What's new in Microsoft | November 2025 Updates

GPT-5 is now the default model in Copilot Chat, and users can select how much reasoning Copilot applies when generating responses. Three modes are available:

• Auto (default): Copilot determines the appropriate response depth.
• Quick response (chat): Provides faster, direct responses.
• Think deeper (reasoning): Allows extended processing time for more detailed or complex output.

When this will happen
General Availability (Worldwide): December 4, 2025 – December 8, 2025.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: All users with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot.

What will happen:

• Users will see a new reasoning selector in Copilot Chat.
• GPT-5 remains the default model, with reasoning options available for supported prompts.
• No configuration changes are required; the feature is enabled by default.

New Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agents are being introduced in Microsoft 365 Copilot to support content creation directly within Copilot Chat in the Frontier program. These agents use web and enterprise grounding to assist users with creating documents, workbooks, and presentations. Each agent supports multi-turn chat, allowing users to refine and iterate content through an interactive conversation.

When this will happen
Frontier Public Preview (Worldwide): November 18, 2025.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: Users in Frontier program tenants with Anthropic enabled.

What will happen:

• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agents will be available in the navigation pane of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and in the Tools menu within Copilot Chat across supported apps.
• Users can also call agents using “@” mentions (for example, @PowerPoint).
• The feature is enabled automatically for eligible users; no additional configuration is required beyond existing Frontier and Anthropic settings.

The Explore Pane introduces a guided side panel in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to help users learn how to use Copilot more effectively. The experience provides contextual, step-by-step guidance across the Create, Search, and Notebooks modules to support user adoption and help users build confidence with AI-powered workflows.

When this will happen
Targeted Release (Worldwide): Early December 2025 – late December 2025.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: Users of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Web, Windows, and Mac with Commercial SKUs (Starter and Premium).

What will happen:

• A new Explore Pane will appear when users access the Create, Search, or Notebooks modules.
• The pane will provide guided steps and contextual support to help users understand and use module capabilities.
• The feature is enabled by default and does not require configuration or administrative action.

Copilot-powered summaries and insights will be available as a landing page within Copilot Notebooks to help users quickly understand referenced content. The feature will initially be available on the web in both Preview and General Availability, with support for iOS and Android planned for a later release. A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required.

When this will happen

• Public Preview (Worldwide): Mid-November 2025 – early December 2025
• General Availability (Worldwide): January 2026 – February 2026

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and access to Copilot Notebooks.

What will happen:

• A Copilot-generated summaries and insights landing experience will appear when users open a Copilot Notebook.
• Mobile support (iOS and Android) will be introduced in a future release.
• No configuration changes or admin actions are required.

Support for connected agents is being introduced in Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling one agent to query another for additional context or data. This enhancement allows agents to provide more complete and informed responses. For example, the Researcher agent may request sales or inventory information from other enterprise agents when needed.

When this will happen
Public Preview (Worldwide): Mid-November 2025 – late February 2026.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: Admins managing Microsoft 365 Copilot agents in the Microsoft 365 admin center. This applies to all licenses that include Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, including free and paid versions.

What will happen:

• Agents will be able to query other connected agents for additional information.
• The Agents page in the Copilot hub will display configured connected agents.
• Admins will be able to modify connected agent settings when allowed by the developer.
• Users must acquire both the primary and connected agents to use this functionality.
• Users can enable or disable acquired agents per conversation.
• Researcher will be the first agent to support this capability starting Q4 2025.

Screenshot 1 - Early draft UI (experience subject to change closer to rollout):

Screenshot 2 - A second view of early draft UI (experience subject to change closer to rollout): 

OpenAI’s Sora 2 model is now available in Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling users to generate short, realistic 720p videos from text prompts within the Create experience. Videos include synchronized audio and are stored securely in OneDrive or SharePoint, inheriting existing compliance and governance settings.

When this will happen

• Public Preview (Frontier tenants): Available now for licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users.
• General rollout with admin controls: Beginning late November 2025.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: Users with Microsoft 365 Copilot access in Frontier-enabled tenants.

What will happen:

• Users will be able to create AI-generated videos through the Create experience in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Admins will have a dedicated controls toggle to manage access to Sora 2 video generation.
• Generated videos will automatically follow existing organizational security, storage, and data management policies.

The Interpreter agent is now available in Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows for devices with a Teams Rooms Pro license. This feature enables real-time interpretation in up to nine languages, allowing participants to speak and listen in their preferred language. It also includes an option to simulate a participant’s personal voice for a more inclusive experience. No Copilot license is required.

When this will happen
General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out early January 2026 (previously mid-December 2025) and expected to complete by late January 2026 (previously mid-January).

