The Microsoft 365 monthly update includes updates and recently recent features across all of Microsoft 365. Press a button to read about an individual technology or continue reading for more. You can take a look back at previous monthly updates here, plus take a look at our weekly roadmap roundup.
SharePoint
In SharePoint:, Playlist view, OneDrive home update, Loo[ components sync with Planner/ To Do, Stream Classic retirement + new webpart availability, InfoPath support end date
Playlist view in the SharePoint List webpart
The new, easy-to-use Lists template enables you to present collections of audio and video files in one nice experience. After creating a playlist using the new Lists template, you have the option to share it as is, or use the List web part on a SharePoint page or news article to display the playlist along with other content.
Find out more: Use Playlists to create collections of video or audio files in Microsoft 365
OneDrive Home update
This new OneDrive Home experience – for work and school accounts – lets you swiftly retrieve your important files, no matter where they reside within your organization. This past month, the two areas of focus in OneDrive Home were with the Recent view and a focus on boosting efficiency.
Find out more: Feature Deep Dive: OneDrive Home
Tasks in Microsoft Loop components sync with Planner/ To Do
With this change, all tasks created in these lists will automatically sync and be visible in Planner, and assigned tasks will show up in To Do in the ‘Assigned to me’ smart list. These tasks will also be visible in all apps that show Planner and To Do tasks such as the Tasks app in Microsoft Teams.
Find out more: Manage your tasks from Loop Task lists and Collaborative notes in Planner and To Do
Apple Watch app for To Do iOS
You can use your Apple Watch with Microsoft To Do, just by connecting your Outlook.com or Exchange account. Now your tasks from Microsoft To Do will sync to Reminders, where they’ll also be visible on your Apple Watch.
Find out more: Using Apple Watch with Microsoft To Do
Stream Classic webpart retirement and new Stream (on SharePoint) availability
Microsoft will retire the Stream (Classic) webpart on Aug 15, 2023, and it will no longer be available for use after this date. The updated Stream web part will display single and multiple videos on SharePoint pages with inline playback – instead of popping you out to the Stream web app page. Whether you’re highlighting a product demo, leadership update, or an event recording, the updated Stream web part will elevate your video content with transcripts, closed captions, search, chapters, and variable speed playback.
Find out more: Stream (Classic) web part transition plan & new Stream Webpart
InfoPath Forms Services in SharePoint Online will be retired in 2026
InfoPath Forms Services will be removed from SharePoint Online for all tenants after July 14, 2026, to align with the extended support end date of InfoPath Client 2013 (link). This applies to all environments including Government Clouds and Department of Défense. If you’re using InfoPath Forms Services in SharePoint Online, Microsoft recommend migrating to Power Apps, Power Automate, Forms, or other supported solutions.
Find out more: Support update for InfoPath Forms Services in Microsoft 365
Microsoft Viva
In Viva: Viva Pulse public preview, DOD support for Connections, Microsoft Project data Integration in Viva Goals, Granularity in Viva Goals Permissions- New Tenant IT Admin role, Live People Card within Viva Goals, Enhanced Controls for OKR and Initiatives Status, Enhanced Controls for OKR and Initiatives Status
Viva Pulse available for public preview
Viva Pulse is now available in public preview. Viva Pulse empowers managers and team leads to get feedback quickly and take action using team and project-based surveys available in the flow of work with both a Microsoft Teams and web app experiences.
Find out more: Microsoft Viva Pulse available for public preview
DOD support for Connections
Viva Connections is a tool that helps employees have a better experience at work. It is designed to keep everyone engaged and informed. It is like an app in Microsoft Teams that can be customized. It gives different groups of people in your company a place just for them, where they can find other Viva apps that your company is allowed to use, important news, conversations, and the tools they need to do well at their jobs. Viva Connections will be available for DoD customers to use.
Find out more: Microsoft Viva service description
Microsoft Project data Integration in Viva Goals
The Microsoft Project for the web integration is now available to all Viva Goals customers. With this integration, you can automatically update progress of KRs and Initiatives and view task details from Project in Viva Goals. You can also filter which tasks appear in Viva Goals by Bucket and Assignee.
