Change the Microsoft 365 Apps update channel for devices in your organization

Important

Update Channel Changes July 2026

This article explains how to change the update channel for existing Microsoft 365 Apps installations in your organization. You might change channels to adjust feature availability, release timing, or deployment testing. A channel change is completed through the Microsoft 365 Apps update process, so you don't need to uninstall and reinstall the apps.

Choose the management method that best matches your environment. Microsoft recommends Cloud Update because it provides the most streamlined way to change channels and keep Microsoft 365 Apps current.

For more information about update channels, see Overview of update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps.

Cloud Update

Note

Cloud Update uses the Office Content Delivery Network (Office CDN) to download and apply updates.

Microsoft recommends Cloud Update for managing Microsoft 365 Apps. Use Cloud Update profile assignments in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center to move eligible devices to Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel. When you assign an eligible device to a profile, Cloud Update moves the device to the profile's corresponding update channel and manages future Office updates.

Devices must be available in Inventory before Cloud Update can manage them. You can assign a profile by using Microsoft Entra groups or built-in channel groups:

  • Use Microsoft Entra groups to target specific users or devices, such as a pilot group, department, or devices included in an existing group strategy.
  • Use built-in channel groups to select devices by their current update channel and move them in bulk to the destination channel.

To move devices to another update channel:

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center. Review the requirements for eligible admin roles.
  2. On the Home page, select Manage next to the destination profile. The Device selection criteria page for that profile opens.
  3. Assign devices to the profile by using either or both of the following methods:
    • Microsoft Entra groups: Add a group that contains the users or devices you want to include. To target a specific device, add that device to the group.
    • Built-in groups: Add a channel group to include all devices in Inventory that are on the corresponding channel.
  4. Save the assignment.
  5. Monitor the status from the profile Devices page.

Cloud Update evaluates group membership daily. If a device is assigned to a profile for a different channel, Cloud Update changes the device's target update channel to match the destination profile. For more information, see Profile and channel assignment.

Microsoft Intune

Note

The suggested settings for Microsoft Intune use the Office Content Delivery Network (Office CDN) to download and apply updates.

Use the Microsoft Intune settings catalog to configure the update channel and related update settings for Microsoft 365 Apps. If different groups need different channels, create and assign a separate profile for each channel.

  1. Create a Microsoft Entra group that contains the devices you need to target.
  2. In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Devices > Configuration, and create a new policy.
  3. Select Windows 10 and later as the platform and Settings catalog as the profile type.
  4. In the Settings picker, select Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine) > Updates, and then configure the following suggested settings:
    • Enable Automatic Updates = Enabled
    • Hide option to enable or disable updates = Enabled
    • Hide update notifications = Disabled
    • Update Channel = target udpate channel
    • Update Deadline = 1
  5. Assign the profile to the applicable Microsoft Entra group and create the policy.
  6. Monitor the policy assignment status from the configuration policy page.

After the policies apply, Microsoft 365 Apps detects the assigned update channel and installs the latest matching build during the next update attempt. The update channel shown in the user interface changes only after a build from the new channel is installed.

Note

If you deploy Microsoft 365 Apps with Intune by using the Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10 and later, Intune reevaluates and enforces the selected channel during each policy refresh. Make sure that update channel policies in your environment match the channel selected in the app assignment. If they don't match, devices can switch between channels when all of the following conditions are true:

  • Deploying Microsoft 365 Apps using the Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10 and later app.
  • The app is configured using the Configuration designer.
  • The app is assigned as required.

Windows Autopatch

Note

Windows Autopatch uses the Office Content Delivery Network (Office CDN) to download and apply updates.

Windows Autopatch supports Microsoft 365 Apps on Monthly Enterprise Channel. If you need to move devices to Current Channel, follow these steps:

  1. Assign your Autopatch groups to the Cloud Update profile. This will transfer update management for Microsoft 365 Apps to Cloud Update.
  2. Monitor onboarding, channel change, and update progress in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center.
  3. Turn off Autopatch management for Microsoft 365 Apps.

Windows Autopatch will continue to manage updates for the other products enabled for your Autopatch groups.

Group Policy

Note

The suggested Group Policy settings use the Office Content Delivery Network (Office CDN) to download and apply updates.

  1. Use the latest Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) for Microsoft 365 Apps.
  2. In a computer-scoped Group Policy Object, go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine) > Updates, and then configure the following suggested settings:
    • Enable Automatic Updates = Enabled
    • Hide option to enable or disable updates = Enabled
    • Hide update notifications = Disabled
    • Update Channel = target update channel
    • Update Deadline = 1
  3. Link the Group Policy Object to the applicable organizational unit or use security filtering to target the required computer objects.
  4. Review link order and other policies to make sure conflicting settings don't override the new channel assignment.
  5. Allow Group Policy to refresh. When testing on client devices, you can run gpupdate /force to refresh it immediately.

