Microsoft 365 Upgrades Bring New Features and Enhanced Performance
Microsoft 365 has rolled out new features and updates across its key apps, including Microsoft Teams, Copilot, and OneDrive. These enhancements elevate user experience by enabling customization of how you view Teams on your screen, improved filtering of extraneous noises during calls, and new ways to collaborate.
In addition, Microsoft is changing the name of the Microsoft 365 (Office) app. It is now called the Microsoft 365 Copilot app across web, mobile (iOS, Android), and Windows. The new app name and icon reflects the integration of Copilot within the Microsoft 365 app.
Microsoft Teams Updates
New skin tone settings and reactions
Microsoft Teams is introducing new skin tone settings and reactions, allowing users to personalize emojis and reactions.
HOW TO: Users can change their own skin tone setting in the Teams app Settings > Appearance and Accessibility menu or in the emoji/reaction menu on Desktop or web versions. The skin tone rollout will apply to emojis and reactions in chats, channels, and meetings on all Teams platforms (Teams for Desktop, Teams for web, Teams for Mac, and Teams Mobile).
WHEN: This feature is currently available.
New Calendar Experience
The Calendar experience is being enhanced with New Calendar, which aims to provide a single, modern, intelligent, and coherent calendar for both Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Outlook users. Users will be able to opt-in to this new experience in Teams by toggling to the New Calendar interface.
Features included in New Calendar include:
- Advanced calendar features: A new command bar in Teams moves the actions you use most often the right side for easier access. It also hid the items you don’t use as often for a cleaner interface. Users can also access new capabilities such as Meet Now and Join with ID. Other new features include filters, month view, split view, customizable time scales, saved views, sharing options, printing capabilities, and personalized calendar settings.
- Enhanced meeting creation: Create meetings quickly from the calendar's quick view or the new scheduling form, with improved options and a refreshed look.
- Peak view experience: Access materials meeting directly from the calendar, such as notes, chat messages, files, and attachments, including a recap of completed meetings.
- Weather integration: View weather information for your current location in the calendar.
- Work plan integration: Specify work locations and check for teammates' availability in the office with the integration of Microsoft Places.
- Place Finder: Use Place Finder to switch between rooms and view different room capabilities when creating new events.
- Pop-out experience: Right-click the Calendar icon to pop out the calendar for more efficient multitasking.
HOW TO: To try the New Calendar, go to Calendar app in Teams and select the New Calendar toggle in the top right of the Calendar. Learn more at Microsoft's website.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of January 2025.
New Forward messages to and from channel chats
To improve collaboration Microsoft Teams will soon allow users to forward posts and reply to messages to and from channels. Today only individual (1-to-1) chats have this capability.
HOW TO: People can select the three-dot More actions menu on any channel post or reply message and then choose Forward.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of February 2025.
Voice isolation
With voice isolation, you can enjoy clear and uninterrupted calls or meetings, no matter where you are. Voice isolation is an AI based advanced noise suppression feature that eliminates unwanted background noise including other human voices. The technology recognizes your voice profile and ensures only your voice is transmitted. Voice isolation can be enabled for calls and meetings making it easy to work from anywhere. It is available on MacOS in addition to Windows desktops.
HOW TO: Add a voice profile to start using voice isolation in your meetings and calls. A voice profile takes about 30 seconds to make and can be deleted anytime.
WHEN: This feature is currently available.
Customize the location of notifications
Microsoft Teams will allow users to customize where notifications are located when they pop up on the screen. Users will have the option of having notification appear on the bottom right, top right, bottom left, or top left of the screen.
HOW TO: Customize notification placement in Teams settings under Settings > Notifications and activity > Display
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of February 2025.
Schedule Chat message send comes to Channel messages
Microsoft Teams is expanding the “schedule message send” feature to now included Channel (group) messages. It is currently only available in individual Chat messages.
HOW: Visit Micrsoft's support site to learn how to schedule delivery of Chat messages.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of February 2025.
Pop out Chat, Copilot, and Notes panes in meetings
Microsoft Teams will soon allow users to pop out Notes, Chat, and Copilot panes during meetings. The pane will pop out into a separate window that the user can resize and drag to the desired position, based on their screen setup and their productivity goals for the meeting. Users can view multiple meeting features at the same time, so they don’t miss the chat while they are monitoring meeting notes.
HOW TO: Pop-out icons will be at the top of the Notes, Chat, and Copilot side panes in Teams meetings.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of February 2025.
Split view on iPad
Teams supports for multiple windows on iPad is coming. Apple's "split view" capability allows iPad users to have multiple applications and windows open side-by-side. Teams will support the ability for there to be multiple Teams windows open at once. This makes it easier for users to attend a meeting and have their chat open on the other side or use Stage Manager to move windows to external displays. This feature will allow you to multitask efficiently by having multiple applications open side-by-side on your Apple device.
HOW TO: To use split screen, after launching the Microsoft Teams app on your Apple device, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Dock. Drag the second app you want to use (e.g., Safari, Mail) to the left or right edge of the screen until it snaps into place. You can adjust the size of the apps by dragging the divider between them. This allows you to allocate more space to one app if needed. To switch between apps in Split View, swipe left or right on the divider. To exit Split View, drag the divider all the way to the edge of the screen, closing one of the apps.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of March 2025.
Updated Apple CarPlay support
Stay connected on the move with Microsoft Teams for iOS updated support for Apple CarPlay. Teams in CarPlay now includes the ability to use Siri to respond to notifications, send messages to your chats and channels, join Teams meetings, and safely engage in discussions with quick actions like raise hand.
