29-January-2026 Below you will find a collection of news published yesterday. This news consists of Microsoft’s Roadmap when it is updated it will be below with items. Then there will be a section with the message center, if there is anything new there, this will be automatically included. And it contains a piece from blogs that I follow myself and would like to share with you. If I miss something in the blogs that do have an RSS feed, please let me know.
This entire post was automated via Microsoft Flow
have fun reading!
Office 365 Roadmap Updated: 2026-01-29
Additions : 6
Updates : 5
More Details At: www.roadmapwatch.com
Items from the MessageCenter in Microsoft 365
| (Updated) Changing output format for some database properties in Exchange Online cmdletsCategory:Exchange OnlineNummer:MC1108848Status:stayInformed | Updated January 28, 2026: We have updated timelines for enforcement. The scope of the change remains unchanged. Thank you for your patience. We’re updating the output format of certain properties returned by Exchange Online PowerShell cmdlets to improve performance and align with backend service optimizations. This change reduces unnecessary data retrieval and enhances consistency across services. [When this will happen:] Rollout will begin in February 2026 (previously October 2025) and complete by April 2026 (previously November 2025). [How this affects your organization:] This update changes the string format of specific properties returned by Exchange Online cmdlets. For example, the Database property in the output of Get-Mailbox will change from:
to:
This change applies only to Exchange Online. On-premises Exchange environments are not affected. We do not expect organizations to have dependencies on these output formats. These values are informational only and not intended for admin control or automation. No changes to user workflows, admin configurations, or help desk processes are expected. [What you can do to prepare:] No action is required. There are no settings or controls to manage this change. If you have scripts that parse these property values, we recommend reviewing them to ensure compatibility. The complete list of cmdlets impacted is as follows:
The affected properties for each Output Type are as follows:
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| (Updated) Microsoft Copilot in Teams: Visual Insight for intelligent recapCategory:Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)Nummer:MC1115314Status:planForChange | Updated January 28, 2026: Note: The February rollout will begin with the Desktop and Web platforms. The Mobile rollout will start later. We will update the timelines when they are available. Coming soon for Microsoft Copilot in Teams: Intelligent meeting recap will be able to incorporate content shared on screen into the AI-based summary provided after the meeting, providing a richer and more comprehensive recap of the meeting. Intelligent meeting recap will capture details shown when a participant shares their screen, ensuring those unspoken insights become part of the meeting recap. This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, Teams for the web, and Teams for iOS/Android. This feature requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 490052. [When this will happen:] Targeted Release: Rollout begins in early February 2026 and completes by mid-February 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid-February 2026 and completes by late February 2026. [How this will affect your organization:] Copilot users will receive intelligent recap summaries that incorporate shared-screen content, preserving every detail and its context.
This feature will be available by default with no admin controls. [What you need to do to prepare:] This rollout will happen automatically by the specified dates with no admin action required before 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. Learn more: Intelligent recap for Teams calls, meetings, and events – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout) [Compliance considerations:] No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Updated) Rate my call feedback experience update in Microsoft TeamsCategory:Microsoft TeamsNummer:MC1183608Status:stayInformed | Updated January 28, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. [Introduction] The Rate My Call survey is a feedback screen that the Teams client will occasionally present to users after their Teams call or meeting has completed. Currently, the rating presents 1-5 stars on the first page and a list of potential issues (called problem tokens) on the second page. We will be rolling out a new streamlined feedback experience for Teams on Windows, Mac, and Web that presents the feedback on a single screen with a thumbs up / thumbs down rating system and problem tokens for the user to select, plus an area to provide details. In testing, we found higher feedback returns with this new design, and clearer insights into call quality issues. Screenshot 1: New Rate My Call User Interface [When this will happen:]
Who is affected: Users of Microsoft Teams on Windows desktop, Mac, and Web clients What will happen:
