July 2025 Microsoft 365 Updates: What You Need to Know

Copilot

Rolling out in September, soon Copilot Intelligent Meeting Recaps will be able to incorporate content shared on screen into the AI-based summaries provided after the meeting.

Microsoft has introduced Microsoft 365 Copilot Search, a new AI-powered, enterprise-grade search experience. This unified search experience is accessible through the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. It uses Microsoft Graph and Copilot connectors to index content from Microsoft 365 and other apps. The search understands user context and behavior to provide personalised answers. It will be fully integrated with Copilot chat by the end of August.

Changes for the Facilitator agent will start in September and finish by October. The agent will soon take real-time notes during Teams meetings, making it easier for participants to co-author and collaborate.

Researcher is a tool that will be available in Microsoft Word by September. It helps users find and add reliable sources and content to their documents.

By the end of September, Copilot chat will support more file types, just like Microsoft Search. This means users can ask questions about a wider range of files, including CAD, ZIP, and MP4.

Teams

Get ready to jazz up your Teams experience! A new feature is coming that lets you pick your favorite accent colors. Just head to Settings, then Appearance, and choose the colors that suit your style. This update will be available before the end of August.

In late October, Microsoft is adding a Network Strength Indicator to Teams. It will show your network quality with three bars: good (three bars) to bad (one bar). If your connection is weak, Teams will suggest ways to improve it. It will also show when others have poor connections, helping you understand any disruptions in the meeting. 

The new Meeting Join Bar is here to make your life easier. If you've RSVP'ed 'Yes' or 'Tentative' to a meeting, this handy bar will help you join with just a click. When a meeting is live, a banner will pop up, letting you join directly. Got multiple meetings happening at once? No problem! The banner will show the count and give you a "View More" option to pick which meeting to join. This awesome feature is rolling out now, so get ready to streamline your meeting experience! 

A new compact size has been introduced for Teams notifications. Now users can navigate to the Notifications and Activity section of settings, and switch between Comfy and Compact notifications.

Rolling out now, soon users will be able to pin the App Bar directly from the hamburger menu in the top left of Teams, allowing for more flexibility in customizing the Teams layout.

Get ready to express yourself like never before! Starting in August, Teams will let you insert emojis by simply typing a word surrounded by colons. For example, type :smile: and watch it turn into a smiling emoji! 

Viva

From mid-July users can choose a community when asking a question from the Answers Tab, making sure the question reaches the right audience. By the end of July, a new 'Request to be an expert' link will appear in the Viva Engage communities' membership panel for those who aren't already admins or experts. Clicking this link will show a description of the expert role and allow users to submit a request. Community admins will get a notification for these requests and can review them directly from the membership panel. There's also a new toggle, enabled by default, that lets admins turn off the self-nomination option if they want.

Outlook

Get ready to make scheduling a breeze! The Microsoft Teams Meeting add-in for classic Outlook on desktop is here to help. When you're setting up a Teams meeting, this nifty add-in will suggest the best meeting options based on your details. You'll see these suggestions right in the setup panel, making it super easy to optimise your meeting settings. Say goodbye to scheduling headaches and hello to smooth, efficient planning! 

SharePoint

Get ready for an exciting new feature in SharePoint! A new FAQ webpart is available to help content owners keep their information fresh and relevant. This webpart is powered by Copilot, which means it can work with agents and connect grounded data to help you curate your FAQs. While you'll need a Copilot license to set it up, everyone can view the content without a license. This means your FAQs will always be up-to-date and accessible to all users.