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What's new for deploying Microsoft 365 Apps

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This article lists new features, tools, and articles for IT Pros who deploy Microsoft 365 Apps in the enterprise. For details on Microsoft 365 announcements and plans, see the Microsoft 365 roadmap.

March 2023

OneNote to start blocking embedded files with dangerous extensions

Starting with Version 2304, OneNote will block users from directly opening an embedded file with a dangerous extension. For more information, see OneNote blocks embedded files that have dangerous extensions.

Microsoft 365 Apps videos from the experts

The Microsoft 365 Apps Deployment Insiders team at Microsoft is creating videos to provide guidance on deploying Microsoft 365 Apps. For a list of the videos, see Videos about how to deploy, update, and manage Microsoft 365 Apps.

January 2023

Office Insider program renamed to Microsoft 365 Insider

The Office Insider program was renamed to Microsoft 365 Insider on January 18, 2023. The program offers organizations an opportunity to evaluate new features for Microsoft 365 Apps before general release, by using Beta Channel and Current Channel (Preview). For more information, go to Microsoft 365 Insider (for business).

Blocking internet macros by default in Microsoft 365 Apps available in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

To help improve security in Microsoft 365 Apps, we’re changing the default behavior to block macros in files from the internet. This change is in Version 2208 in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel as of January 10, 2023. The following applications running on Windows are affected: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word.

For more information, see the following information:

End of support for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 8.1

Support for Windows 8.1 ended on January 10, 2023. Running Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 8.1 is no longer supported. For more information, see Windows 8.1 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps.

No more security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 7 and on Windows Server 2008 R2 ended on January 10, 2023. Running Microsoft 365 Apps on these operating systems hasn't been supported since January 14, 2020.

December 2022

General Availability of OneDrive sync health in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center

The OneDrive sync health dashboard in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center is generally available as of December 16, 2022. You can use the OneDrive sync health dashboard to check the sync status and sync app version of individual devices, monitor Known Folder Move roll out, and track sync errors. For more information, see OneDrive sync reports in the Apps Admin Center

November 2022

Basic authentication prompts to be blocked by default in Microsoft 365 Apps

To help improve security in Microsoft 365 Apps, we’re changing its default behavior to block sign-in prompts from Basic authentication. With this change, if users try to open files on servers that only use Basic authentication, they won't see any Basic authentication sign-in prompts. Instead, they'll see a message that the file has been blocked because it uses a sign-in method that may be unsecure.

This change will begin rolling out in January 2023, starting with Version 2209. For more information, see Basic authentication sign-in prompts are blocked by default in Microsoft 365 Apps.

General availability of the "Software updates" page in the Microsoft 365 admin center

The Software updates page in the Microsoft 365 admin center is generally available as of November 4, 2022. The page displays a high-level overview of the installation status for Microsoft 365 Apps and Windows updates in your environment. Ensuring security updates are installed is important because they help protect you from known vulnerabilities. The Software updates page allows you to easily determine the overall update compliance for your devices. For more information, see View software update status for Microsoft 365 Apps installations.

October 2022

Support for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows Server 2022

We've revised our support policy and Microsoft 365 Apps will be supported on Windows Server 2022 until October 2026. For more information, see Windows Server end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps.

Blocking internet macros by default in Office available in more update channels

To help improve security in Office, we’re changing the default behavior of Office applications to block macros in files from the internet. This change is in Version 2208 in Monthly Enterprise Channel and in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) as of October 11, 2022. The following Office applications running on Windows are affected: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word.

For more information, refer to the following information:

July 2022

Windows 8.1 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps

Support for Windows 8.1 ends on January 10, 2023. After that date, running Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 8.1 won't be supported. For more information, see Windows 8.1 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps.

End of security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Security updates for Version 2002 of Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 7 and on Windows Server 2008 R2 will end after January 10, 2023. Keep in mind that running Microsoft 365 Apps on either of these operating systems isn't supported. For more information, see Windows 7 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps and Windows Server end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps.

June 2022

Security baseline for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (Version 2206)

Microsoft has released the recommended security configuration baseline settings for Version 2206 of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information, see the following resources:

"Software updates (Preview)" page in the Microsoft 365 admin center

(This feature is generally available as of November 4, 2022.)

The Software updates (Preview) page in the Microsoft 365 admin center displays a high-level overview of the installation status for Microsoft 365 Apps and Windows updates in your environment. Ensuring security updates are installed is important because they help protect you from known vulnerabilities. The Software updates (Preview) page allows you to easily determine the overall update compliance for your devices. For more information, see View software update status for Microsoft 365 Apps installations.

