MC1194603 – M365 Change Digest

One-line summary

Admins can now set automated version expiration policies for audio/video files in SharePoint Online to manage storage; rollout starts mid-December 2025, requires updated PowerShell.

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Details

Summary

SharePoint Online will enable admins to set version expiration policies for audio and video files to reduce storage and manage versions. Rolling out mid-Dec 2025, it supports PowerShell controls at tenant, site, and library levels, with compliance considerations for retention and legal holds.

Body (from Message Center)

[Introduction]

We’re introducing version storage management for video and audio files in SharePoint Online. This new capability allows admins to define and automate version expiration policies for large media files, helping reduce storage consumption, prevent version sprawl, and maintain consistent governance across sites and libraries.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins mid-December 2025 and is expected to complete by mid-January 2026.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: Admins managing SharePoint Online sites and libraries that store audio or video files.

What will happen:

Admins can apply file-type-specific version policies for audio and video files.
Capabilities include:
- Setting maximum retained versions.
- Defining expiration periods.
- Enabling auto-trim behaviors.
PowerShell support includes:
- Tenant, site, and library-level overrides.
- Syncing policies across existing libraries.
- Trimming existing versions to reclaim storage.
Requires SharePoint Online Management Shell 16.0.26712.12000 or later.
Policies apply forward unless libraries are manually synced; trimming jobs can delete older versions.

[What you can do to prepare:]

Install the latest SharePoint Online Management PowerShell.
Review media-heavy sites and plan version policies.
Test cmdlets in non-production:
- Tenant‑Level Controls
- Site‑Level Contols
- Document Library‑Level Controls
- Manage Version Policy Jobs
- File Version Trimming Operations
Decide whether to:
- Override audio, video, or both.
- Use default or custom expiration periods.
- Sync all libraries or target specific file types.
Communicate to site owners:
- Old versions may be deleted.
- Only new versions get expiration stamps unless trimming jobs run.

Before rollout, we will update this post with new documentation.

[Compliance considerations:]

The following compliance impacts may apply. Review as appropriate for your organization.

Compliance area	Explanation
Data processing changes	This change may alter how existing customer data is processed because older audio/video versions can be deleted when exceeding thresholds, and trimming jobs may add or clear expiration timestamps.
Purview retention and legal hold	Retention policies and legal holds will prevent deletion, and trimming jobs respect these constraints. Admins should review retention and legal hold settings to avoid conflicts with version expiration policies.

No new customer data is stored, and no changes to user-facing access or GDPR workflows.

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