Find out more: Microsoft Project Integration Available to all Viva Goals Customers
Granularity in Viva Goals Permissions- New Tenant IT Admin role
Microsoft are introducing an additional admin role with the Tenant level IT Admin who has the ability to administer Viva Goals, enable integrations, etc. Admin options and permissions for each app rely heavily on the environments the apps are available in. For example, most Viva apps are accessed through Microsoft Teams and rely on the Microsoft Teams permissions structure.
Find out more: Admin roles and tasks in Microsoft Viva
Live People Card within Viva Goals
Users can now hover over icons of different users within Viva Goals to display their Live People Card.
Find out more: Profile cards in Microsoft 365
Enhanced Controls for OKR and Initiatives Status
The Viva Goals OKR contribution feature gives objective creators and owners flexibility and customizability in specifying weights and measuring progress. Users can now define and control contribution at the parent level. Previously, when setting up an OKR or initiative, progress and status were combined into a single field. With this change, you can now change status independently of progress, offering greater control and flexibility.
Find out more: Manage OKRs in Viva Goals
Viva Goals OKR Level Permissions Enhancements
Users can now use AAD groups and Viva Goals teams to assign permissions at an OKR level.
Find out more: Configure OKR create permissions
Teams
In Teams:
Mark all as read, compact chat list, work locations, spatial audio in meetings, together mode updates, custom captions, collaborative stageview, export API support for Teams Control Messages, app store search improvements, share app to channel/chat, allow meeting apps indicator,1000 users in distribution lists for lobby policy, external call routing management in admin center, attach cloud files from mobile, Android companion mode
Teams Management
Education
Government
Frontline workers
Teams (standard)
Mark all as read in your activity feed
When you look at your activity feed and see lots of notifications and unread messages in your chat, channels, or meetings after being away from the office, it can be overwhelming and takes up space if they are no longer important. By marking all the items in your activity feed as read at once, you won’t need to mark each one individually. This saves time so you can concentrate on the conversations that are important.
Find out more: Explore the Activity feed in Microsoft Teams
Compact chat list
A new chat density setting will enable you to condense their chat list and have more chats displayed on the screen. This will help you quickly scan and prioritize which chat they want to focus on first.
Find out more: Change the spacing of your chat messages in Microsoft Teams
Work location in Teams
Teams allows you to easily change where you are working for a particular day without affecting the rest of your week. For instance, if you spend a few hours in the office and then want to finish your work from home, you can change your location in Teams by following these steps: Click on your profile picture, access your account settings, and modify your work location for that specific day. Once you update your location on any device, anyone using the Scheduling Assistant in Outlook to schedule a meeting will be able to see your updated location without any difficulty.
Find out more: Set your work location in Microsoft Teams
Spatial Audio in Teams Meetings
Microsoft Teams is excited to introduce an improved audio experience in meetings called Spatial audio. Spatial audio brings a modern and immersive sound environment to Teams meetings when using either a wired stereo headset or built-in stereo speakers. This new audio experience places the voices of participants across the meeting stage in the Gallery view. This makes conversations feel more natural, enhances the feeling of being present in the audio, and makes it easier to follow conversations when multiple people are speaking together.
Find out more: Spatial audio in Microsoft Teams meetings
Together mode improvements
New usability improvements are coming to Together Mode. While Together mode is active you can now 1) see the name labels that support status icons, such as microphone, active speaker, spotlight, or pin within the meeting 2) see raised hands and reactions within the view 3) have your own video in the gallery removed, so duplication of the self-preview is avoided.
Find out more: Together mode improvements in Teams meetings
Customize captions in Teams meetings
The new Caption Settings pane allows for better discovery and easier navigation. You have the ability to customize the size and color of their font as well as the height and position of the caption window with the option to scroll to review captions of what has been said, up to one minute ago.
Find out more: Use live captions in Microsoft Teams meetings
Collaborative Stageview
With Collaborative Stageview, app content opens in a new Teams window where you can engage with content and chat with other team members, side-by-side. Collab Stage lets you share links and collaborate on content, right from within Teams.