Office Insider Program for Business documentation

Note

Office Insider was renamed to Microsoft 365 Insider on January 18, 2023.

The Office Insider Program for Business offers organizations an opportunity to evaluate new Office subscription features before general release, by using Beta Channel and Current Channel (Preview). As the admin, you can deploy Office Insider for your users. Or, you can allow users to select which Office Insider channel they want to use. Different deployment options are available, for Windows and Mac devices. For more information, go to Office Insider Program for Business.

Recommendations for moving Microsoft 365 Apps off Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2016

Microsoft 365 Apps is supported on Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2016 only until October 2025. If you've deployed Microsoft 365 Apps to Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2016, you'll need to migrate to another hosting solution before that support ends. For recommendations on client hosting solutions to move to, see Microsoft 365 Apps migration from Windows Server.

May 2022

Accessibility guide for Microsoft 365 Apps

Looking for recommendations and resources to help make your Microsoft 365 environment more inclusive and accessible for all your users? For example, steps on how to configure the Accessibility Checker to run automatically. Or a list of accessibility resources for Office, Windows, and Teams. If so, then check out the Accessibility guide for Microsoft 365 Apps.

Servicing profile: rollout waves (preview)

Note

This feature has been replaced by cloud update

(This feature is generally available as of June 16, 2022.)

If you're using a servicing profile, and you want certain groups of users to receive updates before other groups of users, you can configure rollout waves. For example, you might want your IT admins and help desk staff to get the updates first, while users in the Finance department get the updates in a later wave.

February 2022

Blocking internet macros by default in Office

To help improve security in Office, we’re changing the default behavior of Office applications to block macros in files from the internet. This change will begin rolling out in April 2022. The following Office applications running on Windows are affected: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word.

For more information, refer to the following information:

January 2022

Servicing profile: roll back to a previous version (preview)

Note

This feature has been replaced by cloud update.

(This feature is generally available as of June 16, 2022.)

If you're using a servicing profile and you're experiencing an issue with the most current version of Monthly Enterprise Channel, you can roll back devices to the previous version. For example, if there's an issue in Excel that affects users in your finance department.

December 2021

Microsoft has released the recommended security configuration baseline settings for Version 2112 of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information, see the following blog post: Security baseline for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, v2112

November 2021

Retirement of Security Policy Advisor

Note

Security Policy Advisor has been retired and is no longer available in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center, as of January 28, 2022. If you had configured security policies, they've been migrated to the Office cloud policy service and you can manage them there.

We're retiring Security Policy Advisor in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center beginning on November 8, 2021. Security Policy Advisor is no longer available to accept new tenants to manage Office cloud security policies. Also, Security Policy Advisor will be disabled for all tenants who haven't previously deployed a policy with Security Policy Advisor.

If you're already using Security Policy Advisor, we recommend migrating your security policies to the Office cloud policy service to avoid any interruption in managing them. For more information, see Manually migrate security policies from Security Policy Advisor to the Office cloud policy service.

October 2021

Windows and Office configuration support matrix (updated)

Are you wondering which versions of Office are supported on Windows 11? Or how long Microsoft 365 Apps will be supported on Windows 10?

You can download and print the recently updated Windows and Office configuration support matrix to use as a reference.

Performance recommendations for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10

When a Microsoft 365 user experiences poor performance using any of the core Office applications (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), it can have an impact on their productivity. There are many factors that customers can influence directly that can also impact the end-user experience.

We've published a new "best practices from the field" article that will help you understand these factors and provide recommendations that will allow you to take the appropriate steps necessary to provide your end users with successful performance on the Microsoft 365 platform.

For more information, see Performance recommendations for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10.

September 2021

Office LTSC 2021

Office LTSC 2021 is generally available to volume licensed customers as of September 16, 2021. If you've deployed Microsoft 365 Apps to users in your organization, you don't need Office LTSC 2021. You already have all the features that are included in Office LTSC 2021, along with many more features that aren't in Office LTSC 2021.

For more information, see Overview of Office LTSC 2021 and Office LTSC is now generally available.

April 2021

Microsoft has announced the final release of the recommended security configuration baseline settings for Version 2104 of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information, see this blog post.

March 2021

Microsoft 365 Apps is starting to provide new or improved features that rely on Microsoft Edge WebView2. WebView2 requires that Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime be installed on the device running Office. Therefore, WebView2 Runtime will be installed on devices running Windows and that have Version 2101 or later of Microsoft 365 Apps installed. For more information, see Microsoft Edge WebView2 and Microsoft 365 Apps.

February 2021

Extended offline access enables devices running Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise to stay activated for up to six months without the need to connect to the internet to validate the license and install updates. Extended offline access is not available as a license for all customers. To find out about eligibility for your organization, contact your Microsoft account representative.

