Inform: 14 new updates from Microsoft that may impact you

Hi Reader,

Keep informed with these 14 new updates from the Microsoft Message Center for the week ending Sunday 26 April 2026.

Microsoft 365 eSignature: Recipient groups allow any one of multiple signers to fulfil a signing slot

Risk: Low | User Impact: Medium | Admin Impact: Low

eSignature for Microsoft 365 will support recipient groups, where up to 10 people can be assigned to a single signing slot and the first to sign fulfils the requirement for the group. This reduces the risk of signature workflows stalling when a specific signer is unavailable. The feature is on by default, requires no admin configuration, and respects existing tenant eSignature policies. Users who create eSignature requests in Microsoft Word are affected.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Late July 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1290821 | Published: 24 April 2026

SharePoint: Unified app management for SharePoint Embedded arrives in admin centre

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Medium

A new Apps page under SharePoint Embedded in the SharePoint admin centre will allow SharePoint Embedded administrators to create, install, and manage apps without requiring Global admin consent. Admins can create or attach a Microsoft Entra app, assign up to three owners, and configure billing — either billed to the user organisation or the app owner's subscription. The billing type selected at creation is permanent. Developers receive app IDs from admins for ongoing development. No end user impact.

Action Required: Plan

Key dates: Late May 2026 | ID: MC1290827 | Published: 24 April 2026

Microsoft Outlook: Copilot account switcher arrives in the Outlook side pane

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Low

A new account selector will appear at the top of the Copilot side pane in new Outlook for Windows, allowing users with multiple Copilot-enabled accounts to switch which account powers their Copilot experience without changing Outlook's broader account context. The selector only appears when multiple Copilot-enabled accounts are present and the context is ambiguous — Mail is excluded. Users with a single Copilot account will see no change. No admin configuration is required.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Late April 2026 (Targeted Release), Mid-June 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1290822 | Published: 24 April 2026

Microsoft Teams: Meeting organisers can grant recap access when sharing a recap link

Risk: Low | User Impact: Medium | Admin Impact: Low

Meeting organisers in Teams will be able to specify which people receive access to a recap's recording, transcript, AI summary, and notes at the point of sharing a recap link. Non-organisers can copy and share recap links, but recipients who were not in the meeting will be prompted to request access. The feature is on by default and requires no admin configuration. All Teams users who organise or attend meetings with recaps enabled are affected.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Mid-May 2026 (Targeted Release), Late June 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1289724 | Published: 23 April 2026

Microsoft Teams: Meeting organisers can delete recap content directly from the recap page

Risk: Medium | User Impact: Medium | Admin Impact: Low

Meeting organisers in Teams will be able to permanently delete recordings, transcripts, AI summaries, and notes from the meeting recap via a new Delete recap content option in the More menu. Deleted content cannot be restored. Shared files are not affected and remain in their original storage locations. Custom summary and Audio recap are excluded from this release. The feature is on by default and requires no admin configuration. Organisations with meeting retention or governance policies should review the compliance implications.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Early May 2026 (Targeted Release), Early June 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1289725 | Published: 23 April 2026

Microsoft 365 Apps: Cloud Update gains update health reporting for failed updates

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Low

Admins using Cloud Update to manage Microsoft 365 Apps updates will see a new Update health view in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin centre. It surfaces descriptive error messages aligned with error codes, aggregated issue views across managed devices, and drill-down detail with export and linked troubleshooting guidance. The feature is on by default for eligible tenants, requires no configuration, and has no impact on end users or existing update policies.

Action Required: Review

Key dates: Mid-May 2026 (Preview), Late May 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1289720 | Published: 23 April 2026

Viva Insights: Agent Dashboard gains export capability for Copilot agent usage data

Risk: Medium | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Medium

Eligible users with full company-level access to the Viva Insights Agent Dashboard will be able to export de-identified, weekly Copilot agent usage data covering up to six months. Exported data includes agent metadata, usage metrics, credit consumption, and anonymised people attributes. The feature requires a minimum of 50 Microsoft 365 Copilot licences, is on by default, and can be disabled at tenant or group level via Viva Feature Access Management (VFAM). Group managers with team-only data access are excluded.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Late May 2026 (Preview), Late August 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1288531 | Published: 22 April 2026

Microsoft Purview: Whiteboard content now renders directly in eDiscovery review sets

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Low

Whiteboard files returned in Purview eDiscovery search sets can now be opened and reviewed as readable HTML directly within the eDiscovery experience, removing the need to download and open them separately in the Whiteboard app. The change is enabled by default, no admin configuration is required, and existing Purview permissions, retention, and security controls all continue to apply. Compliance and legal reviewers using Purview eDiscovery are the primary audience for this update.

