Play of the Week

An update is coming to Microsoft Purview compliance portal. This month the system will support Exchange Online’s Cloud-based Message Recall feature for encrypted messages in Outlook on the Web and the New Outlook for Windows. This feature is rolling out across all cloud environments.

In Development

Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Plugins in copilot.microsoft.com

Users can now use plugins via copilot.microsoft.com to expand Copilot skills.

ID: 384848 Release: Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365) – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: December CY2024

Microsoft Viva: Copilot for leaders in Viva Insights

Empower leaders to ask questions about their organization and how their team is doing through responses that leverage Viva Insights behavioral metrics and organizational context data.

ID: 415452 Release: Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: June CY2025

Microsoft Viva: Skills and AI transformation scenarios for Leaders in Viva Insights

Enable leaders to ask questions about skills their team possess based on user-confirmed skills and Viva AI engine. Furthermore, they can dive deeper with dynamically curated reports. Along with this, they will have the ability to learn about AI adoption and impact on their team with Microsoft Copilot features.

ID: 415453 Release: Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: June CY2025

Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Improved template support when you create a presentation with Copilot

Once you update your template(s) to PowerPoint’s best practices, your templates will work even better with Copilot. You’ll get beautiful on-brand slides every time you open your optimized template and create a presentation with Copilot.

ID: 417060 Release: PowerPoint, Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365) – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

SharePoint: Approvals integration in Document Libraries

SharePoint Document Libraries will begin to leverage the Approvals app in Microsoft Teams. Users will be able to navigate to the Automate dropdown, Configure Approvals to enable the feature on the library. Once enabled you can specify the approver for the file, submit a request which will appear in the Approvals app in Teams or can be approved directly in the library. Once approved, the file metadata will update in the Approval status column.

ID: 420336 Release: SharePoint – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), GCC Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Insider Risk Management – New Insider Risk Management Reporting Capabilities

Insider risk management is introducing one central location for all reports including analytics and user activity reports. Additional reports will also be available that will summarize trends in alerts generated and cases created. Sample reports include alerts generated over time, alerts actioned over time, alerts and cases generated by region and department, top triggering events of alerts generated, and average time to triage alerts and cases. The ability to filter reports will also be introduced. Users with the admin, analyst or investigator role will have access to view the new Alerts & cases report. Permissions for accessing analytics and user activity reports have not changed. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management correlates various signals to identify potential malicious or inadvertent insider risks, such as IP theft, data leakage, and security violations. Insider Risk Management enables customers to create policies based on their own internal policies, governance, and organizational requirements. Built with privacy by design, users are pseudonymized by default, and role-based access controls and audit logs are in place to help ensure user-level privacy.

ID: 420939 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), GCC High, DoD, GCC Tags: February CY2025

Microsoft Teams: Usage reports for bookable desks in the Pro Management portal

With a Teams Shared Device license assigned to a desk pool, admins can view valuable analytics for these spaces including number of peripherals, usage, reservations, and occupancy under ‘Reports’ in the portal.

ID: 421604 Release: Microsoft Teams – GCC, Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: December CY2024

Microsoft 365 app: Microsoft Loop – Admin usage reports for Loop

View and monitor Loop usage in the tenant through existing M365 admin usage dashboards.

ID: 421611 Release: Microsoft 365 app – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: March CY2025

Microsoft 365 app: Microsoft Loop – Multi-geo support for shared Loop workspaces

This ensures data storage for shared Loop workspaces is in the correct geo. M365 group-owned workspaces are created in the group’s geo, while non-M365 group-owned workspaces are created in the creator’s preferred data location.

ID: 421616 Release: Microsoft 365 app – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: December CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Stream Custom Agent and Bot Responses

Custom engine agents and Teams bots can now stream responses like Microsoft Copilot. They can provide real-time updates on their actions while delivering parts of the response as they generate it, making interactions feel faster and more engaging.

ID: 422261 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): BizChat – Copilot agents available in Business Chat web mode

In Business Chat web mode, discover and use Copilot agents available for your organization. Agents are custom grounded chats that include specific knowledge sources from work and web.

ID: 422315 Release: Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365) – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Data Loss Prevention – Admin units support for SharePoint Online

Delegate management and remediation authority for different people in different regions or organization units with role-based access control (RBAC). For example, German investigators should be able to investigate alerts and audit events for only German users. This update extends support to SharePoint for Microsoft 365.

ID: 422316 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: December CY2024

Microsoft Viva: Viva Engage – Top questions

Top Questions shows community members the most-viewed questions in their community over the last 90 days. It is designed to help people quickly find the most relevant and popular questions in their communities.

ID: 422317 Release: Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Communication Compliance – Detect workplace safety concerns in user-reported Teams messages

Communication Compliance introduces the ability to identify and flag potential workplace safety concerns in user-reported Teams messages. Investigators now have an extra indication to decide what risk exists in user-reported messages and can configure an Inappropriate Content policy to proactively identify similar inappropriate content moving forward. Microsoft Purview Communication Compliance provides the tools to help organizations detect regulatory compliance violations (e.g. SEC or FINRA), such as sensitive or confidential information, harassing or threatening language, and sharing of adult content. Built with privacy by design, usernames are pseudonymized by default, role-based access controls are built in, investigators are opted in by an admin, and audit logs are in place to help ensure user-level privacy.

