.

What you can do to prepare

To enable this feature for your users:

1. Familiarize yourself with Copilot scheduled prompts.
2. Enable the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams.

If you prefer to disable this feature, use Cloud Policy to set the “Allow the use of additional optional connected experiences in Office” policy to Disabled. This will also disable scheduled prompts in Microsoft 365 Copilot. For more information, see Admin controls for optional connected experiences. If the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams is available to users, then this will disable AI Workflows powered by Copilot for those users. 

Learn more: 

• Manage scheduled prompts for Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn
• Overview of optional connected experiences in Office | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

Compliance considerations

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

We’re introducing an enhanced organization chart experience in the Profile Card in Microsoft Teams for Windows Desktop, Mac, and Teams on the web. This update improves the user interface and navigation while maintaining the core browsing functionality. These changes are based on user feedback to streamline org chart exploration and reduce friction in navigating team structures.

This feature is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 500696.

Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out in early December 2025 (previously early November) and expect to complete in mid-December 2025 (previously mid-November).

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in mid-January 2026 (previously late November) and expect to complete in late January 2026 (previously December).

Who is affected: All users of Microsoft Teams on Windows Desktop, Mac, and web platforms.

What will happen:

• The organization chart in the Profile Card will receive UI/UX enhancements to improve navigation and usability.
• The focused individual remains centered when the manager chain is collapsed, improving visual clarity.
• Fewer clicks are needed to view another person’s Profile Card from the current view, reducing navigation effort.
• New navigation buttons allow users to scroll through previously viewed individuals within the same Profile Card instance, streamlining org chart exploration.
• The feature is enabled by default and requires no configuration changes.

Screenshot 1 – Updated Profile Card with centered individual and collapsed manager chain:

Screenshot 2 – Expanded organization chart view:

What you can do to prepare

• No admin action is required at this time.
• We recommend informing users about the improved navigation experience to help them take full advantage of the update.
• Update internal documentation or training materials if they reference the Profile Card experience.

Learn more (to be updated closer to rollout): Profile cards in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Support 

Compliance considerations

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

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction:

We’re bringing the power of Microsoft 365 Copilot directly into your daily file management experience in Windows. With this update, users can interact with Copilot in File Explorer and the OneDrive activity center to summarize documents, generate FAQs, compare files, and ask questions about their OneDrive files.

When this will happen:

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCCH, DoD): We began the rollout in late August and expect to complete it by early to mid-November 2025 (previously mid-September).

How this affects your organization:

Screenshot 1 – Copilot actions available for OneDrive files in activity center:

• Users can use the OneDrive activity center to perform Copilot actions by selecting a file and clicking the vertical ellipsis.

Actions include summarizing documents, generating FAQs, and asking questions. Microsoft 365 Copilot may not be available in all markets or languages. A qualifying enterprise or business plan is required.

This feature is on by default and does not require admin configuration.

Screenshot 2 – Copilot actions available for OneDrive files in Windows File Explorer:

• Users can use the context menu in Windows File Explorer to perform Copilot actions by selecting a file, right clicking to open the context menu, navigating to the OneDrive drop down menu, and selecting a Copilot action within the secondary, OneDrive context menu. Users can summarize files, creating FAQs, compare files, and ask questions. 

What you can do to prepare:

If your organization uses or plans to use Copilot, we recommend informing end users about these new capabilities. No admin action is required to enable the feature. For more information on Copilot licensing and availability, visit the Microsoft Copilot documentation.

Learn more: Get started with Copilot in OneDrive | Microsoft Support

Compliance considerations

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

[Introduction]

Microsoft is introducing new customization options for Microsoft 365 profile cards to help organizations enrich user profiles with relevant business information. This update enables the addition of properties such as Role, Division, Employee ID, Employee Number, and Cost Center, sourced from Microsoft Entra ID or external HR systems via Microsoft Graph connectors.

This update is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 503111.

