February 2026 is shaping up to be a high-impact month for Microsoft 365 administrators. Microsoft continues its push toward a security-first, Copilot-governed, and centrally managed tenant model, while retiring legacy features that no longer align with modern M365 architecture.
If you manage Planner, Teams, Purview, Entra ID, Defender, or Exchange Online, this is a month where proactive planning matters. Below is a clear, admin-focused breakdown of what’s retiring, what’s new, what’s changing, and what requires action, with direct reference links so you can validate and prepare.
Table of Contents
📊 February 2026 at a Glance
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 🔻 Retirements | 4 |
| 🆕 New Features | 12 |
| 🔧 Enhancements | 6 |
| 🔄 Functionality Changes | 6 |
| ⚠️ Action Required | 2 |
🔻 Retirements: What’s Going Away
Microsoft continues consolidating overlapping experiences in favor of fewer, more powerful platforms.
- Microsoft Planner – Legacy Features (Mid-February 2026)
Retiring:- Legacy task comments
- Planner in Loop pages
- Viva Goals integration
- iCalendar feeds
- Whiteboard tab integration
🔗 Reference: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1188824
- Endpoint DLP Alerts in Microsoft Defender (February 16, 2026)
Endpoint DLP alerting is removed from Defender and fully consolidated into Microsoft Purview DLP.
Existing alert logic must be recreated in Purview.
🔗 Reference: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1185567
- Custom Voice Call MFA Greetings (February 28, 2026)
Custom voice greetings for MFA phone calls will no longer be supported. Microsoft’s default recordings will be used.
🔗 Reference: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1184012
- Designer Bot & Designer Banners in Teams (February 27, 2026)
Image generation inside Teams moves entirely to Copilot.
🔗 Reference: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1186129
🆕 New Features: Worth the Hype
February delivers real admin value, especially around Copilot governance, external collaboration, and Purview investigations.
- Microsoft Graph APIs for Copilot Agents & Apps
New APIs enable inventory, reporting, and automation for Copilot agents, no additional Copilot license required.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/graph/api/resources/copilot
- Teams External Collaboration Administrator Role
A scoped RBAC role that allows admins to manage external access without full Teams admin rights.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/teams-external-collaboration-admin-role
- SharePoint Content Security Policy (CSP) – Report-Only Mode
Adds browser-level protection against XSS and script injection, starting in report-only mode.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/content-security-policy
- Chat with Anyone in Teams Using Email
Users can initiate a Teams chat using an email address, even if the recipient doesn’t have Teams.
🔗 Reference: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1187034
- Item-Level Investigation in Purview Data Risk Assessments
Investigate individual SharePoint items, review labels and sharing, and remediate directly.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/data-risk-assessments
- Built-In Alert Tuning Rules in Defender XDR
Low-severity alerts are automatically triaged using AIR, reducing SOC alert fatigue.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/security/defender-xdr/alert-tuning
- Paid Extended Service Term (EST) for Microsoft 365 Subscriptions
Replace grace periods with paid, month-to-month extensions during renewal decisions.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/commerce/subscriptions/extended-service-term
- Block External Teams Users via Defender
Manage external user and domain blocks using the Tenant Allow/Block List in Defender.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/security/defender/tenant-allow-block-list
- Simplified External Collaboration Modes in Teams
Three presets – Open, Controlled, Custom, replace scattered external access settings.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/external-access-overview
- Tenant-Level Process Report in Purview eDiscovery
Central visibility into all eDiscovery processes across the tenant.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/ediscovery-process-report
- Insider Risk Templates for Non-M365 Data Theft
Detect risky behavior across Fabric, Box, Dropbox, Azure, and AWS.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/insider-risk-management
- Soft Delete for Cloud Security Groups
Restore deleted security groups (with membership) for up to 30 days.
🔗 Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/users/groups-soft-delete
🔧 Enhancements: Quiet but Powerful
- Purview Roles Aligned with Entra RBAC
High-privilege Purview roles now map cleanly to Entra roles.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/permissions - Expanded Loop Workspace Creation
More license types can create Loop workspaces unless restricted by policy.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-loop - Report Suspicious Teams Messages (Defender Plan 1)
Phishing and false positives can be reported without Plan 2.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/report-suspicious-messages - Apps Supported in Teams Private Channels
Bots, tabs, and extensions now work by default.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/private-channels - Jailbreak & Root Detection in Authenticator
Entra credentials are wiped automatically on compromised devices.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/authentication/authenticator-security - Centralized SharePoint Branding via PowerShell
Enforce tenant-wide branding consistently.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/branding-powershell
🔄 Existing Functionality Changes
- “Revoke MFA Sessions” → “Revoke Sessions” (Entra ID)
One action now invalidates all sessions.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/conditional-access/session-revocation - Shorter Microsoft Teams Meeting URLs
Simplified links remove tenant and organizer metadata.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/meeting-url-changes - Exchange Online Cmdlet Output Changes
Scripts relying on database properties may require updates.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/exchange/exchange-online - Moderation Approvals via Actionable Messages
Approve or reject moderated mail from any Outlook client.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/exchange/mail-flow/moderation - Purview eDiscovery Export Expiry (14 Days)
Improves security and storage hygiene.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/ediscovery-export - Content Search Changes in eDiscovery
Review sets and case-level sources removed, use dedicated eDiscovery cases.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/content-search
⚠️ Action Required: Don’t Ignore These
- MFA Enforcement for Microsoft 365 Admin Center
MFA becomes mandatory for all admin center sign-ins in February 2026.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/conditional-access/mfa-requirement - Exchange ActiveSync Block (< v16.1)
Older devices will stop connecting after February 28.
Audit now usingGet-MobileDevice.
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/exchange/clients/exchange-activesync
📌 Final Thoughts
February 2026 sends a clear message from Microsoft:
Centralize security. Govern Copilot. Simplify collaboration. Retire legacy features.
Admins who prepare early updating Purview DLP, reviewing Teams external access, auditing mobile devices, and modernizing Planner workflows, will avoid disruption and last-minute fire drills.
Thank you for stopping by. ✌️
