MC1470410 Medium
(Updated) Microsoft Teams: QR code protection for messages from external users
Summary AI-generated
Teams will automatically blur QR code images from external users to reduce phishing and fraud risk; users may reveal images if trusted.
Suggested actions AI-generated
- Inform users about QR code blurring in Teams messages
- Remind users to verify sender before revealing/scanning QR codes
- Review user education on phishing and QR code safety
- Update help desk documentation for new experience
Written by Azure OpenAI (gpt-4.1) from the text of the post below. It can be incomplete or wrong; the original post is authoritative.
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Original post from Microsoft
Updated November 3, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[What and why]
Microsoft Teams is introducing additional protection for QR codes shared by external users in Teams messages. To help reduce the risk of phishing and fraud, images containing QR codes from external senders will be obscured by default. Users can choose to reveal the image before viewing or scanning the QR code.
This security enhancement promotes safer interactions with content received from external users while maintaining flexibility for trusted communications.
[Rollout schedule]
- Targeted Release: Beginning in mid-October 2026 (previously early October) and expected to complete in mid-October 2026 (previously early October)
- General Availability (Worldwide): Beginning in late October 2026 (previously mid-October) and expected to complete by end of November 2026 (previously late October)
[Impact on your organization]
Who is affected
- Organizations that allow communication with external users in Microsoft Teams.
- Users who receive Teams messages from external senders.
- Teams administrators and support teams that manage external collaboration policies.
Platforms and services
- Microsoft Teams
- Teams desktop
- Teams web
- Teams mobile
What will happen
- Images containing QR codes sent by external users will be blurred by default in Teams messages.
- Users can reveal the image if they trust the sender and want to view or scan the QR code.
- The blurred image does not indicate that Microsoft Teams has determined the QR code to be malicious.
- The protection is applied automatically to QR code images received from external senders.
- No administrator configuration or policy changes are required.
- The feature will be enabled by default as part of the rollout.
[Action required and recommendations]
No admin action is required before rollout.
We recommend that administrators:
- Inform users that QR code images from external senders may appear blurred by default.
- Remind users to verify the sender before revealing or scanning QR codes.
- Review existing user education materials related to phishing awareness, QR code safety, and external collaboration.
- Update internal help desk documentation to reflect the new user experience.
Learn more:
- QR code obscuring in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
- Make sure chats, links, and files are secure in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support
[Compliance considerations]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Additional details from Microsoft
- RoadmapIds
- 570439
- FeatureStatusJson
- {"0":[{"RoadmapId":0,"McPostId":"MC1470410","Platform":"Android","Status":"FeatureRolloutStatusNotSupported","LastUpdateTime":"2026-11-04T03:00:47.0079889Z","LatestRing":null,"TenantRolloutRing":null},{"RoadmapId":0,"McPostId":"MC1470410","Platform":"Desktop","Status":"FeatureRolloutStatusNotSupported","LastUpdateTime":"2026-11-04T03:00:47.007989Z","LatestRing":null,"TenantRolloutRing":null},{"RoadmapId":0,"McPostId":"MC1470410","Platform":"IOS","Status":"FeatureRolloutStatusNotSupported","LastUpdateTime":"2026-11-04T03:00:47.0079891Z","LatestRing":null,"TenantRolloutRing":null},{"RoadmapId":0,"McPostId":"MC1470410","Platform":"Linux","Status":"FeatureRolloutStatusNotSupported","LastUpdateTime":"2026-11-04T03:00:47.0079892Z","LatestRing":null,"TenantRolloutRing":null},{"RoadmapId":0,"McPostId":"MC1470410","Platform":"Mac","Status":"FeatureRolloutStatusNotSupported","LastUpdateTime":"2026-11-04T03:00:47.0079893Z","LatestRing":null,"TenantRolloutRing":null},{"RoadmapId":0,"McPostId":"MC1470410","Platform":"All","Status":"FeatureRolloutStatusNotSupported","LastUpdateTime":"2026-11-04T03:00:47.0079894Z","LatestRing":null,"TenantRolloutRing":null}]}
- Summary
- Microsoft Teams will blur QR code images from external users by default starting mid-October 2026 to reduce phishing risks. Users can reveal codes if trusted. No admin action is needed, but admins should inform users and update guidance. The feature applies across all Teams platforms automatically.
- Platforms
- Android, Desktop, iOS, Mac, Web