HOW TO: Visit Microsoft’s support site to learn more about using Microsoft Teams to place calls with Apple CarPlay.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of March 2025.
General updates
Deletion of inactive email accounts
Changes to email and storage services in response to changes in Microsoft's pricing model include deleting inactive accounts. The deletion of the account will purge all data (email, email archive, OneDrive files, and other related storage data) held within that account. This deletion schedule will apply to all inactive accounts with the exception of any accounts on litigation hold or required to be preserved for other reasons. Once an account is no longer active the following deletion schedules will apply.
The following account types will be deleted 5 years after separation:
- Faculty, Staff, Retiree, Student Employee
- Guest
- Non-human accounts (i.e. Organizational accounts, shared mailboxes)
These account types will be deleted 2 years after separation:
- Graduated Students who graduated starting May 2024 (Those who graduated before May 2024 will be contacted with details of when their accounts will be purged.)
- Other Students (those that do not graduate or have withdrawn)
WHEN: This change is already in place.
Retirement of Legacy Outlook for Mac
As technology evolves, so must our tools to maintain efficiency, security, and user satisfaction. Microsoft launched a new Outlook for Mac client in 2019 and is discontinuing the legacy version. After October 2025, you will no longer be able to use legacy Outlook for Mac client and must switch to the new Outlook for Mac client.
HOW TO: Switch from Legacy Outlook to the new Outlook for Mac client:
Open Outlook for Mac and select the toggle to turn off the Legacy Outlook switch.
If your version of Outlook doesn't include a toggle, contact your IT support team for assistance.
WHEN: Legacy Outlook for Mac client will be retired October 2025.
University does NOT support the New Outlook for Windows
Currently the New Outlook for Windows is available for use, but it is not the supported version here at the Ohio State University. We are not supporting this new version because the application is still missing features and has issues that Microsoft needs to work through before we can fully adopt the software.
For more details refer the New Outlook for Windows article in the Administrative resource center.
New Outlook for Windows - name change
The installed name for new Microsoft Outlook for Windows will change from "Outlook (new)" to "Outlook.” The name of Outlook (classic) will not change.
HOW TO: For more details refer the New Outlook article in the Administrative Resource Center.
WHEN: The name change will be complete by end of February 2025.
Retirement of Viva Goals
Viva Goals will be retired at the end of this calendar year. Microsoft has not announced a replacement at this time.
HOW: Users do not need to take any action.
WHEN: Viva Goals will be retired by the end of December 2025.
Retirement of some three-dimensional file formats support
Microsoft is retiring support for the Filmbox (.FBX) and SketchUp (.SKP) file formats in Microsoft 365 apps on March 1.
Currently inserting these file formats requires using third-party transcoding packages. These packages are no longer being maintained to a level that satisfies Microsoft’s security standards. Microsoft will continue to support the insertion of other 3D model formats, including OBJ, STL, GLTF, and GLB.
Because 3D models are converted to a shared base format after insertion, all Filmbox and SketchUp models already inserted in Office 365 documents will remain usable without issue.
WHEN: Support for. FBX and .SKP file insertion will end in March 2024.
New Places app
The Microsoft Places app helps users coordinate their in-office days with colleagues. When work location is shared from Teams, Outlook Web App, or the new Outlook Calendar, users will see others' work locations and can decide the best days to be in the office for in-person collaboration.
HOW TO: Access Places via the web at https://aka.ms/places or by using the Places app in Teams. People must have set their location in order for it to be displayed in the Places app.
WHEN: Rollout will be completed by the end of January 2025.
Copilot Updates
OneDrive additions for Microsoft 365 Copilot (requires purchase of a license)
There are a set of new Microsoft 365 Copilot features available now for all education customers with a M365 Copilot license. Copilot transforms the way you interact with your files, offering AI-powered capabilities that boost productivity like never before.
- Summarize files quickly: With Copilot in OneDrive, users can summarize one or multiple files in your OneDrive web app without opening each file. Users can also generate an FAQ from a document to use or share as a resource. For example, summarize new documents that have been shared or easily summarize notes right before a meeting all with one-click!
- Effortless File Comparison: Copilot enables users to select up to five files―even mixing formats such as Word docs, PowerPoints, and PDFs―and quickly see the differences across all the files, helping make decisions faster.
- Get answers on specific files: Have a question about a document, or need to get quick insights before a meeting? Ask Copilot a question on any document without having to open a single file.
WHEN: Available now to people with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.
New features in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (enabled for all OSU users)
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, which is available to all faculty, staff and students, has a number of new features. Coming soon is Copilot Pages, which enables users to collaborate on content with people and AI in real time—adding content from Copilot, your files, and the web. New features that are already available include:
- File Upload: Users can now upload files to the chat and ask Copilot to do things like summarize key points in a Word document, analyze data in an Excel spreadsheet, and suggest improvements to a PowerPoint presentation.
- Copilot Agents: Using natural language, now anyone can easily create agents to automate repetitive tasks and business processes—directly in Copilot Chat. This version of Copilot is approved for S4 data and below.
WHEN: File upload and agent features are available now. Copilot Pages has been announced as an upgrade that will be made in future months.
New Name for Microsoft 365 (Office)
The Microsoft 365 (Office) app is now called the Microsoft 365 Copilot app across web, mobile (iOS, Android), and Windows. The new app name and icon reflects the integration of Copilot within the Microsoft 365 app. The presence of the word "Copilot does not indicate that everyone now has access to the paid version of Microsoft 365 Copilot's integrated AI tools.