[When this will happen:]

[How this affects your organization:]

• Who is affected:
  • Admins managing Microsoft 365 user profiles and organizations using Outlook Web, New Outlook for Windows, Microsoft 365 Copilot app, or People Companion app.
  • Users who find the new properties once they are enabled.
• What will happen:
  • You can now add the following properties to profile cards:
    • Role
    • Division
    • Employee ID
    • Employee Number
    • Cost Center

    Screenshot 1: Profile card with new properties added

    

• Properties can be sourced from:
  • External systems via Microsoft Graph connectors
  • Microsoft Entra ID
• Properties are hidden by default and must be enabled in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Path: Settings > Org settings > People settings > Profile card > Contact info.
  • Screenshot 2: Settings for enabling the properties in M365 admin center

    

• Once enabled, properties will appear in the Contact Information tab of profile cards.
• Changes may take up to 24 hours to reflect across profile cards.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Review which properties you want to display on profile cards.
• Ensure these properties are available in Microsoft Entra ID or your external HR system.
• Configure visibility in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Refer to the Microsoft Learn documentation for setup guidance.

Coming soon:

• Support for direct ingestion from SAP SuccessFactors and Workday.
• Future support for custom properties from third-party systems.

[Compliance considerations:]

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the message to reference the corresponding Roadmap item.

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a new productivity feature in Microsoft Teams: Open Channels in a New Window. This enhancement allows users to detach any channel from the main Teams client and view it in a separate window—supporting better multitasking and focus, especially in high-traffic or cross-functional collaboration scenarios.

This change is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 509110

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in late October 2025 and is expected to complete by late November 2025.

• Who is affected: All users of Microsoft Teams desktop client (Windows and macOS).
• What will happen:
  • Users will find a new option to Pop out channel from the channel menu.

  • Screenshot 1: Entry point from left rail

    

    Screenshot 2: entry point from channel header

    

  • The channel will open in a separate window, allowing simultaneous viewing of multiple channels.
  • There are no changes to existing Teams functionality or policies.
  • Feature will be enabled by default for all tenants.

• No admin action is required.
• You may choose to:
  • Inform helpdesk and support staff of the new multitasking capability.
  • Update internal training or documentation if you provide Teams usage guidance.

[Compliance considerations:]

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

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated this MC ID. Thank you for your patience.

[Introduction]

To enhance transparency and user control, Microsoft Teams is expanding the Explicit Recording Consent feature to include 1:1 Teams calls. This update ensures that participants must provide explicit consent before their media (audio, video, and content sharing) is included in any recording or transcription initiated by another user. This change supports privacy compliance and aligns with customer feedback requesting more granular consent controls.

This message is associated with Roadmap ID 503295.

• Targeted Release: Begins early December 2025, completes mid-December 2025.
• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): Begins mid-December 2025, completes mid-January 2026.
• General Availability (GCC High): Begins mid-January 2026, completes late January 2026.
• General Availability (DoD): Begins late January 2026, completes early February 2026.

Who is affected:

• Microsoft Teams administrators managing calling policies.
• Users participating in 1:1 Teams VoIP calls where recording or transcription is initiated.
• Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) endpoints will be auto consented. Explicit consent support for PSTN will be included in a future release.

What will happen:

• This feature applies to Microsoft Teams desktop apps on Windows and macOS.
• By default, Explicit Recording Consent is OFF and must be enabled by administrators.
• When enabled:
  • Users initiating recording or transcription in 1:1 calls will trigger a consent prompt for the other VoIP participant.
  • Until consent is granted, the participant’s audio, video, and screen/content sharing will be disabled, and as a result, excluded from the recording.
  • PSTN users will be auto-consented. Learn more at Manage Teams recording policies | Auto consent endpoints and platforms
• Administrators can apply this policy tenant-wide or to specific users.