[Compliance considerations:] No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. [FAQ]Q: Will a higher PCR mean calls are worse? Q: What is the new PCR target or threshold for your workstreams? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Updated) Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agents: A new Copilot experience for content creationCategory:Microsoft 365 apps Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365) Microsoft 365 Copilot ChatNummer:MC1187799Status:stayInformed | Updated January 28, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. [Introduction] We’re introducing new Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot to help users create documents, workbooks, and presentations more efficiently in Copilot Chat within the Frontier program. These agents assist with creating documents, workbooks, and presentations by using web and enterprise grounding. Each agent supports multi-turn chat, enabling user to refine content through an interactive back-and-forth conversation. [When this will happen:]
[How this affects your organization:] If your organization is part of the Frontier program and has enabled Anthropic usage in your tenant, users will be able to access Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agents via the navigation pane in the M365 Copilot app or within the Tools menu in Copilot chat across Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Additionally, users can invoke these agents by typing “@” followed by the agent name (for example, @PowerPoint). Who is affected:
What will happen:
[What you can do to prepare:]
Learn more: Get started with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot (Frontier) [Compliance considerations:] No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Updated) Retirement notice: MDE and XDR Advanced Hunting APIs retiring; migrate to Microsoft Graph Security APICategory:Microsoft Defender XDRNummer:MC1220762Status:planForChange | Updated January 26, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience. [Introduction] We’re retiring the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) Advanced Hunting API and Microsoft Defender XDR Advanced Hunting API and transitioning customers to the Microsoft Graph Security API. This update aligns our security integrations with a unified interface and schema across Microsoft Defender products. The Microsoft Graph Security API provides broader data coverage, improved consistency, and better scalability for automation and security workflows. [When this will happen]
[How this affects your organization] Who is affected:
What will happen:
[What you can do to prepare]
Learn more:
[Compliance considerations] No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Email customization is now available in Site Lifecycle Management PoliciesCategory:SharePoint OnlineNummer:MC1222976Status:stayInformed | Introduction Email customization for Site Lifecycle Management (SLM) policies is now generally available. This update allows SharePoint admins to tailor notification emails sent to site owners during policy execution. Customizable emails help organizations provide clearer, contextual communication aligned with internal governance standards. When this will happen: General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High): This feature is now available for all SLM policies, including Inactive Sites Policy, Site Ownership Policy, and Site Attestation Policy. How this affects your organization: Who is affected: What will happen:
What you can do to prepare: No action is required if default templates meet your needs.
Learn more: Customize email notifications Compliance considerations: No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft Defender for Android: End of support for Android 10 devicesCategory:Microsoft Defender XDRNummer:MC1222977Status:planForChange | [Introduction] To align with the Android platform lifecycle and ensure customers remain protected with the most up‑to‑date security capabilities, Microsoft Defender for Android will end support for devices running Android 10. After support ends, Defender on Android 10 devices will no longer receive feature updates, security fixes, or technical support. Devices running Android 11 or later will continue to be fully supported. [When this will happen] Support for Microsoft Defender on Android 10 devices will end on March 31, 2026. [How this affects your organization] You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates your organization might have devices running on Android 10. Who is affected: Organizations with users or managed devices running Android 10 and using Microsoft Defender for Android. What will happen:
[What you can do to prepare] No admin action is required for this change to occur. To prepare:
If needed, refer to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint documentation for minimum platform requirements. Learn more: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Android | Microsoft Defender | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations] No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft 365 Copilot: User-day export for Copilot dashboard metrics in public previewCategory:Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)Nummer:MC1222978Status:stayInformed | [Introduction] To help organizations analyze more recent Microsoft 365 Copilot usage trends, we’re adding a new export option in the Copilot dashboard. In addition to the existing user‑week export (see MC1173208), dashboard users with company‑level access will be able to export a subset of de‑identified Copilot usage metrics aggregated by user and day. This option includes 28 days of activity data and supports more granular, short‑term insights into Copilot adoption. Exported data will usually reflect copilot activity up to 3 days before the export date; actual timing may vary A minimum of 50 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses is required. This feature applies to the Viva Insights web app. This message is associated with the Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 547749.
