Microsoft releases hundreds of updates to Microsoft 365 every year. Most announcements are written for IT admins, buried in the Message Centre, or wrapped in marketing speak. This page is the plain English answer to “what’s new in Microsoft 365?” – the updates that actually matter to the people using these tools every day, refreshed every month.
I’m Mark Thompson, a Microsoft 365 adoption consultant. I read the roadmap, the Message Centre and the blogs so you don’t have to, and I’ve been doing it for years – nearly 1,000 updates covered and counting.
Last updated: August 2026. Once each month’s full roundup is published, this page is refreshed with the previous month’s highlights, so what you see below is always the most recent complete month.
The biggest Microsoft 365 updates from the past month
These are the headline updates from July 2026, hand-picked from the full July roundup, which covers everything announced, released and delayed, app by app.
Microsoft Copilot
The web content setting moves to Settings in Microsoft 365 Copilot. Turn web search on or off from one central place, and your choice follows you across Copilot and Copilot Chat on web, desktop and mobile. Full update →
Changes to Notebooks in Microsoft 365 Copilot. Chats, generated content and reference materials for a project are grouped together in one workspace. Full update →
Get Copilot suggested edits in your Copilot Pages. Copilot can suggest edits that improve the clarity and quality of your writing directly in Copilot Pages, applied with a single click. Full update →
Microsoft Teams
Meet app becomes Events in Teams. The Meet app is renamed and redesigned as Events, bringing webinars, town halls and custom events into one hub for creating, editing and tracking events. Full update →
Catch up on meeting recaps in the new Teams Recap app. Recordings, transcripts and AI summaries in one place, with video or audio recaps, including a combined audio recap across several meetings. Full update →
Turn Meeting AI on or off during a Teams meeting. An in-meeting toggle lets licensed organisers and presenters switch Meeting AI (Copilot, Facilitator and recap) on or off mid-meeting. Full update →
OneDrive
Document library views in OneDrive. Access and manage SharePoint document library views directly in OneDrive for the web: switch between views, create custom ones and organise shared content without switching services. Full update →
Outlook
Copilot moves into the Outlook compose experience. Instead of switching to a chat window, you can create, refine and edit email content in real time, right inside the message you are writing. Full update →
PowerPoint, Word and Excel
One-click ribbon buttons for ‘Review Presentation’ and ‘Visualise Slide’ in PowerPoint for the web. Two new Copilot buttons put existing skills a single click away, rather than several steps through the Copilot panel. Full update →
Summarise and categorise text columns with Copilot in Excel. Copilot can analyse a column of unstructured text, such as survey responses, and automatically generate categories or tags so you can spot themes without manual analysis. Full update →
SharePoint
SharePoint editing tools switch to a neutral theme. Web part toolbars and property panes move to a neutral-themed interface instead of inheriting your site’s branding colours, while page content keeps its branding. Full update →
Around Microsoft 365
Reusable templates in Microsoft Planner. Turn any existing Planner plan into a reusable template and share it across your Microsoft 365 group, making it faster to set up recurring work like onboarding or campaign planning. Full update →
Want the lot, including everything delayed, renamed or retired? Read the full July 2026 roundup →
Prefer to watch? The monthly roundup video covers all of this in under 40 minutes and includes a short demo:
What’s new in Microsoft 365, month by month
Each month’s full roundup lives in its own post, covering everything announced, released and delayed:
- What’s new in Microsoft 365 and Copilot? June 2026 – including the amazing personal custom skills for Copilot in PowerPoint.
- What’s new in Microsoft 365 and Copilot? May 2026 – including a simpler, chat-centred Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
- What’s new in Microsoft 365 and Copilot? April 2026 – including Copilot Updates to memory and personalisation.
- What’s new in Microsoft 365 and Copilot? March 2026 – including a new experience when minimising the Teams meeting window.
- What’s new in Microsoft 365 and Copilot? February 2026 – including grounding your Copilot prompts in MS Lists.
Browse the full archive of Microsoft 365 roundups →
Watch these updates live, every month
I run a free, live, 60-minute webinar every month with The Inform Team, walking through what’s new in Microsoft 365 – and it’s more fun than it sounds. Save your seat →
Frequently asked questions
How often does Microsoft update Microsoft 365?
Constantly – hundreds of features ship every year across Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and the rest of the suite. Microsoft announces them through the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the Message Centre and various official blogs. This page distils each month’s announcements into the ones that matter for everyday users.
Where does Microsoft announce new Microsoft 365 features?
Mainly the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the admin Message Centre, and Microsoft’s product blogs. The catch: the Message Centre is only visible to IT admins, and much of it is written for them too. That’s the gap this site exists to fill.
What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 365?
Microsoft 365 is the current name for the subscription that includes the Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) plus Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and more. Office 365 was the previous branding, and you’ll still hear both used interchangeably.
How do I know which updates my organisation will get, and when?
Rollout dates vary by licence, release ring and region – a feature can reach one organisation months before another. Each update covered on this site includes the rollout details Microsoft has published, and your IT team can confirm timing for your tenant.