Find out more: Collaborative Stage View
Export API Support for Teams Control Messages
Control Messages are automated messages created by the Teams client in response to certain events. They can be generated when, for example, a user adds another user to a chat and shares the chat history. The Export API, a tool for archiving and compliance in Teams, can store not only user-generated messages but also Control Messages. In the current release, the Export API will have enhanced support for messages related to the addition and removal of members in Teams, chats, and channels.
Find out more: Export content with the Microsoft Teams Export APIs
Search improvements in Teams App Store
Improvements to search on Teams App Store, making it easier for you to discover apps they want to install with the support for additional keywords specified in the app description, app name, publisher name and additional app metadata.
Find out more: Apps in the Teams app store
Share App to Channel or Chat
This feature allows you to share 1P or 3P apps with other users in their Teams chats and channels.
Find out more: Share apps using Teams
Allow meeting apps to show an indicator on their icon to signal new activity
This feature enables meeting applications to display an indicator on their icon, encouraging users to participate in new in-app activities during a meeting. The application has the option to show the indicator to selected attendees or to all participants.
Expanding up to 10,000 users in Distribution Lists for lobby policy in Teams meeting
Until recently, if you changed your lobby policy in a Teams Meeting to “Invited Users Only” and invited a Distribution List (DL), only the first 1,000 users of that DL would be recognized and let through the lobby. However, with this update, up to 10,000 users of that given DL will now be recognized and allowed through the lobby if the lobby policy is set to “Invited Users Only.”
Find out more: IT Admins – Control who can bypass the meeting lobby in Microsoft Teams
Management of external call routing settings in Teams admin center
Administrators will be able to help minimize distractions for users in their organization, by being able to set different routing settings for PSTN calls and VoIP calls from federated Teams users in Teams admin center. They will have the option to either allow all incoming calls, redirect calls to voicemail, or redirect calls as per user’s unanswered settings.
Find out more: Manage call routing policies for Direct Routing
Attach cloud files in chat and channel from teams mobile
Introducing the ability to upload files from OneDrive from Teams Mobile chat and channel. Also, view Recent files and attach most used files upfront from the Recent section.
Find out more: Share files in Microsoft Teams
Updated companion mode for Android meetings
This feature allows you to add your Android device to an ongoing meeting, making it easy to chat, react, share, and more.
Find out more: Mobile Sharing and Companion Experiences for Microsoft Teams Meetings
Teams management
These features are currently available in the Teams admin center, or for IT administrators:
- Teams Security – Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will provide protection and enhanced security operations (SecOps) experience for Microsoft Teams. These protection capabilities will include automatic remediation of malicious entities and support for end user reporting. In addition, Microsoft Teams specific attack insights will be included in the unified investigation and response experience in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal, for an optimized SecOps experience.
- New widget for unspent Azure consumption commitment – New widget in the Microsoft Teams admin center (TAC) helps admins quickly view unspent Microsoft Azure consumption commitment (MACC) that they can apply when making purchase of Teams apps that are Azure benefit eligible. It will only be available to organizations that have an existing MACC agreement with Microsoft.
Government
These features currently available to Microsoft’s commercial customers in multi-tenant cloud environments are now rolling out to our customers in US Government Community Cloud (GCC), US Government Community Cloud High (GCC-High), and/or United States Department of Defense (DoD):
- GCC-H support for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android – We are excited to announce that Teams Rooms on Android and Teams Admin Center functionalities are now supported for GCC-H customers who have a Teams Rooms Pro license.
- Microsoft Teams: Virtual Appointments app for GCC – Microsoft Teams: Virtual Appointments app available for for GCC.
- Manage Surface Hubs as Teams devices from Teams admin center (GCCH) – Admins can manage the end-to-end lifecycle of their Surface Hubs as Teams devices from Teams admin center, available in GCC
Frontline workers
These features currently available to Microsoft’s frontline worker customers
- Frontline workers using shared Android devices can use Outlook, Edge, Viva Engage, and Power Apps – Microsoft’s shared device mode allows frontline workers to easily authenticate by automatically signing users in and out of all the apps that have enabled this feature. We are announcing the general availability of Outlook, Edge, Viva Engage (previously Yammer), and Power Apps on shared Android devices, joining the portfolio of apps including, Microsoft Teams and Managed Home Screen. Learn more
- Walkie Talkie Auto Connect – To help frontline workers onboard, Auto Connect will be generally available starting July so that when users open Walkie Talkie, they will automatically join the last connected, default single channel or the channel set by the user.