After the policies apply, Microsoft 365 Apps detects the assigned update channel and installs the latest matching build during the next update attempt. The update channel shown in the user interface changes only after a build from the new channel is installed.

Office Deployment Tool (ODT)

Note

The suggested XML for the ODT uses the Office Content Delivery Network (Office CDN) to download and apply updates.

Use the ODT when the update channel isn't enforced by a higher-precedence policy management method, such as Cloud Update, Microsoft Intune, or Group Policy.

  1. Download the latest version of the Office Deployment Tool.
  2. Create a configuration file that specifies the target update channel. For more information, see the channel attribute in Configuration options for the Office Deployment Tool.
    • XML example: 
          <Configuration> 
        <Updates Channel="Current" />
    </Configuration>
  3. Deploy the ODT with the newly created configuration file using your standard software-distribution process.
    • setup.exe /configure yourconfigfile.xml

After the ODT runs, the update channel change will be staged. Microsoft 365 Apps detects the assigned update channel and installs the latest matching build during the next update attempt. The update channel shown in the user interface changes only after a build from the new channel is installed.

Microsoft Configuration Manager

Option 1: Move to policy-based management

Use Cloud Update, Microsoft Intune, or Group Policy to manage updates for Microsoft 365 Apps. After you move update management to another solution, create a client settings policy that stops Configuration Manager from managing updates for Microsoft 365 Apps.

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, go to Administration > Overview > Client Settings, and create a client settings policy.
  2. Select Software Updates, and set Enable management of the Office 365 Client Agent to Disable.
  3. Assign the policy to the collection that contains the devices you want to move.
  4. Make sure the policy has the highest priority to avoid conflicts.

Option 2: Keep updates managed by Configuration Manager

If you want Configuration Manager to continue managing updates for Microsoft 365 Apps, use dynamic collections to organize devices by update channel and deploy the Office Deployment Tool to assign the new channel.

  1. Create a dynamic collection for each update channel in your environment. You can also create a collection that includes all Microsoft 365 Apps installations to simplify update management.
  2. Create a collection that contains the devices you want to move. Exclude the dynamic collection for the destination channel so that devices leave the transition collection after they complete the channel change.
  3. Create an Office Deployment Tool configuration file that specifies the destination channel.
  4. Package and deploy the Office Deployment Tool and configuration file to the transition collection by using your standard Configuration Manager software deployment process.
  5. Make sure that an update for Microsoft 365 Apps from the destination channel is available to the devices through the Software Update Point.
  6. Monitor the transition and confirm that devices move into the dynamic collection for the destination channel after they install an update from that channel.

Important

When Configuration Manager manages updates, moving from a channel with a newer Microsoft 365 Apps version to a channel with an older version isn't supported.

Microsoft 365 admin center

Use the Microsoft 365 installation options in the Microsoft 365 admin center to set the default update channel for unmanaged installations. This setting doesn't change the channel for installations managed by Cloud Update, Intune, Group Policy, the Office Deployment Tool, or Configuration Manager.

  1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Settings > Org settings.
  2. Select Microsoft 365 installation options.
  3. Select the update channel, and then select Save.

Considerations when changing channels

  • When moving devices to Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel, use Cloud Update to keep them current after the transition.
  • If you move from a channel with a higher build number to a channel with a lower build number, binary delta compression doesn't apply. The download is larger than a normal update, but it isn't as large as a full Microsoft 365 Apps installation.
  • Devices must be able to retrieve an update from the newly assigned channel. For internet-based updates, make sure the Office CDN is reachable. For Configuration Manager, deploy an update from the target channel. For file-share servicing, host the matching build and update the configured update path.
  • After a channel change is assigned successfully, Microsoft 365 Apps must complete an update before it can accept another channel change.
  • The channel displayed in the Microsoft 365 Apps user interface changes only after a build from the new channel is installed.
  • Moving to a channel with an older Microsoft 365 Apps version removes features that are available only in the newer version.
  • Visio, Project, and Access Runtime installations on the same device move to the target channel and update in the same pass.

Policy precedence

Priority Management type Registry value Registry path
1st Cloud Update UpdatePath HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\cloud\office\16.0\Common\officeupdate
2nd Cloud Update UpdateBranch HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\cloud\office\16.0\Common\officeupdate
3rd Policy Setting UpdatePath HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\Common\officeupdate
4th Policy Setting UpdateBranch HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\Common\officeupdate
5th ODT UpdateUrl HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\office\ClickToRun\Configuration
6th Unmanaged UnmanagedUpdateURL* HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\office\ClickToRun\Configuration
7th Unmanaged CDNBaseUrl HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\office\ClickToRun\Configuration

*Set only on unmanaged devices. To learn how Microsoft 365 Apps determines whether an installation is unmanaged, see the the second notes section.

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