What's new in Microsoft | April 2026 Updates

The Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app now includes a refreshed, chat-first design that delivers a cleaner and more intuitive user experience. The update improves Copilot Chat with support for text formatting in prompts and a redesigned layout that makes responses easier to view, copy, reopen, and reference through citations. The app also introduces a streamlined menu for easier navigation, along with updated visuals including liquid glass styling and a new experience for voice conversations.

What will happen:

• A redesigned, chat-first interface will be introduced.
• Users can format text within prompts.
• Chat responses will be easier to view, copy, reopen, and reference with citations.
• Navigation will be simplified with a streamlined app menu.
• Visual updates include liquid glass styling and enhanced voice interaction experience.

When this will happen

Rolling out in May.

Copilot Notebooks now supports generating Word documents directly from the content and references collected in a notebook. Users can create reports, summaries, proposals, and other document types by describing their requirements, including topic, audience, and themes.

How this affects your organization

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

What will happen:

• Users can generate a Word document from notebook content and references using a prompt.
• Copilot creates a structured draft based on the specified topic, audience, and themes.
• The generated draft can be opened and edited in Word for further refinement.

Mind maps in Copilot Notebooks provide an interactive, grounded view of key topics and relationships across notebook content. This capability helps users explore and understand complex information more effectively.

How this affects your organization

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

What will happen:

• Users can view notebook content as an interactive mind map.
• Nodes can be explored to reveal summaries of specific topics.
• Copilot can be used to drill deeper into areas of interest directly from the map.

Copilot in Word now includes a Claude model option, providing an additional large language model choice for drafting and editing content. Users can select an Anthropic model alongside existing OpenAI options, with Copilot applying the same editing workflows using the selected model.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Users with access to Copilot in Microsoft Word.

What will happen:

• Users can choose a Claude model as an alternative to existing model options in Copilot.
• Copilot workflows for drafting and editing remain consistent across models.
• This option provides flexibility for teams that prefer different model behaviors while keeping work within a managed environment.

Copilot in Outlook now writes the first draft directly in the email compose canvas and iterates with the user to refine it. Instead of generating a separate draft, Copilot updates the message in place, asking clarifying questions about goals, audience, or tone and applying changes as the user responds.

When this will happen
Rolled out to new Outlook in March.

How this affects your organization

What will happen:

• Copilot will generate and edit drafts directly within the compose canvas.
• Copilot will ask clarifying questions and update the email based on user input.
• All changes remain visible within Outlook without requiring copy and paste.

No admin configuration is required.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) in PowerPoint now allows users to select which AI model to use when creating or editing presentations. This capability provides additional flexibility while maintaining existing security, compliance, and administrative controls.

When this will happen
General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins early April 2026 and is expected to complete by early May 2026.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users using Copilot in PowerPoint
• Microsoft 365 administrators

What will happen:

• Users can choose the AI model used by Copilot when creating or editing slides.
• Model selection is available from the dropdown menu in the top-right corner of the Copilot pane.
• The default model selection is set to Auto.

Microsoft Teams is introducing new quick view controls at the top of the chat and channels list to provide faster access to important updates such as mentions and followed threads. This enhancement improves visibility and allows users to manage how these views appear.

What will happen:

• Quick view controls will appear at the top of the chat and channels list.
• Users can access mentions, followed threads, and other prioritized views more easily.
• Users can customize when and how quick views are displayed.
• The quick view section can be collapsed at any time.

Microsoft Teams now allows users to resize the top video gallery during meetings when content is being shared. This enhancement provides greater control over layout, making it easier to view participants alongside shared content.

Who is affected:
Microsoft Teams users on Windows desktop and Mac.

What will happen:

• Users can resize the top video gallery while content is being shared in a meeting.
• The divider between shared content and the video gallery can be adjusted to control layout.
• More participants can be viewed alongside presentations, improving visibility and engagement.

Meeting organizers in Microsoft Teams can now delete meeting-generated content directly from the meeting recap. This includes recordings, transcripts, AI summaries, and notes. Shared files from the meeting are not deleted.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Rollout begins in early May 2026 and is expected to complete by mid-May 2026.

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
Meeting organizers in Microsoft Teams.

What will happen:

• Organizers can delete recordings, transcripts, AI summaries, and notes from the meeting recap.
• Shared files associated with the meeting will remain unaffected.

Screenshot 1: Delete recap content option found under the More (...) menu:

Screenshot 2: Delete recap content confirmation:

Microsoft Teams will introduce the ability for users to test their microphone and speaker before joining a meeting. This enhancement helps confirm correct audio device selection, reducing issues and improving meeting start readiness.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Early May 2026 – mid-May 2026
• General Availability (Worldwide): Mid-May 2026 – late May 2026
• General Availability (GCC, GCC High, DoD): Mid-May 2026

How this affects your organization

Who is affected:
All Microsoft Teams users across Microsoft 365 tenants, including Commercial, GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments.

What will happen:

• Users can test microphone and speaker functionality before joining a meeting.
• Users can confirm correct audio device selection prior to joining.
• This helps reduce audio issues and supports smoother meeting starts.