ID: 422329 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Communication Compliance – Detect prompt injection attacks and mentions of protected materials in GenAI prompts and responses?

In Communication Compliance, we’re introducing the ability to detect potentially risky Generative AI interactions using Azure Content Safety’s Prompt shields and Protected materials classifiers. Detect risk of jailbreak prompt exploitation by malicious users and identify if GenAI responses contain branded/copyrighted material so organizations can maintain content originality and protect their reputations. Microsoft Purview Communication Compliance provides the tools to help organizations detect regulatory compliance violations (e.g. SEC or FINRA), such as sensitive or confidential information, harassing or threatening language, and sharing of adult content. Built with privacy by design, usernames are pseudonymized by default, role-based access controls are built in, investigators are opted in by an admin, and audit logs are in place to help ensure user-level privacy.

ID: 422334 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Edge: Authorized group setting in Microsoft Edge for Business

The authorized group setting ensures that Edge respects the settings for “Printer groups,” “Removable USB device groups,” and “Network share groups” in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. This change will prevent users from bypassing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) protections by using Edge, thereby enhancing security and compliance.

ID: 422502 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal, Microsoft Edge – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Viva: Viva Engage – Page header enhancements

We’ve made enhancements to the Viva Engage page header for a more streamlined experience. The header now pulls in more relevant content and emphasizes key actions like “Join.” Additionally, we’ve reduced the icon size slightly to prevent overlap with background images, ensuring improved visibility and interaction.

ID: 422731 Release: Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Admin Center – Admins can disable ability to send messages in meeting chat before and after the meeting

We are expanding the existing ‘Meeting chat’ control in Teams Admin Center with two new values, “In-meeting only for everyone” and “In-meeting only except anonymous users.” In Teams Admin Center, admins will see a setting called ‘Meeting chat’ under Meetings > Meeting Policies > Meeting Engagement. Admins can now select from five options in the ‘Meeting chat’ setting: (1) “On for everyone” (2) “On for everyone but anonymous users” (3) “Off” (4) “In-meeting only for everyone” (5) “In-meeting only except anonymous users.” Admins can select the “In-meeting only” values to disable participants’ ability to send messages in the meeting chat before or after the meeting, for meetings organized by specific users in their tenant. When one of these “In-meeting only” values are selected, participants can read past chat history but no one can send messages in the meeting chat unless the meeting is active.

ID: 422808 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), GCC High, DoD, GCC Tags: December CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Improved reporting – Additional report fields in the Time Clock export

We’ve expanded the functionality of the time clock export report by adding additional fields from Shifts. This enhancement provides you with a more comprehensive and detailed view of your scheduling data, making it easier to analyze and manage workforce activities.

ID: 422812 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Shifts Graph APIs in beta moved to production (v1.0)

We are excited to announce that the Shifts Graph APIs have transitioned from beta to production. This change brings enhanced stability and reliability to the APIs, ensuring a seamless experience for developers and users alike.

ID: 422813 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Archived Teams’ schedules no longer visible

We’ve improved the schedule view by hiding archived teams’ schedules. This reduces clutter, allowing you to focus on active teams and their schedules.

ID: 422814 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: November CY2024

Outlook: Sync folder order

The order of folders in Outlook mobile will now sync to match the folder order on other Outlook apps.

ID: 422816 Release: Outlook – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: December CY2024

Outlook: Insert signature into calendar events

Users can manually insert a signature into a calendar event like they can in the classic outlook. #newoutlookforwindows

ID: 422817 Release: Outlook – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: December CY2024

Outlook: Mail Merge (Advanced) on Outlook on the Web and new Outlook for Windows

Mail Merge (Basic) will be improved upon to allow fields to be replaced by values per email address. When Mail Merge (Advanced) is launched, not only will every recipient receive their own email with only their email address in the recipients list, but the emails can further be personalized to include content such as their name. #newoutlookforwindows

ID: 423047 Release: Outlook – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: April CY2025

Rolling Out

SharePoint: Customize your individual sites and experiences with fonts and themes

Site owners will now be able to create branded fonts and themes for their sites and experiences in the brand center by combining the branding assets that the organization provides or by creating their own.

ID: 375500 Release: SharePoint – GCC, GCC High, DoD, Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Outlook: Sharing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint local files through the new Outlook for Windows

When users are in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint apps, and they want to share a file that is saved locally in their device (not stored in a cloud location), the new Outlook for Windows will show up as a share target and they will be able to easily email the file. #newoutlookforwindows. This roadmap status was updated to “Rolling out” error and has been corrected to “In development.” We apologize for any inconvenience.

ID: 397094 Release: Outlook – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), GCC Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Defender for Office 365: IPv6 allow and block support in Tenant Allow/Block List

Admins can create allow and block entries for IPv6 directly inside the Tenant Allow/Block List.