[When this will happen]
[How this affects your organization] Who is affected This feature is available to Copilot dashboard users with full company-level data access, including:
What will happen
[What you can do to prepare]
Learn more:
[Compliance considerations] No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Built-in Alert Tuning Rules optimize your incident and alert queuesCategory:Microsoft Defender XDRNummer:MC1222979Status:stayInformed | Introduction We’re improving how alerts show up in Microsoft Defender XDR incidents to help your SOC prioritize actionable work and keep investigations moving efficiently. Starting January 25, 2026, administrators will see the new built in alert tuning experience in the portal UI. During this initial period, the experience is visible, but the built-in tuning won’t be active yet. The review & opt out window runs from January 25 through February 5. During this time, you can review the new settings and decide whether to keep the default experience enabled or disable it for your organization. What’s going live on February 5, 2026 On February 5, 2026, the functionality becomes active:
Included in this release (MDO alert types) The 12 built in rules in this release apply to the following alert types:
How this affects your organization
What you need to do to prepare
Multi-Tenant Management (MTO) content distribution If you manage multiple tenants, you can manage built in alert tuning rules at scale using the MTO portal content distribution capability. Configure which built in rules are enabled/disabled in a source tenant and distribute that configuration across your managed tenants for consistent settings everywhere. Learn more
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| Microsoft 365 Copilot: Pay-as-you-go consumption for the Copilot Retrieval APICategory:Microsoft 365 Copilot ChatNummer:MC1222980Status:stayInformed | [Introduction] We’re adding support for pay-as-you-go (PAYG) consumption for the Microsoft 365 Copilot Retrieval API. This update gives organizations a flexible way to extend Retrieval API access to users without Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses, while keeping admin control over data access and billing. Users with Copilot licenses will continue to be able to access the Retrieval API at no additional cost. [When this will happen]
[How this affects your organization] Who is affected:
What will happen:
[What you can do to prepare]
[Compliance considerations]
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| SharePoint: Migrate the Maps web part to Azure MapsCategory:SharePoint OnlineNummer:MC1222981Status:planForChange | [Introduction] We’re updating the SharePoint Maps web part to use Azure Maps as its data provider. This migration modernizes the mapping experience, improves reliability, and aligns SharePoint with Microsoft’s long-term mapping platform strategy. Most existing functionality will continue to work as expected. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): Rollout will begin in early March 2026 and complete by mid-April 2026. [How this affects your organization:] Who is affected:
What will happen:
[What you can do to prepare:]
[Compliance considerations:] No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An updated version of the January 2026 Scan Cab is availableCategory:WindowsNummer:MC1223281Status:stayInformed | IMPORTANT: This notice is only relevant for environments where:
An updated version of the January 2026 Scan Cab was made available at 2:30 PM PT on January 27, 2026. This Scan Cab includes new metadata corresponding to new updates for Microsoft Office 2016. The new security updates for Microsoft Office released January 26, 2026, included additional protections to address CVE-2026-21509. Reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision in Microsoft Office allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally. See the additional information section of this message for details. How this affects your organization: IT administrators who downloaded the Scan Cab before 2:30 PM PT on January 27, 2026, should re-acquire and re-deploy it if the Scan Cab is used to assess updates for environments where Microsoft Office is used. No action is required on environments where Scan Cab is not employed and do not have Microsoft Office installed. However, please note that there might be non-Microsoft applications that utilize Scan Cab. Review the documentation for any software and update deployment tools that might be in use for your organization, to understand if this is applicable in your environment. What you need to do to prepare: Administrators can download the updated Scan Cab here. Visit CVE-2026-21509 to find download links, release notes, and appropriate action for affected versions of Microsoft Office. For detailed guidance, see the Additional information section below. Additional information:
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| Updates available for Microsoft 365 Apps for Current ChannelCategory:Microsoft 365 appsNummer:MC1223294Status:stayInformed | We've released updates to the following update channel for Microsoft 365 Apps:
[When this will happen:] We'll be gradually rolling out this update of Microsoft 365 Apps to users on that update channel starting January 27th, 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: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Platform admin center – Power Platform inventory is now Generally AvailableCategory:Power PlatformNummer:MC1223778Status:stayInformed | We are announcing the ability to view and manage a comprehensive inventory of Power Platform resources in the Power Platform admin center (PPAC). This feature is now generally available. How does this affect me? Power Platform inventory is accessible from multiple locations in the admin center: the unified Inventory page under Manage shows all resources together, while resource-specific inventory views are available in Copilot Studio (agents), Power Apps (apps), and Power Automate (flows). The resource types available in Power Platform inventory include:
Additionally, on February 9, 2026, the following capabilities, along with additional bug fixes and improvements, will be available:
What action do I need to take? This message is for awareness, and no action is required. If you would like more information on this feature, please visit the article Power Platform inventory . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Updated) Microsoft Teams: Shorter meeting URLsCategory:Microsoft TeamsNummer:MC772556Status:stayInformed | Updated January 20, 2026: We’ve updated how Teams meeting join links appear in meeting invites. As part of the broader rollout of the new, shorter meeting URL format, meeting invites now display the full join link directly instead of a labeled “Join the meeting now” hyperlink. This improves link consistency, reliability across clients and email applications, and makes copying and sharing the link easier. This update does not change meeting functionality or attendee experience. Existing Teams and Outlook clients continue to support the new link format. Please note that information about meeting link expiry changes related to this rollout has been added. We are reducing the length of Microsoft Teams meeting URLs for easier sharing. This rollout applies to all Microsoft Teams platforms (Teams for iOS, Android, Mac, Teams devices, desktop, and web). This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 381953. [When this will happen:] Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out mid-February 2025 (previously mid-January) and expect to complete by late February 2025 (previously late January). Only Meet Now use cases (except Meet Now in chats and channels) will be affected in this timeframe. There will be no impact on the scheduled meetings in this phase. General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): We will begin rolling out January 2026 (previously mid-May 2025) and expect to complete by end of January 2026 (previously late May 2025). General Availability (GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out February 2026 (previously early August 2025) and expect to complete by end of February 2026 (previously late October 2025). [How this will affect your organization:] The new URL syntax is: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/<meeting_id>?p=<HashedPasscode> To make meeting URL shorter, we are removing several parameters such as tenant ID, conversation ID etc. This change serves two main goals: 1) improving usability of URL during sharing and 2) making the URL more secure and less susceptible to malicious attacks. Here are some details about how meeting links work and when they expire:
With the Short Meeting URL release, expiration limit will be applied to all newly created links. Once the change to Short Meeting URL is released, all newly created meetings will expire as described in the documentation: 60 days after meeting ends for scheduled meetings and 60 days after creation for MeetNow meetings. Once this expiry period is over, in case someone clicks the link (e.g. outside of Teams app OR in the meeting details inside Teams calendar section), they will be unable to join the meeting. Note: Old links created before short meeting URL release will continue working as it previously was (user will be able to join even after the documented expiry limits). The reason why we are making this change is simple: security is our topmost priority. Maintaining a high security level is essential to protect sensitive data, prevent financial losses, ensure business continuity, and meet compliance and legal obligations. It is a critical aspect of modern digital life and business operations. This adjustment is designed to enhance the security of Teams meeting links, thereby better safeguarding the customer tenant. We want to be on par with modern security standards, that’s why the new behavior is a step in the right direction that we must take. It’s not possible to keep the current behavior. If you think it breaks some of your business processes, please leave comment to the MC post and describe your case there. Recommendations in case the meeting link has expired: For meeting organizer: We recommend scheduling a new meeting. If the meeting organizer got removed from the tenant someone else should reschedule their meetings from scratch. For participant: Please reach out to the meeting organizer and ask them to reschedule the meeting or send you an updated link. [What you need to do to prepare:] You may want to check if you have any integrations that use parameters from URL. After the rollout, the URL will only contain the meeting ID. Parameters such as tenant ID, organizer ID, conversation ID and message ID will not be in the URL. You may inform meeting organizers from your tenant who use expired meeting links, or you may want to make a tenant-wide announcement about this change. This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation as appropriate. |




