What's new in Microsoft | August 2025 Updates

Starting today, GPT-5 is rolling out to Copilot Chat across Microsoft 365 Copilot app endpoints. Powered by GPT-5’s real-time router, Copilot intelligently selects the right model for each request—using a high-throughput model for quick answers and a deeper reasoning model for complex, multi-step tasks.

Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license now have access to GPT-5 in Copilot Chat on web, Windows, Mac, and mobile. A phased rollout for users without a license begins today and will complete over the coming weeks. GPT-5 is also available in Copilot Studio, allowing makers to build with the latest model in Early release cycle environments.

This rollout reaffirms Microsoft’s commitment to deliver OpenAI’s latest models in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio within 30 days of release, backed by enterprise-grade security, compliance, and privacy.

Availability:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot: Available today for licensed users; phased rollout for all other users begins today.
• Copilot Studio: Available now in Early release cycle environments, at the agent level and in custom prompt tools.

Copilot Chat users:

Copilot Studio users:

Copilot Studio users will see a new toggle in the agent settings page to select agent models and additional options in the model dropdown for custom prompt tools.

Introduction
A new Activity tab in the Copilot summary in Word helps users stay informed about document changes. This dynamic snapshot highlights recent comments and edits, making it easier to quickly catch up on what’s new.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout began in late July 2025 and is expected to complete by late August 2025.

How this will affect your organization
When opening a Word document, users will see the new Activity tab in the Copilot summary at the top of the document. This tab displays recent changes and comments, with filters for:

• Since last visit
• Past 3 days
• Past week
• Past 2 weeks

A view of recent edits and comments in Word, available through the new Activity tab in the Copilot summary for quick document insights:

Introduction
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat now makes it easier to bring work content directly into prompts. Users can reference files and emails more seamlessly, improving context and enhancing Copilot responses.

When this will happen

• Rollout timeline to be announced in a future update.

How this will affect your organization

• Typing ‘/’ in the prompt box lets users quickly search and insert files or emails.
• Some suggested prompts beneath the input box will now include relevant files or emails to help users start faster.
• This capability streamlines prompt creation, reduces context-switching, and improves productivity.

Introduction
Copilot Chat is adding a side-by-side visual editor that makes it easier to refine and edit images without losing context. The editor combines natural language guidance with canvas-based controls, helping users create, adjust, and enhance visuals more effectively.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins September 2025.

How this will affect your organization

• Users can seamlessly switch from prompt generation to image editing.
• Features include quick adjustments, upscaling, and auto-enhancement for more polished results.
• This update helps teams iterate faster and produce higher-quality visual content directly within Copilot Chat.

Introduction
In Microsoft Edge for Business, a new summarization feature is now available. By right-clicking on a webpage, users can instantly generate a Copilot summary of articles, documents, or pages—helping them extract key insights without leaving the browser.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rolled out in August 2025.

How this will affect your organization

• Users can summarize long or dense content directly in Edge for Business.
• Summaries provide quick insights, improving productivity during research, reviews, and multitasking.
• This capability is built into the browser—no extra configuration is required.

Introduction
A new filtering capability is coming to Microsoft Copilot, allowing users to refine their view of past conversations. This update makes it easier to locate relevant chats aligned with workflows, helping users quickly revisit prior prompts, responses, and context.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout schedule to be announced.

How this will affect your organization

• Users will be able to filter chat history by specific criteria.
• Improves discoverability of past conversations and enhances productivity.
• No admin configuration required; the feature is available by default.

Introduction
The Copilot Chat experience in Outlook is getting a refreshed interface to improve usability and streamline navigation. The navigation pane will now appear on the left side of the screen—aligning with layout patterns across Microsoft 365 apps like Teams and OneNote. A new All Conversations page also provides a comprehensive view of chat history, making it easier to manage and revisit past interactions.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins mid-August 2025 and is expected to complete by mid-August 2025.

How this will affect your organization

• The navigation pane for Copilot Chat moves from the right to the left side of the interface.
• Users will gain access to a new All Conversations page for better visibility into chat history.
• No admin action is required; the update will be enabled automatically.

Figure I. Before this update

1. Go to https://admin.microsoft.com/, click on the “Teams & groups” tab on the left navigation, and click “Active teams & groups”.

Introduction
Outlook Mobile is adding a new Copilot Chat overlay for iOS and Android, allowing users to engage with Copilot without leaving their email, calendar, or contacts. The overlay is context-aware, so users can ask Copilot questions directly related to what’s on their screen. Those with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will receive richer, personalized responses powered by Microsoft 365 Graph.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCCH, DoD): Rollout begins early September 2025 and is expected to complete by early March 2026.

