MC1186361 – M365 Change Digest

One-line summary

Users can now book workspaces directly from the location field when creating calendar events; iOS long-press booking is being retired. Rollout starts mid-January 2026.

Similar updates

Details

Summary

Users can now book workspaces directly from the location field when creating calendar events, simplifying the process. This feature rolls out globally from mid-January to mid-February 2026, replacing the iOS long-press method. It requires workspace booking enabled by admins and users, with no admin action needed to prepare.

Body (from Message Center)

Updated December 16, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

[Introduction]

To streamline workspace scheduling, users can now book a workspace directly from the location field when creating a calendar event. This enhancement simplifies the booking experience and aligns with user feedback requesting more intuitive workspace reservation options.

Screenshot: Open the location field to book a workspace through search or by selecting Browse workspaces

user settings

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): Rollout will begin in mid-January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025) and is expected to complete by mid-February 2026 (previously mid-January).

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: All users in tenants where workspace booking is enabled by IT admins and users have turned on workspace booking in their settings.
What will happen:

Users will see a new option to search or Browse Workspaces directly from the location field when creating an event.
On iOS, the existing long-press calendar compose button method for booking workspaces will be retired.
This feature is ON by default but only applies if workspace booking is enabled by both the admin and the user.
Admins must have already configured workspace bookings for this feature to be available in their organization.

[What you can do to prepare:]

No admin action is required.
If workspace booking is not yet enabled in your organization, consider reviewing the feature and enabling it to take advantage of this streamlined experience.
Communicate the upcoming change to helpdesk staff, especially regarding the retirement of the iOS long-press method.
Update internal documentation if it references the previous booking method.

Learn more: Configure rooms and workspaces for Room Finder in Outlook

[Compliance considerations:]

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.

Raw JSON (for debugging)

Expand/collapse the full payload below.

Show/hide raw

{
  "snapshot_item": {
    "action_required_by": null,
    "ai_action_required_by": "2026-01-15T00:00:00Z",
    "ai_actions": [
      "Communicate change to helpdesk staff",
      "Update documentation referencing old iOS booking method",
      "Consider enabling workspace booking if not already enabled"
    ],
    "ai_master_tags": [],
    "ai_model": "gpt-4.1",
    "ai_summary": "Users can now book workspaces directly from the location field when creating calendar events; iOS long-press booking is being retired. Rollout starts mid-January 2026.",
    "ai_topics": [
      "Exchange",
      "Outlook"
    ],
    "category": "stayInformed",
    "details_map": {
      "Summary": "Users can now book workspaces directly from the location field when creating calendar events, simplifying the process. This feature rolls out globally from mid-January to mid-February 2026, replacing the iOS long-press method. It requires workspace booking enabled by admins and users, with no admin action needed to prepare."
    },
    "id": "MC1186361",
    "importance": 4,
    "is_major_change": false,
    "last_modified": "2025-12-16T19:15:19Z",
    "ms_products": [
      "Exchange"
    ],
    "platforms": null,
    "roadmap_ids": [],
    "services": [
      "Exchange Online"
    ],
    "severity": "normal",
    "tags": [
      "Updated message",
      "New feature",
      "User impact"
    ],
    "title": "(Updated) Book a workspace when creating an event"
  }
}