January 2021

Overview of the unattended robotic process automation with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise covers how to enable RPA for Microsoft 365 Apps, including licensing requirements.

November 2020

Learn from Microsoft experts how they've been working with customers to implement the new admin capabilities for monitoring, managing, and updating the installation of Microsoft 365 Apps.

October 2020

The Microsoft 365 Apps admin center provides modern management in the cloud for admins who deploy and manage Microsoft 365 Apps in the enterprise. For a list of features and services available in the admin center, including newly released and announced features, see Overview of the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center.

July 2020

End of support resources

We've published the following new articles to provide information about end of support events related to Office.

You can download and print the Windows and Office configuration support matrix to use as a reference.

To discuss or learn more about end of support for Office versions, visit Microsoft Office End of Support on the Microsoft Tech Community.

June 2020

Update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps renamed

The names of the update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps have changed. For example, Monthly Channel is now named Current Channel and Semi-Annual Channel is now named Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel.

May 2020

Introduction of Monthly Enterprise Channel

A new update channel for Microsoft 365 Apps is now available: Monthly Enterprise Channel. This update channel provides new Office features once a month, on the second Tuesday of the month. These once-a-month updates will also include, as needed, security updates and non-security updates.

You can deploy Monthly Enterprise Channel just like you would any other update channel. For example, by using the Office Deployment Tool, Group Policy, or Microsoft Configuration Manager.

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

April 2020

Office 365 ProPlus renamed

Office 365 ProPlus has been renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, starting with Version 2004. In our documentation, we'll usually just refer to it as Microsoft 365 Apps.

Best practices articles

We've published two new best practice articles from the field: Choose how to install Microsoft 365 Apps and Choose how to deliver updates for Microsoft 365 Apps.

Viewer mode

Viewer mode allows unlicensed users of Microsoft 365 Apps to view and print Office files without being prompted to activate Office. To use viewer mode, you must have version 1902 of Microsoft 365 Apps or later. To enable viewer mode, your organization must have an Office 365 or Microsoft 365 license subscription. For more information, see Overview of viewer mode.

March 2020

We're starting to publish best practice articles from Microsoft experts in the field who work with enterprise customers to deploy Office. The first article is now live: Build dynamic, lean, universal packages for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

November 2019

After deploying Microsoft 365 Apps, you can change the update channel for a device by using Group Policy or the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). For example, you can move a device from Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel to Monthly Enterprise Channel. We've published a new article that covers how to change the update channel. For more information, see Change the Microsoft 365 Apps update channel for devices in your organization.

October 2019

Privacy controls for Office on iOS devices

Starting with Version 2.30 of the Office apps for iOS, there are new preference settings that allow you to control settings related to diagnostic data and connected experiences. For more information, see Use preferences to manage privacy controls for Office on iOS devices.

September 2019

Windows 7 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020. Using Microsoft 365 Apps on older, unsupported operating systems may cause performance and reliability issues over time. Therefore, if your organization is using Microsoft 365 Apps on devices running Windows 7, we strongly recommend your organization moves those devices to Windows 10.

Even though Windows 7 is longer supported, we've decided to continue to provide you with security updates for Microsoft 365 Apps for the next three years, until January 2023. For more information, see Windows 7 end of support and Microsoft 365 Apps.

Delivery Optimization and Microsoft 365 Apps

Delivery Optimization is a peer-to-peer distribution technology available in Windows 10 that allows devices to share content, such as updates, that the devices have downloaded from Microsoft over the internet. Delivery Optimization can help reduce network bandwidth because a device can get portions of the update from another device on its local network instead of having to download the update completely from Microsoft.

Microsoft 365 Apps on devices running Windows 10 can take advantage of Delivery Optimization during installation and when receiving updates, if certain requirements are met. For more information, see Delivery Optimization and Microsoft 365 Apps.

Security baseline for Microsoft 365 Apps

Microsoft has announced the final release of the recommended security configuration baseline settings for Microsoft 365 Apps, version 1908. For more information, see this blog post.

August 2019

Privacy controls for Office for Mac

Starting with Version 16.28 of Office for Mac, there are new preference settings that allow you to control settings related to diagnostic data and connected experiences. For more information, see Use preferences to manage privacy controls for Office for Mac.

July 2019

Microsoft Teams and existing installations of Microsoft 365 Apps

Microsoft Teams will be added to existing installations of Microsoft 365 Apps, starting with Version 1906 in Current Channel. For more information, see Deploy Microsoft Teams with Microsoft 365 Apps.