How this affects your organization

• All Outlook Mobile users will receive the new Copilot Chat overlay by default.
• No changes to Copilot Chat availability, licensing, or admin controls.
• No admin action is required.

Copilot Chat overlay in Outlook Mobile (iOS) - Interact with Copilot while viewing email content for contextual assistance:

Copilot Chat overlay in Outlook Mobile (Android) - Seamless access to Copilot via the bottom navigation bar to ask questions about on-screen content:

Introduction
A new enhancement to the Find in Chat/Channel experience in Microsoft Teams makes shared content easier to locate. Users can now filter results to display only messages with attachments, and search results will show file chiclets for quick identification of shared documents and media.

When this will happen

• General Availability rollout is expected to begin in September 2025.

How this affects your organization

• Users can filter chat and channel searches to show only messages with files.
• File chiclets in results improve visibility of shared content.
• No admin action is required.

Introduction
Users can now save important messages in chats and channels to quickly access them later. The Saved Messages view in the chat list allows users to open a saved message and view the full conversation in the right pane, enabling review or direct reply without scrolling through long threads.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Early August 2025 – mid-August 2025
• General Availability: Late August 2025 – early September 2025

How this affects your organization

• Users can save any message (post, reply, or chat) and access it later.
• Clicking a saved message opens the full conversation for context.
• No admin configuration is required; the feature is on by default.

Introduction
Users can now react to a single message or post with multiple emojis, enabling richer and more nuanced responses. This feature allows expressing agreement, gratitude, urgency, or other sentiments without adding extra replies, helping conversations remain focused and efficient.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Early June 2025 – mid-June 2025
• General Availability: Mid-June 2025 – late June 2025 (Worldwide, GCC)
• General Availability (GCC High & DoD): Early July – mid-August 2025

How this affects your organization

• Users can add multiple standard or custom emojis to the same message.
• Enhances collaboration by enabling richer, contextual reactions.
• No admin configuration is required; the feature is on by default.

Keep meetings efficient and on schedule with the new countdown timer in Microsoft Teams. This feature allows any meeting participant to add a visual timer (up to 100 minutes) directly within the meeting window, helping teams manage time effectively without external tools. 

Introduction
Microsoft Teams introduces Organizer Controls in the meeting toolbar to simplify access to key meeting management features. Existing capabilities, including participant moderation, access control, and Teams Premium Advanced Protection options (e.g., Prevent Copy of Chat), are consolidated into a single, easy-to-use fly-out menu. The previous entry point for meeting options has been replaced.

When this will happen

• Public Preview: Early August – third week of August 2025
• General Availability (Worldwide): September 15 – September 30, 2025
• General Availability (GCC): September 30 – October 15, 2025
• General Availability (GCCH): Early October – third week of October 2025

How this affects your organization

• Meeting organizers and co-organizers will see a new Organizer Controls icon in the meeting toolbar.
• Existing features remain unchanged; the update improves access and usability.
• Key benefits include:
  • Immediate Threat Mitigation
  • Access Control and Permissions: Lock Meeting, lobby bypass
  • Participant Moderation: Mute/unmute, screen sharing restrictions
• No IT admin action is required; existing tenant-level policies remain in effect.

Organizer controls flyout in Meeting toolbar:

To access meeting options, click on View more options in the Organizer controls flyout:

Introduction
Prevent screen capture is a Microsoft Teams Premium feature that enhances meeting confidentiality by blocking screenshots and recordings across supported platforms. When enabled by the meeting organizer, this feature restricts screen capture using native device tools and most third-party apps. Attendees on unsupported platforms will join in audio-only mode. Organizers and co-organizers can enable this feature via Meeting Options. It is not governed by meeting policy.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Mid-September – late September 2025
• General Availability (Worldwide): Mid-October – late October 2025

How this affects your organization
Platform-specific behavior when enabled:

• Windows desktop: Screenshots show a black rectangle around the meeting window, including pop-outs.
• Mac desktop: Captured content disappears, hiding the meeting window and pop-outs.
• Android (phones and tablets): Screenshots and recordings are blocked. Users see a message indicating screen capture is restricted. Applies to key views such as stage, chat, participant list, notes, banners, and Copilot panels.
• iOS (phones and iPads): Screenshots and recordings are allowed, but live video (participant feeds) will not be captured. Profile pictures or static content appear instead. Additional protections for more screens are planned in future releases.

Additional Information

• The feature is off by default and must be manually enabled per meeting.

Screenshot - Meeting options with Prevent screen capture (default off). To enable it, please turn on the toggle:

Introduction
The search experience in Microsoft Teams Desktop has been improved to help users quickly find and act on meetings. Users can now search by meeting title or participant name and take key actions directly from the search interface, boosting productivity and engagement.