Action Required: Review

Key dates: Late April 2026 | ID: MC1273444 | Published: 7 April 2026

Microsoft Teams: Users can test microphone and speaker before joining a meeting

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Low

A new pre-join screen option will let Teams users record and play back a short audio clip to confirm their microphone and speaker are working before entering a meeting. The feature is on by default, requires no admin configuration, and does not change any meeting audio settings or policies. All Teams users across Commercial, GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments are affected.

Action Required: Review

Key dates: Early May 2026 (Targeted Release), Late May 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1288530 | Published: 22 April 2026

Microsoft Teams: Single window sharing on macOS gains annotation support

Risk: Low | User Impact: Medium | Admin Impact: Low

macOS Teams users will be able to annotate directly on a shared application window during meetings, without exposing their full desktop. Participants can use drawing and highlighting tools to mark up documents, browser tabs, or design tools in real time. The feature is on by default once it reaches your tenant, respects existing Teams meeting and sharing policies, and requires no admin configuration. Only macOS users presenting or participating in Teams meetings are affected.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Early May 2026 (Preview), Late May 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1288528 | Published: 22 April 2026

Microsoft 365 Copilot: Access path to additional Copilot agents in Excel is changing

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Low

Users who want to access additional Copilot agents in Excel, such as Researcher or Analyst, will now find them via the "..." menu in the Excel header rather than directly in the chat panel. The core chat-only Copilot experience is unchanged, as are existing licensing, policy controls, and workbook behaviour. Helpdesk teams should be aware of the new navigation path.

Action Required: Review

Key dates: Late April 2026 | ID: MC1287365 | Published: 21 April 2026

SharePoint Online: News web parts will auto-collapse on inactive team site homepages

Risk: Low | User Impact: Medium | Admin Impact: Low

Team site homepages that have not been edited in 30 days and have had no new News posts published will automatically collapse the News web part. Site owners and users can expand it at any time, and normal visibility restores when a new post is published or the homepage is edited. No authoring workflows, permissions, or configuration options are affected.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Late April 2026 (Targeted Release), Mid-May 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1287368 | Published: 21 April 2026

Microsoft Entra: ID Governance adds account discovery for unmanaged application accounts

Risk: Low | User Impact: Low | Admin Impact: Medium

A new Account Discovery capability lets administrators find local and orphaned application accounts that exist outside of Entra ID, including accounts in connected apps like Salesforce and Atlassian. The feature is off by default and requires admin opt-in during preview. No changes to existing access occur unless an administrator takes action. Microsoft Entra ID Governance or Entra Suite licensing is required to use it.

Action Required: Review

Key dates: Late April 2026 (preview), Early August 2026 (GA) | ID: MC1287372 | Published: 21 April 2026

Microsoft Teams: Efficiency Mode rolls out to hardware-constrained devices

Risk: Low | User Impact: Medium | Admin Impact: Low

Teams will automatically enable Efficiency Mode on Windows and Mac devices with limited CPU or memory, adjusting camera video resolution in meetings and changing how the app launches. An indicator appears in the title bar when active. The change is default-on for eligible devices only, and users can opt out at any time through Settings. No licensing or policy changes are involved.

Action Required: Communicate to users

Key dates: Early May 2026, Mid-May 2026 | ID: MC1287373 | Published: 21 April 2026

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Disclaimer: Everything here is shared to help you understand your options and make informed decisions. It's informational only, not prescriptive. Your organization's unique context, existing configuration and processes, risk appetite, and team capabilities always matter most when deciding what's right for you and your organization.