• Update training materials to reflect that Explicit Recording Consent now applies to 1:1 calls (PSTN and Teams VoIP).
• Inform users that consent is required before recording or transcription can begin in 1:1 calls.
• Administrators can manage this feature via PowerShell or the Microsoft Teams admin center.

PowerShell commands:

Set-CsTeamsCallingPolicy -Identity Global -ExplicitRecordingConsent "Enabled"
Set-CsTeamsCallingPolicy -Identity Global -ExplicitRecordingConsent "Disabled"

Learn more: Set-CsTeamsCallingPolicy documentation

[Compliance considerations:]

[Introduction]

We’re excited to announce that the convenience recording feature in Microsoft Teams is now expanding to include support for Audio-only recording in meetings and calls. With this new functionality, users can now keep their cameras on during meetings while opting to record only the audio, offering a more comfortable and convenient recording experience.

This new feature provides a valuable option for users by enhancing efficiency and accuracy in documenting meetings and calls. It alleviates concerns about facial information exposure when recording is necessary, offering a more privacy-conscious approach to recording meetings.

This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, Teams for the web, and Teams for iOS/Android.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): rollout will begin in early October 2025 and is expected to complete by late November 2025.

[How this affects your organization:]

• Who is affected: All Microsoft Teams users in commercial environments.
• What will happen:
• By default, recordings will continue to capture video and audio. Users can now choose the new Audio-only option from the recording drop-down menu.
• No admin configuration is required; the feature integrates into existing workflows.
• No impact to current recording policies or compliance settings.

[What you can do to prepare:]

• No action is required. However, you may choose to:
• Inform helpdesk staff about the new recording option.
• Update internal documentation if you reference recording workflows in Teams.
• Review user training materials to reflect this new option.
• Learn more: Teams Meeting Recording Overview

[Compliance considerations:]

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

[Introduction]

We’re introducing a new way to interact with your files in OneDrive: the Copilot floating button. This feature provides quick access to Copilot-powered actions, helping users work more efficiently by surfacing relevant tools and suggestions directly within the OneDrive interface.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out this feature starting October 15, 2005, and full rollout is expected to finish by early November 2025. During the rollout period, some users may not see the floating Copilot button in OneDrive.

Note: This is a gradual rollout, so not all users will see the feature at the same time.

• Who is affected: All Microsoft 365 tenants with Copilot-eligible users using OneDrive for Business.
• What will happen:
  • A new floating Copilot button will appear in the OneDrive web interface.
  • Users can ask questions about files, summarize documents, or compare content directly from OneDrive.
  • The button will offer contextual recommendations based on selected files.
  • Navigation is streamlined by surfacing relevant Copilot tools without needing to search through menus.
  • The feature is enabled by default for eligible users.

• Communicate this change to helpdesk and support teams.
• Drive internal awareness of the new Copilot experience in OneDrive.
• No configuration changes are required unless you wish to disable Copilot features for specific users.

Learn more: Get started with Copilot in OneDrive | Microsoft Support

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

Organizations undergoing rebranding, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, or tenant consolidations often need their SharePoint domain name in URLs to reflect their new identity. The SharePoint Online Tenant Rename feature enables this change. We are announcing general availability of advanced tenant rename with no site count limitation. With this update, the feature is now accessible to all customers, regardless of the total number of sites in the tenant.

General availability begins worldwide on October 16, 2025. Rollout started in early October and is expected to complete by mid-October 2025.

• Who is affected: Admins managing SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business tenants globally.
• What will happen:
  • Rename support is now available for all Microsoft 365 tenants, regardless of site count.
  • High reliability is maintained across rename operations.
  • Business-as-usual continuity is ensured during and after rename.
  • Compatible with Microsoft 365 partner scenarios including Microsoft Teams and PowerApps.
  • Not supported for vanity domains or Multi-Geo customers.

