As the year winds down, Microsoft continues to roll out updates to improve productivity,
collaboration and AI-powered assistance across Microsoft 365 apps. Below are the new
updates and features rolling out in December 2025, and a preview of what’s coming
in 2026.
OneNote: Update to Copilot Chat Pane
Copilot in OneNote has an updated chat pane experience. When users choose Copilot
actions like Summarize Page, Create a Task List, Rewrite Page or Take Notes with Copilot,
the results will open in the Copilot chat pane instead of a separate window or appearing
directly on the page.
This makes Copilot more consistent with other Microsoft 365 apps and keeps prompts and results in one place.
Users may notice a small workflow change since they will review results in the side
pane first then decide what to add to their notes.
Microsoft Teams: Update to Email Notifications
Microsoft Teams has updated the sender information for email notifications tied to
team and channel join/accept actions. Membership add notifications now come from the
team owner’s address, while private join requests and shared channel membership notifications
come from [email protected]
Microsoft Outlook: Automatic Replies Collapsed in iOS/Android
Automatic replies in Outlook for iOS and Android will now be collapsed by default
within email threads. Out of office messages and similar auto replies will appear
tucked away, with an option to tap and expand them if needed.
This keeps long threads cleaner and makes it easier to focus on the main conversation. Automatic replies are still delivered as usual, they are just shown in a more compact
way.
Microsoft Copilot: New Way to Access on Windows Devices
Microsoft is adding a new Microsoft 365 Copilot app to Windows devices that already
have Microsoft 365 installed. It will install in the background and appear in the
Start menu as a new way to access Copilot features across Microsoft 365.
You may notice the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on your device even if you didn’t install
it yourself. The app won’t change your existing Office apps or files, and paid Copilot
features will still require the appropriate license.
Coming Soon to Microsoft 365
Microsoft Whiteboard: Insert Document Feature to Retire January 2026
Starting in January 2026, Microsoft Whiteboard will retire the Insert Document feature,
which means users will no longer be able to add PDFs or PowerPoint files directly
from OneDrive or SharePoint. Documents already placed on your boards will remain and
you can still insert PDFs saved on your computer using the Windows Whiteboard app.
For now, the easiest alternatives are uploading images instead or sharing files through
OneDrive or Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Word: Send to Kindle Retiring in March 2026
Microsoft is retiring the Send to Kindle option in Word. Starting in February 2026
and finishing in early March 2026, users will no longer see Send to Kindle in Word
for Windows, Mac or the web.
Users who rely on this feature can still send Word files to Kindle using Amazon’s
Send to Kindle website. Documents already sent to Kindle are not affected.
Microsoft Publisher: Retiring in October 2026
Microsoft has announced that Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
and it will be removed from Microsoft 365. After that point, Microsoft 365 users will
not be able to open or edit Publisher files in the Publisher app.
If your team still relies on Publisher for flyers, newsletters, or other layouts,
now is a good time to plan a transition. Microsoft recommends moving content to other
tools such as Word, PowerPoint, or Designer and saving important Publisher files to
PDF or another supported format before the retirement date.
Categories:
Science and Technology