ID: 406166 Release: Exchange, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 – GCC, Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), GCC High, DoD Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Notification in Activity feed and banner when intelligent meeting recap is ready

Intelligent meeting recap users will receive a notification in Teams Activity feed and banner when intelligent meeting recap is ready. Clicking on the notification in Activity feed will take users right to the intelligent meeting recap experience, which will be visible to the right of the Activity feed. Users can configure their notification settings in Teams settings > Notifications and activity > Apps > Meeting Recap to control where the notification is surfaced (Activity and banner, Activity only, Off) as well as which meetings have notifications enabled (for only meetings with RSVP selection of “Follow,” or all other meetings, or both).

ID: 408529 Release: Microsoft Teams – GCC, Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Planner: New Microsoft Planner app for the web

The new Microsoft Planner app for the web is a single, unified work management experience. Assisted by AI, it brings together the simplicity of Microsoft To Do, the collaboration of Planner, and the power of Microsoft Project into a simple, scalable, intelligent solution that spans from individual task management to enterprise and professional project management.

ID: 411777 Release: Microsoft Project, Planner – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Education grid view refresh

Microsoft Teams for Education now has a new refreshed grid view, wherein you will directly be able to get to your assignments or classwork for your classes in grid view. This feature will make it easier and faster for you to get to your assignments, classwork or channels.

ID: 412934 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Information Protection- User Message Recall in Outlook for encrypted messages

Microsoft Purview Advanced Message Encryption will support Exchange Online’s Cloud-based Message Recall feature for encrypted messages in Outlook on the Web and the New Outlook for Windows.

ID: 413431 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), DoD, GCC High, GCC Tags: October CY2024

Outlook: Offline app boot

This introduces the ability to open or restart the new Outlook for Windows when not connected to the internet. Previously, you needed a connection to the internet to open or restart the new Outlook. Offline access is only supported when the app is already running and then goes offline. Opening and restarting the app while offline will be introduced with this rollout. #newoutlookforwindows

ID: 414516 Release: Outlook – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Outlook: Updates to mail sharing functionality with Cloud Policy Service when setting “Turn off sharing recommendation”

Updates to the office Cloud Policy Service setting “Turn off sharing recommendation” will disable the ability for users to share folders with individual users. Currently, the policy blocked users’ ability to update default and anonymous permission levels for shared folders. This functionality will remain and will not be changed. The current policy and how it works with calendar sharing will not be impacted by this change and will remain as implemented. #newoutlookforwindows

ID: 415467 Release: Outlook – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), DoD, GCC High, GCC Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Teams menu bar icon with Presence on Mac

Introduction of a Menu Bar icon with a flyout for common workflows that reduces clicks and simplifies checking for at-a-glance information like the presence status.

ID: 416069 Release: Microsoft Teams – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), GCC High, DoD, GCC Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Viva: Unified Create button in Viva Engage

This feature brings a new way for users to create posts, communities etc. through a centralized creation button in Viva Engage. Currently, Engage users need to go to different locations in the application for different creation types – a post, community, etc. Starting in October 2024, a Viva Engage user will be able to create the different types of content already enabled for them, using a centralized creation button. This new feature eases the process of creation and helps users quickly discover the various creation options they are licensed to use.

ID: 416449 Release: Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Viva: A new reactions look and feel in Viva Engage

Viva Engage will feature a new look and feel for reactions in conversations. Users will see a more interactive style, showing others’ reactions as clickable pills across the conversation card. This design brings Engage reactions more in line with other Microsoft 365 products, including Teams. There are no changes to the number of icons available in Engage with this new design. Users will see this change in Engage web and Teams and Outlook apps. Mobile apps and other integrated surfaces will follow.

ID: 416644 Release: Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Launched

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Audit Search Graph API

Microsoft Graph offers a unified API endpoint for accessing data from multiple Microsoft cloud services in a single response. This feature allows our customers to programmatically access the new async Audit Search experience, which also provides improved reliability and search completeness, through Microsoft Graph API.

ID: 117587 Release: Microsoft Purview compliance portal – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Viva: Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Amplify editor

The superpowers of Microsoft 365 Copilot will be directly available to you in the Viva Amplify editing experience to revolutionize the way you create and enhance content. Auto-rewrite will create suggestions based on the text you’ve written. Also, you can expand or condense what you have written. Copilot in Amplify will also help you adjust the tone of your content to ensure consistency across your communications and to best suit your audience, whether you need a casual tone for social messages, an engaging tone to compel and draw in your audience, or a professional tone for business communications.

ID: 411300 Release: Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365), Microsoft Viva – Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Microsoft Teams: Voice isolation on MacOS

With voice isolation, you can enjoy clear and uninterrupted calls or meetings, no matter where you are. Voice isolation is an AI based advanced noise suppression feature that eliminates unwanted background noise including other human voices. The technology recognizes your voice profile and ensures only your voice is transmitted. Voice isolation can be enabled for calls and meetings and will now be available on MacOS.

ID: 412359 Release: Microsoft Teams – GCC, Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) Tags: October CY2024

Canceled