Power Apps
In Power Apps: Customer-managed key (CMK) GA, Excel to Table to App public preview, modern app designer co-authoring GA, Test Studio in Sovereign GA, enhanced component properties, modern control updates, mobile homepage updates, monthly release channel for model-driven apps, shared device mode GA, wrap for Power Apps Wizard GA, direct Power Fx Dataverse actions support, Purview integration, Enterprise Application Templates, delegation improvements,
Power Platform Customer-managed key (CMK) is now Generally Available
Encryption is an important security measure for protecting stored data. In the Power Platform, customer data and configuration information are encrypted using Microsoft-managed encryption keys. However, customers have the option to enhance data protection by using Customer-Managed Keys (CMK). With CMK, customers can manage their own encryption keys. By using a user-provided Azure Key Vault key, all important data can be encrypted. This allows customers to rotate or swap encryption keys as needed. Additionally, customers can revoke Microsoft’s access to sensitive information by revoking access to the key at any time.
Find out more: Announcing General Availability for Power Platform Customer-managed key (CMK)
Excel to Table to App is now in public preview
Now in public preview, the Excel to Table to App feature let’s you easily import your data from Excel and create a Dataverse table as well as responsive canvas app. When Copilot is enabled in your environment, it will assist with your table creation by providing the best fitting table names, descriptions, along with column names and data types based on the uploaded Excel data.
Find out more: Introducing an easier than ever experience to import data from Excel
Coauthoring in Modern App Designer is now Generally Available
Coauthoring in Modern App Designer is now generally available! This exciting feature modernizes model-driven app development by enabling real-time collaboration and innovation. With the GA release, multiple fusion team makers can confidently and effortlessly edit and contribute to an app simultaneously, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity.
Find out more: Coauthoring in model-driven apps
Test Studio in Sovereign is now Generally Available
Test Studio is now available in GCC, GCC-High, Mooncake, and GCC-DOD with version 3.23055. Use Test Studio to build end-to-end UI tests for your canvas app. Maintain your app quality by continually validating that your app works as expected when new changes or updates are deployed.
Find out more: Test Studio
Enhanced Component Properties
The Power Platform team has recently introduced updates to the experimental enhanced component properties. These updates include 4 types of properties: data, function, event, and action. Data properties are used to input or output data from the component. Function properties, similar to functions, can accept arguments and return a value. The input behavior properties have been renamed to Events, and Actions have been introduced as output behavior properties. This means that components can now have behavior functions that can be called from the app.
Find out more: Enhanced component properties
Modern control updates
The Power Apps team released new updates for modernization on canvas and model apps. Canvas updates include new experience to add modern controls & key improvements on critical controls like consistent and maker friendly for controls like checkbox, button, dropdown, and text. Model apps updates include visual improvements across dialogs & loading indicators.
Find out more: May 2023 updates for modernization in Power Apps
Power apps mobile home page improvements and new features for iOS & Android
Power apps mobile apps have got some exciting new features:
- Home page loads 4 times faster: Power apps mobile home page is now super-fast and loads within seconds for both iOS and Android platforms.
- Enhanced visibility for model apps: Power apps mobile users can now see model apps in the recent apps section and can also mark them as favorite. Previously, these features were only limited to canvas apps. But now, they can also use model apps without having to search for them every time after login.
- New Recommended section on home page: We have now created a new section called “Recommended apps”. This new section is just below current favorite sections and shows top 10 apps that we think are beneficial for users. These apps also include apps created by users and first party apps.
Find out more: Install the Power Apps mobile app
Monthly channel for model-driven apps is generally available
Release Channels for model-driven apps is now available in both public and sovereign clouds. Release channels provide more choice for adopting new features in model driven apps and Dynamics 365 apps. Rather than only being able to receive updates twice a year during the wave releases, you can choose some or all users to receive more frequent updates through monthly channel.
