M365 Message Center

Geändert

19.02.2026

Services

Planner

Updated February 19, 2026: Performance may be slower on some browsers for large basic plans with more than 300 tasks. For best results, please use the latest versions of Edge (144 or higher) or Chrome (144 or higher). Meanwhile, we're also working on an update that we expect to improve performance.[Introduction] In early 2026, a major update of Planner will begin rolling out. This update will introduce several new capabilities. In addition, several features will be retired from Microsoft Planner. These changes will begin rolling out between mid-January 2026 and mid-February 2026. [When this will happen:]Refer to the sections below for details on timing. [How this affects your organization:]Who is affected: All users of Microsoft Planner in your organization, including those using Planner components in Loop, integrations with Viva Goals, and premium Planner plans.What will happen: In earl

Geändert

17.02.2026

Services

Windows

The updated Start menu is gradually rolling out. It brings the “All \[apps\]” section to the top level of the Start menu with new views (category and grid). The size of the Start menu is dynamic to the user's device. Additionally, updated policies now make it easier for you to configure Start. When will this happen: Start menu began gradual rollout in October 2025 to general audiences. The rollout of Start menu to organizations will begin in the second quarter of the calendar year 2026. How this will affect your organization: Devices will begin updating to show the new Start menu. In addition to the existing policies, the following policies give you more control:HideCategoryView: This is a net new policy that can be applied to the updated Start menu design. Turn off the new category view in the "All \[apps\]" section, so devices show the grid view by default. Note: If you already have Hi

Geändert

12.02.2026

Services

Microsoft 365 apps

[Introduction] To maintain a high-quality and reliable experience for live Captions & Subtitles in the Microsoft 365 PowerPoint app, Microsoft is upgrading the backend service that supports this capability. As part of this improvement, older Office client versions will no longer be supported. Updating to the minimum required PowerPoint version ensures continued accessibility, performance, and reliability. [When this will happen:] Upgrade by the end of September 2026 [How this affects your organization:] Who is affected: Organizations using Microsoft 365 PowerPoint app (Win32 or Mac) Users running PowerPoint versions earlier than: Windows (Win32): 16.0.19426.20218 macOS: 16.103.1207.4 [What will happen:] Users on unsupported versions will lose access to Captions & Subtitles after the listed dates. There is no change for users on supported versions. No changes to default settings or admin

Geändert

12.02.2026

Services

Windows

If you are an IT admin with questions about managing and updating Windows, we want to help. Every third Thursday of the month, we host a live chat-based event on the Tech Community called Windows Office Hours. Members of the Windows, Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopilot, Windows Autopatch, and Windows 365 engineering teams will be standing by to answer your questions. We also have experts from FastTrack, the Customer Acceleration Team, and Microsoft public sector teams. Want to attend the February 19 session of Office Hours? Add it to your calendar and select Attend on the event page to let us know you’re coming. There is no video or live meeting component. Simply visit the event page, log in to the Tech Community, and leave your questions in the Comments section. You can also bookmark https://aka.ms/Windows/OfficeHours for upcoming dates (and the ability to add this event to your calenda

Geändert

10.02.2026

Services

Windows

Windows 11, version 26H1 is a hardware‑optimized release designed to enable next‑generation silicon developed in partnership with device manufacturers and silicon partners. This release will be available exclusively as a preinstalled experience on select new devices beginning in early 2026. It is not intended as a feature update for existing Windows 11 devices and will not be offered through Windows Update. When will this happen: The first devices with Windows 11, version 26H1 preinstalled will start shipping in early 2026. This release is limited to select new devices only and is not offered as an in‑place update for devices running Windows 11, versions 25H2 or 24H2. How this will affect your organization: Windows 11, version 26H1 is scoped specifically for select new hardware platforms, so it will not be offered through Windows Update for existing devices and will not impact ongoing ro

Geändert

10.02.2026

Services

Windows

Secure Boot is a foundational Windows security feature that runs at startup, before Windows load, and helps ensure that only trusted, digitally signed software can execute. After more than 15 years of continuous service, the original Secure Boot certificates are reaching the end of their planned lifecycle and begin expiring in late June 2026.To learn more about Microsoft’s effort to update these certificates, see the blog post Refreshing the root of trust: industry collaboration on Secure Boot certificate updates. To prevent disruption and maintain secure startup across Windows environments, plan for these certificates update following the guidance in the Secure Boot playbook.When this will happen:The 2011 Secure Boot certificates begin expiring in June 2026.What you need to do to prepare:Review the Secure Boot playbook for certificates expiring in 2026 to understand requirements, timel