Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel (Windows and Mac) enables natural language interaction to build and edit workbooks, integrates web search for updated data, and supports Claude AI models. It rolls out worldwide from mid-January to early March 2026, requires no admin action, and respects existing data access settings.
Auto-updates for Teams Android device firmware and apps via Teams admin center will pause from December 20, 2025, to January 12, 2026, to ensure holiday stability. Manual updates remain available. Updates will resume post-holiday with standard rollout logic; no action is needed before the pause.
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management will extend to detect and manage risky AI agent activities in enterprise environments. Features include integration with Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry, AI-specific risk policies, and governance of agent workflows. Public preview starts December 2025; general availability by December 2026.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will replace GPT-4o with OpenAI’s GPT-Image-1.5 from mid-December 2025 to late January 2026, enhancing image generation quality, speed, and accuracy without changing admin controls or compliance settings. Eligible users receive the update automatically.
Starting January 12, 2026, Microsoft Teams will enable messaging safety features by default, including weaponizable file type protection, malicious URL protection, and reporting incorrect detections. Existing custom settings remain unchanged. Admins should review and adjust settings before this date and inform helpdesk staff accordingly.
The Chat History landing page filtering UI will be refreshed by consolidating filters into a single “filter pill” for easier management and clearing. This update, rolling out globally in January 2026, affects all users with no functional changes. No admin action is needed, but communication and documentation updates are recommended.
Admins can now block external users in Microsoft Teams via the Tenant Allow/Block List in the Microsoft Defender portal, controlling access and communications. This feature, rolling out January 2026, supports up to 4,000 domains and 200 emails, with audit logging and no impact on existing Teams settings.
Word Agent helps you handle research, structure, and formatting so you can stay focused on your ideas. Use multi‑turn chat to refine your draft or open it in Word for full editing and collaboration. It’s designed for long‑form, information‑dense work—like strategic plans, policy documents, and technical papers—making it easier to turn complex material into clear, well‑written content. Available to Microsoft 365 users with or without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Users can now quickly enrich their Copilot Notebook with relevant Suggested References based on recent user work activity.
PowerPoint Agent helps you build polished presentations with strong storytelling and visual structure. It streamlines research, formatting, and layout so you can stay focused on your message. Use multi‑turn chat to refine content or open the deck in PowerPoint for full editing and collaboration. Ideal for executive presentations, strategic updates, and market overviews. Available to Microsoft 365 users with or without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
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