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: Organizations using Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows with a Teams Rooms Pro license.

What will happen:

• Interpreter agent capabilities will become available in Microsoft Teams Rooms on supported Windows devices.
• Participants will be able to select real-time interpretation in supported languages.
• Personal voice simulation will be available as an optional experience.
• No Copilot license is required to use this feature.

Screenshot 1: Console

Screenshot 2: Front of room display

New capabilities are now available in public preview to simplify and secure collaboration with external participants including partners, vendors, and customers. The update focuses on reducing friction during cross-organization communication while providing improved administrative control.

When this will happen
Public Preview: Available now.

How this affects the organization

Who is affected: Microsoft Teams users collaborating with external participants.

What will happen:
The following capabilities are included in this update:

• Chat with anyone using an email address:
  Users in SMB organizations can start a conversation with external participants by entering their email address. External participants receive an invitation and join as guests. Messaging and calling are supported. Guest access, external access policies, MFA enforcement, and compliance settings continue to apply.
• External file and Loop component sharing:
  Users can share files or Loop components in external chats. Teams will display shared content directly in the chat. Permissions can be adjusted prior to sending. As recipients, users can open and view content without switching accounts. This capability is controlled by an admin toggle and is off by default.
• Trust Indicators:
  External participants will display trust labels such as external-familiar, external-unfamiliar, guest, or unverified. Chats and meeting chats with external participants will show an External indicator to support clarity and security.
• Cross-tenant activity management:
  Users can view and respond to activity across multiple tenants without switching accounts. Notifications, chat replies, and tenant pinning to the left rail are supported to reduce context switching and improve cross-tenant productivity.

Forwarded Messages Links

When someone forwards a message in Teams, you'll now be able to click a link that takes you straight to the original chat or channel where it came from. Note: the link works only if the recipient has access to the original conversation. This enhancement improves message traceability and helps users quickly understand the context of forwarded messages. 

A new persistent collaborative space is now available in Teams chat and channels. This enhancement supports structured collaboration, reduces message clutter, and centralizes work artifacts for easier alignment across teams and conversations.

When this will happen
General Availability: Available now.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected: All Microsoft Teams users.

What will happen:

• Pages in channels:
  Channels now support flexible collaboration pages. Users can create multiple pages within a channel to organize content, track work, or capture ongoing discussions. Existing Loop components or pages can also be added as standalone tabs to centralize related content.
• Notes in chat:
  A shared editable notes space is now available in 1:1 and group chats. Notes are restricted to members of that chat. Users can format content, add images, insert Loop components, and use @mentions to notify and involve participants.

Both features are designed to improve collaboration and reduce the need to scroll through long threads to locate shared content. No admin configuration is required.

Facilitator has been updated with new capabilities designed to support more structured, efficient, and action-oriented meetings. These enhancements improve context detection, automate meeting follow-through, and reduce the need for manual coordination.

When this will happen
Some enhancements are available now. Additional capabilities are currently in public preview and are expected to reach general availability in early December.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Teams users with access to the Facilitator agent.

What will happen:

• Facilitator can now recognize meeting agendas shared in the meeting chat, in addition to agendas included in the meeting invite or meeting notes. When detected, a live progress tracker appears at the top of the meeting to help participants stay aligned.
• If an invited attendee has not joined and their name is referenced twice during the conversation, Facilitator will automatically send a polite reminder via chat encouraging them to join.
• Facilitator can generate draft documents in Word or Loop based on the meeting discussion and context. Outputs may include project briefs, whitepapers, blogs, or similar formats. This capability is currently in public preview and is expected to reach general availability in early December.
• Tasks identified during the meeting are captured and assigned automatically. Users can also request task updates, additions, or reassignment using chat commands. This capability is currently in public preview and is expected to reach general availability in early December.

These enhancements are intended to streamline meeting workflows, improve clarity, and support faster follow-through after discussions.

Meeting recaps can now be formatted to better match team preferences and communication styles. Instead of a standard layout, users can select from predefined templates or create custom formats to ensure recaps are consistent, actionable, and easy to reference.

When this will happen
Public Preview (desktop and mobile): Available in December.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Teams users who generate AI-powered meeting recaps.

What will happen:

• Users can choose from two built-in templates:
  • Speaker Summary: Organizes insights by participant.
  • Executive Summary: Highlights key decisions, discussions, and next steps.
• Users can create custom templates using natural language. For example, users can describe the desired structure or paste a format already used by the organization, and the AI will follow it.
• Custom templates can be saved and reused to help teams maintain consistency across recurring meetings, leadership reviews, status updates, or project discussions.

This update supports clearer post-meeting communication and helps standardize documentation across teams without additional manual effort.