• Confirm total site count using the SharePoint admin center (SPAC) or PowerShell before scheduling.
• Licensing requirement: Tenants with site count greater than 10,000 must have SAM licenses purchased for all users in the organization.
• Review unsupported features or limitations (such as Hub site limitations, vanity domains, third-party integrations).
• Communicate any impact to site owners using public documentation.
• Validate custom scripts, PowerShell automations, and integrations that rely on the old domain name.
• Learn more: Change your SharePoint domain name | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations:]

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

We’re introducing a new capability in Copilot Pages that allows Copilot Chat to answer questions based on the contents of the currently open page. This enhancement supports more efficient workflows by enabling users to get contextual answers directly within the side-by-side Chat experience, without needing to switch views or search manually.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early October 2025 and expect to complete by early November 2025.

• Who is affected: Users with access to Copilot in Microsoft 365 who use Copilot Pages and Copilot Chat in side-by-side mode.
• What will happen:
  • Users will be able to ask questions in Copilot Chat about the currently open page in Copilot Pages.
  
  • Copilot will respond using the content of the open page to provide contextual answers.
  • The feature will be ON by default for eligible tenants to configure.
  • Existing admin policies are respected; no policy changes are required.

• Communicate this change to helpdesk and support staff.
• Update internal documentation or training materials that reference Copilot Pages or Chat functionality.
• Review user guidance to ensure users understand how to use Copilot effectively in side-by-side mode.

Learn more:  Manage Copilot Pages and Copilot Notebooks in your organization | Microsoft Learn

No compliance considerations identified, all compliance capabilities will be the same as the Microsoft 365 Copilot Pages experience.

Updated October 16, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Note: Hiding inactive channels

Based on Admin feedback, we are updating the behavior for automated hiding of inactive channels to be opt-in (suggestions) only. With this update, Teams will offer users suggestions on channels that are inactive, and the user is prompted to review their inactive channels and hide them only if they choose. The user will also be able to view when they last visited the channel to help them decide if they would like to hide the channel. The settings support this opt-in workflow and there are no changes to the on-demand hiding process.

This feature is enabled for targeted release, and we will roll out to General Availability targeting January 2026.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 325780.

[When this will happen:]

The feature is in public preview.

Targeted Release: Available now.

General Availability (Worldwide) and all clouds: We will begin rolling out in January 2026.

[How this will affect your organization:]

Before this rollout: Users had to manually manage their relevant channels list by hiding inactive and irrelevant channels.

After this rollout:

Manage preferences for automated suggestions via Teams Settings

If users prefer to manage channels manually, they can opt out of the auto-suggestions process. Simply go to Teams settings, select General, and toggle off “Suggestions for hiding inactive channels.”

Hide inactive channels on demand when needed

Users can manually view which channels are inactive and choose to hide some or all of them whenever you need. This can be done from Settings, under General, by clicking the “Get Suggestions” button. Note that this action can be performed once every 24 hours.

Automated suggestions of inactive channels

With this, Teams will suggest channels that have been inactive for the user. Once the inactive channels are identified, the user is notified with the coach mark message, “Looks like you haven’t visited some channels lately. Hide them to help you focus.”

The user can select Review and Hide to see the details and decide which channels they would like to hide. The user can choose not hide any channels by selecting Not Now

If a user has less than or equal to 25 shown channels, no channels will be suggested for that user. This feature is on by default and all Teams users on the affected platforms will have access to it.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

Admins need to be aware of this feature, but no additional action is needed. 

Updated October 17, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Manage retention and deletion workflows for user-owned Loop workspaces such as Copilot Pages and the Loop personal workspace when users leave the organization.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 421612

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early January 2026 (previously early November) and expect to complete by late January 2026 (previously late November).

[How this will affect your organization:]

Once available, admins will be able to manage retention and deletion workflows for user-owned Loop workspaces such as Copilot Pages and the Loop personal workspace when users leave the organization. Updates will include the ability to provide temporary access to other employees or administrators to save important data before deletion policies take effect.

More details will become available closer to the release date.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

There is nothing you need to do to prepare. These changes will roll to your tenant automatically.