Create and manage your deployment configurations in the cloud

You can now use the Office Customization Tool to create, save, and manage your deployment configurations in the cloud. When you run the Office Deployment Tool, you can reference these configurations directly. For more information, see Overview of the Office Customization Tool.

Security baseline for Microsoft 365 Apps

Microsoft has announced the draft release of the recommended security configuration baseline settings for Microsoft 365 Apps, version 1907. For more information, see this blog post.

Set a deadline for updates from Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU)

Starting with version 4.13 of Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU), you can set a deadline for when updates are required to be installed on a user's device. For more information, see Set a deadline for updates from Microsoft AutoUpdate.

June 2019

Comparison of application compatibility and readiness assessments tools

Are you trying to figure out whether to use the Readiness Toolkit, readiness features in Configuration Manager (current branch), or Office Telemetry Dashboard? For recommendations, see Overview of application compatibility and readiness assessment tools for Microsoft 365 Apps.

April 2019

Use the MigrateArch attribute to change Microsoft 365 Apps from 32-bit to 64-bit

It's now easier to change an existing installation of Microsoft 365 Apps from 32-bit to 64-bit. You can use the MigrateArch attribute in a configuration.xml file along with the Office Deployment Tool. The migration process will preserve existing products, languages, and other deployment settings.

For more information, see Change a Microsoft 365 Apps installation from 32-bit to 64-bit.

General availability of Office cloud policy service

The Office cloud policy service is now generally available. It's a cloud-based service that enables you to enforce policy preferences for Microsoft 365 Apps on a user's device, even if the device isn't domain joined or otherwise managed. The policy preferences roam to whichever device the user signs into and uses Microsoft 365 Apps.

For more information, see Overview of the Office cloud policy service for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

Privacy controls for Microsoft 365 Apps

Microsoft is committed to providing you with the information and controls you need to make choices about how your data is collected and used when you're using Microsoft 365 Apps.

Starting with Version 1904, there are new, updated, and improved privacy controls for diagnostic data and connected experiences. For more information, see Overview of privacy controls for Microsoft 365 Apps.

March 2019

Language deployment for Microsoft 365 Apps continues to improve. For best practices on using the Office Content Delivery Network (CDN) as a backup, matching languages to your operating system or existing installation of Office, and deploying only language packs or proofing tools, see Overview of deploying languages for Microsoft 365 Apps.

February 2019

Microsoft Teams will be installed for new installations of Microsoft 365 Apps, starting with Version 1902 in Current Channel. For more information, see Deploy Microsoft Teams with Microsoft 365 Apps.

January 2019

Public preview of Office cloud policy service

A public preview is now available for the Office cloud policy service, which is a cloud-based service that enables you to enforce policy preferences for Microsoft 365 Apps on a user's device, even if the device isn't domain joined or otherwise managed. The policy preferences roam to whichever device the user signs into and uses Microsoft 365 Apps.

For more information, see the following resources:

Office for Mac available in the Mac App Store

Office apps, such as Word and Outlook, are now available from the Mac App Store. Most require an Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) subscription to activate. You can use a supported enterprise mobility management (EMM) tool to deploy these apps to your users. For more information, see Deploy Office for Mac from the Mac App Store.

October 2018

The Office Customization Tool is now generally available. The OCT makes it easy to customize your deployment of Microsoft 365 Apps and other Click-to-Run Office products. Instead of building the configuration files in a text editor, you can now use a web-based interface. Go directly to the tool or read more about it here: Overview of the Office Customization Tool.

When installing language packs, you can save network bandwidth by installing only proofing tools. For more information, see Deploy proofing tools and Languages, culture codes, and companion proofing languages.

For best practices on deploying Microsoft 365 Apps with Configuration Manager, see our new article.

September 2018

Office 2019 is the latest version of Microsoft's productivity software that's available as a one-time purchase from a retail store or through a volume licensing agreement. Office 2019 is separate from Office that's available through Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) plans. For example, if you've deployed Microsoft 365 Apps to the users in your organization, you don't need Office 2019. You already have all the features, and many more, that are included in Office 2019. For more information, see Overview of Office 2019 and Deploy Office 2019.

July 2018

You can now use the Office Deployment Tool to apply application preferences to Microsoft 365 Apps as part of an initial deployment or as an update to existing installations of Office. For more information, see Apply application preferences to Microsoft 365 Apps.

June 2018

To help you uninstall versions of Office that use Windows Installer (MSI) as the installation technology, you can now use the Office Deployment Tool and specify the RemoveMSI element in your configuration.xml file. For more information, see Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps.

For best practices for planning your deployment of Microsoft 365 Apps, see Assess your environment and requirements for deploying Microsoft 365 Apps and Plan your enterprise deployment of Microsoft 365 Apps.