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Early August 2025 – mid-August 2025
• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): Mid-August 2025 – late August 2025

How this affects your organization
Users will benefit from new capabilities in Teams Desktop search:

• Search for meetings by title or participant names.
• From search results, users can:
  • Join ongoing meetings
  • View recaps of past meetings
  • RSVP to upcoming meetings
  • Access meeting chats and shared artifacts
• A Meeting pill in the Auto Suggestion canvas allows searches to focus on meetings only.
• A dedicated Meetings tab on the search results page provides a focused view of meeting-related results.

These features are enabled by default and require no admin configuration.

Introduction
A new way to build automations in SharePoint is now available using Workflows—the same fast, intuitive experience from the Teams Workflows app. This update simplifies automation across SharePoint, Teams, and Microsoft 365, enabling tasks such as notifications, approvals, and file actions to be completed in just a few clicks.

Powered by Power Automate, Workflows provides a consistent experience across platforms while reducing the complexity of previous automation methods.

Roadmap ID: 491632 / MC1121517

When this will happen

• Targeted Release: Mid-September 2025 – end of September 2025
• General Availability: Mid-October 2025 – mid-November 2025

How this affects your organization

• List and document libraries will feature a new Workflows button on the command bar.
• Existing Automate and Integrate menus will be consolidated into a single menu dropdown for a streamlined experience.

Figure I. Updated Workflows button on the command bar menu

Figure II. Workflows experience opening in a SharePoint list

Figure III. Creating a new Workflow from a template in a SharePoint document library

Introduction
A refreshed user experience (UX) for Microsoft Entra credential enrollment and management is being introduced. The update enhances usability and accessibility across enrollment and management screens while keeping all existing functionality unchanged.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCCHigh): Early November 2025

How this affects your organization

• Users and administrators will notice an updated visual interface for credential management workflows.
• No changes are made to underlying functionality or user flows.

Screenshots 1-4. Refreshed credential enrollment and management UX with modern design element:

Introduction
Outlook mobile is updating the placement of the Send button in the compose view to help reduce accidental message sends. The button will move from the bottom toolbar to the header area, providing a less crowded location and supporting more intentional messaging.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): Early September 2025 – Early March 2026

How this affects your organization

• Users on Outlook mobile (iOS and Android) will see the Send button relocated to the top of the compose view.
• This update is designed to minimize accidental taps and improve usability.
• The feature will be enabled by default.

Image 1 - New Send button placement in Outlook for iOS – full compose view:

Image 2 - New Send button placement in Outlook for iOS – small compose view: 

Image 3 - New Send button placement in Outlook for Android – full compose view:

Introduction
Microsoft Edge is introducing AI-powered History search to help users rediscover previously visited sites more easily. The on-device model understands synonyms, natural language, and minor typos, while all browsing data stays private on the device.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Late August 2025 – Late September 2025

How this affects your organization

• Users can access History via Settings → History or edge://history.
• AI-powered semantic search allows queries using synonyms, natural phrases, and minor spelling errors.
• The feature is controlled by the “Enable History search assisted with AI” toggle in Edge settings and will be on by default after rollout.
• Admins can manage this feature using the EdgeHistoryAISearchEnabled policy:
  • Enabled or not configured: AI-powered search available.
  • Disabled: Only exact match searches are supported.
• Available on Windows desktop only; mobile and other platforms may have gaps at launch.

Screenshot of the “Enable history search assisted with AI” toggle in Microsoft Edge. This setting, found under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search > History search, controls whether users can perform AI-powered semantic searches in their browsing history.

Screenshot of the new AI-powered History search experience in Microsoft Edge: 

Introduction
SharePoint Online now automatically tags electronically signed documents as “Signed.” This applies to newly uploaded files as well as existing e-signed documents. Two optional metadata columns enhance visibility and compliance tracking:

• Electronically Signed: Indicates if a document is e-signed.
• Signature Provider: Shows the e-signature service used.

This feature is available for tenants with eSignature enabled, streamlining document management and compliance.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Late September 2025 – Late November 2025

How this affects your organization

• E-signed documents are automatically tagged across all SharePoint sites.
• Metadata columns can be added to library views for improved tracking.
• Manual tagging is not required.

Preparation Steps

1. Enable eSignature in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Configure your preferred eSignature provider.
3. Specify SharePoint locations for usage (automatic tagging applies to all sites once enabled).

Introduction
Outlook will soon display a visual indicator on profile cards to identify external participants in email conversations. This update helps users recognize recipients outside the organization, reducing the risk of accidental data sharing.

When this will happen

• General Availability (Worldwide): Mid-September 2025 – Late September 2025

How this affects your organization

• Users will see a visual cue on profile cards for external recipients.
• This feature enhances awareness and communication security.
• Enabled by default; no admin configuration is required.