MC1409102 – M365 Change Digest

One-line summary

Admins can now assign Microsoft Entra ID groups—not just individuals—to Copilot Standard or Deferred release, enabling targeted validation and phased rollouts with group-based controls.

Similar updates

Details

Summary

Microsoft 365 Copilot release preferences now support Microsoft Entra ID groups, allowing admins to assign groups to Standard or Deferred release audiences for targeted rollouts. This feature, rolling out June–July 2026, enhances change management with a 100-user limit per group and no impact on end users unless targeted.

Body (from Message Center)

[What and Why:]
Microsoft is enhancing Microsoft 365 Copilot release preferences by adding support for Microsoft Entra ID groups. This update enables admins to assign groups—not just individuals—to Standard or Deferred release audiences, providing more flexible, enterprise-ready control over how Copilot updates are deployed. This improvement supports phased rollouts, targeted validation, and stronger change management practices—helping organizations reduce risk and confidently adopt new Copilot capabilities.

[Rollout Schedule:]
General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out from late June 2026 through late July 2026

[Impact on Your Organization:]

Who is affected:

Microsoft 365 administrators configuring Copilot release preferences
Organizations using Standard or Deferred release options for Microsoft 365 Copilot

Platforms/Services:

Microsoft 365 admin center (web)
Microsoft 365 Copilot

What will happen:

Admins can assign Microsoft Entra ID groups to Standard or Deferred release audiences
Groups can be used to override the tenant-wide release preference
Enables targeted rollout scenarios such as:

Assigning pilot groups to Standard release for early validation
Assigning sensitive departments to Deferred release for additional review time

Nested groups are not supported
Total enrollment (users + group members) is limited to 100 users
Feature is available through existing release preference controls in the Microsoft 365 admin center
No change to end-user experience unless they are included in a targeted release group

[Action Required / Recommendations:]
No immediate action is required.

If you plan to use this capability:

Identify or create Microsoft Entra ID groups for release targeting
Ensure total enrolled users (including group members) remain within the 100-user limit
Assign groups in the Microsoft 365 admin center under release preferences
Regularly review group membership for compliance with limits
Update internal rollout, pilot, and change management documentation

Additional resources:
Learn more about the modern change management model

[Compliance considerations:]

This change introduces an admin control that can be configured using Entra ID group membership
No other compliance considerations identified; review as appropriate for your organization

Raw JSON (for debugging)

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  "snapshot_item": {
    "action_required_by": null,
    "ai_action_required_by": "2026-06-30T00:00:00Z",
    "ai_actions": [
      "Identify or create Microsoft Entra ID groups for release targeting",
      "Ensure enrolled users (including group members) remain within 100-user limit",
      "Assign groups in Microsoft 365 admin center under release preferences",
      "Regularly review group membership for compliance with limits",
      "Update internal rollout, pilot, and change management documentation"
    ],
    "ai_master_tags": [
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    "ai_model": "gpt-4.1",
    "ai_summary": "Admins can now assign Microsoft Entra ID groups\u2014not just individuals\u2014to Copilot Standard or Deferred release, enabling targeted validation and phased rollouts with group-based controls.",
    "ai_topics": [
      "Microsoft 365",
      "Copilot",
      "Copilot Chat",
      "Entra",
      "Microsoft 365 Admin Center"
    ],
    "category": "stayInformed",
    "details_map": {
      "Summary": "Microsoft 365 Copilot release preferences now support Microsoft Entra ID groups, allowing admins to assign groups to Standard or Deferred release audiences for targeted rollouts. This feature, rolling out June\u2013July 2026, enhances change management with a 100-user limit per group and no impact on end users unless targeted."
    },
    "id": "MC1409102",
    "importance": 4,
    "is_major_change": false,
    "last_modified": "2026-06-30T17:47:40Z",
    "ms_products": [
      "Microsoft 365",
      "Copilot",
      "Copilot Chat"
    ],
    "platforms": null,
    "roadmap_ids": [],
    "services": [
      "Microsoft 365 suite",
      "Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)",
      "Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat"
    ],
    "severity": "normal",
    "tags": [
      "Feature update",
      "Admin impact"
    ],
    "title": "Enabling group support for M365 Copilot Release preferences experience"
  }
}