Find out more: Announcing monthly channel for model-driven apps
Shared Device Mode for Power Apps on Android is Generally Available
Microsoft’s Shared Device Mode (SDM) allows frontline workers to sign in or out of Power Apps and other Microsoft products in a single step, providing convenience, efficiency, and security for workers who frequently hand off shared devices. (e.g. on shift change). This feature is particularly useful for industries like retail, healthcare and manufacturing where multiple users share devices, often within a shift with tight time constraints.
General Availability of wrap for Power Apps wizard
Makers can use wrap wizard to create secure, custom-branded, standalone Android and iOS native mobile apps and distribute them to the end users via the mobile app stores like Google Play Store and Apple Business Manager, or other distribution methods like Microsoft Intune and Microsoft App Center.
Wrap wizard eliminates the complexity of building and securing native mobile apps for Power Apps, automates the app registration, API configuration and code signing steps and ties the end-to-end process into one simple, guided experience!
Find out more: Announcing General Availability of wrap for Power Apps wizard
Direct Power Fx Dataverse actions support now in preview
The Powe Platform team have announced direct access to Dataverse actions in Power Fx formulas as Preview feature (default on.) As a part of the Power Fx language, authors can now directly invoke a Dataverse action within a formula. A new Power Fx ‘Environment’ language object that authors can add to their app enables access to Dataverse actions. It is available with Power Apps release version 3.23022.
In addition to calling unbound actions, authors can now access bound actions as well. Previously there was a limit of two call levels. This restriction is now lifted.
Find out more: Connect to Microsoft Dataverse
Govern your business applications data with Microsoft Purview
Microsoft have announced the private preview of the Microsoft Purview integration with Microsoft Dataverse. Microsoft Purview Data Map will enable automated data discovery and sensitive data classification. The integration will help customers to better understand and govern their business applications data estate, safeguard that data, and improve their risk and compliance posture.
Find out more: Govern your business applications data with Microsoft Purview
New Enterprise Application Templates
The Power Platform team has recently announced the early release of new application templates for Power Platform. These templates are designed to make it easier for businesses to simplify and automate their core processes. We are starting with pre-built solutions for procurement and human resources, and will be adding more solutions for different departments in the near future.
Find out more: Run Your Enterprise on Power Platform with New Enterprise Application Templates
Delegation improvements – Async, UpdateIf, and miscellaneous functions
The Power Platform team have announced several key delegation improvements to the Async, UpdateIf, and miscellaneous functions that will roll out this month and should improve your app’s performance and correctness and significantly reduce formula authoring confusion.
Find out more: Delegation improvements – Async, UpdateIf, and miscellaneous functions
Power Automate
In Power Automate: Power Automate desktop June 2023 update, Power Automate iOS app update, 24 new verified, 29 new independent publisher connectors
Power Automate desktop June 2023 update
New features and updates have been added, as described below:
- Work queue actions have now been introduced (in preview)
- OneDrive for Business connector actions have now been introduced
Find out more: June 2023 update of Power Automate for desktop
Updated Power Automate mobile app for iOS now generally available!
The Power Automate team have announced that a new version of the Power Automate iOS app is now generally available. The app has a new sleek design with improved existing experiences and app performance.
Find out more: Experience the refreshed Power Automate mobile app for iOS – now generally available!
24 New Verified, 29 New Independent Publisher Connectors
New verified and independent publisher connectors that have solutions and tools for Data, Communication, Productivity, Human Resources, and much more.
Find out more: 24 New Verified, 29 New Independent Publisher and 37 Updated Connectors available
Power BI
In Power BI: Power BI June 2023 feature summary, on-prem data gateway, Developer Mode (Preview), chart sharing from org apps, new card visual, streaming dataflows retirement reminder
Power BI June 2023 Feature Summary
This month, the Power BI team announced updates to On-Object interaction, a new demo experience to the Power BI embedded playground which simplifies the process of exploring embedding Power BI in your application, creating Power BI reports instantly with Jupyter Notebooks and much more!
Find out more: Power BI June 2023 Feature Summary
On-premises data gateway June 2023 release
The Power BI team have released the June 2023 update for the on-premises data gateway (version 3000.178.9). This update brings the on-premises data gateway up to date with the June 2023 release of Power BI Desktop.
Find out more: On-premises data gateway June 2023 release
Multitasking improvements for Power BI in Microsoft Teams
Earlier this year, Microsoft launched the first set of multi-tasking improvements for the Power BI app in Microsoft for Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Office. Now two exciting new multi-tasking updates are rolling out:
- Caching the Power BI app helps you multi-task faster
- Expanding the take you back functionality to the Power BI tab
Find out more: Even more Multitasking improvements for Power BI in Microsoft Teams
Power BI Desktop Developer Mode (Preview)
The Power BI team have announced the public preview of Power BI Desktop Developer Mode, taking advantage of Microsoft’s deep heritage in enterprise BI, and bringing Pro BI developer experiences right into Power BI Desktop.
As the first feature of Developer Mode, Power BI Desktop now lets you save your work as a Power BI Project (PBIP). When saving as a project, report and dataset artifact definitions are saved as individual plain text files in a simple, intuitive folder structure.
Find out more: Deep dive into Power BI Desktop Developer Mode (Preview)
Chart sharing from organizational apps
Users can now share charts from organizational apps. This new addition gives individuals, teams, and organizations more options to infuse their data and insights in their day-to-day work. You can now also embed charts in your business PowerPoint presentations too. An expanded share visual links also to org apps charts, so you can get a link and use it with the Power BI add-in to enhance your presentation with data and insights from org apps.
Find out more: Chart sharing from organizational apps. Also supported in PowerPoint integration.
New card visual (Public Preview)
The card visual is one of the most used visuals in reporting. However, it has not been updated since its creation, which has led our users to overlap multiple visual elements or rely on custom visuals to create their own card visuals. This approach decreases report performance and makes reports less accessible, particularly for screen reading and keyboard navigation.
With the new card visual, you can display multiple cards in a single container and have full control over every component of each card. This updated approach improves report performance making it easier for all users to access and interact with the data.
Find out more: New card visual | Public preview
REMINDER: Announcing the retirement of data support for Streaming Dataflows
As communicated in February 2023 all support of Streaming Dataflows and the data retained from the experience is being retired. In March 2023 Microsoft retired the support of:
- Creation of Streaming dataflows
- Editing of Streaming dataflows
- Running of Streaming Dataflows
While the above capabilities were retired, Microsoft retained all relevant customer data for 90 days to ensure that all users of Streaming Dataflows had a smooth transition to Azure Stream Analytics (ASA). Now, support for you to have access to your data from the Streaming Dataflows experience will no longer exist.
Access to your retained data from the Streaming Dataflows experience will no longer exist starting mid-June 2023.
Find out more: REMINDER: Announcing the retirement of data support for Streaming Dataflows
Admin Digest
This section covers the highlights from the month’s admin digest blog:
Get your tenant ready for AI
Microsoft are offering support to help admins start preparing for Microsoft 365 Copilot. While availability is limited to select customers as part of the Early Access Program, Microsoft published a series of articles on steps you can take now to get your tenant ready.
Find out more: Microsoft 365 Admin Monthly Digest – June 2023
Microsoft 365 administration updates
Here are some of the latest features launched in the Microsoft 365 admin center over the past month:
- Adoption Score is now available to all commercial customers by default
- Group Level Aggregates, now included in Adoption Score, offers data segmentation by Azure Active Directory attributes to help you better assess your adoption data by different areas within your organization
- Organizational Messages allows you to use these insights to send relevant tips and guidance on usage best practices directly to your users
- Experience insights, now in preview to customers with at least 2000 seats, organizations can gain visibility into sentiment, help article consumption, and usage of Microsoft 365 applications such as Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and more
- The Microsoft Edge management service was recently made available for Public Preview. You can access the service through the Microsoft 365 admin center, Org settings > Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft 365 security defaults provide settings that keep your organization safe by establishing strong multi-factor authentication (MFA) settings. To enable or confirm enablement of security defaults, go to the Azure portal, click on Manage Azure Active Directory > View > Properties > Manage security defaults
- The MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator exam launches in early July
- Viva Pulse is a new employee feedback experience that will be available for use with your Viva Suite subscription
Leave a Reply