What's New in Microsoft 365 — September 2025

Microsoft Teams: Remove Toggle for Calendar

Starting in September, Microsoft Teams will remove the toggle for the legacy calendar, making the new integrated Microsoft 365 calendar the default. The new calendar integrates features like Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Places, offering a seamless collaboration experience across Teams, the new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web and Places.

Microsoft SharePoint: Modern Page Templates

A new Template Gallery is now available in SharePoint, offering over 50 modern out-of-the-box templates and custom templates in one centralized hub. These templates enable users to create visually appealing, consistent and on-brand pages for announcements, team updates and more.

Microsoft 365 Copilot App: Streamlined File Preview

Starting September 15, 2025, the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on iPhone and iPad will support file previews for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Users can view file contents, comments and interact with Copilot Chat for insights. Users will be prompted to open the standalone Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps to edit their files.

Microsoft Lens App Retirement

The Microsoft Lens app will be retired from iOS and Android devices starting September 15, 2025. Users can continue using the scanning capability in the app until December 15, 2025. Previously scanned content will remain accessible as long as the app is installed. To continue using scanning capabilities, transition to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which offers a built-in scanning feature.

Microsoft Teams: Emoji Reactions Workflows

Microsoft Teams has introduced a new way to automate tasks using emoji reactions. With the Workflows app, reacting to messages in chats or channels can trigger automated actions. For example:

• ❗ Escalates a support issue. 
• 👀 Routes a message to the appropriate team.

This feature streamlines collaboration, reduces manual follow-ups and accelerates response times.

How to Get Started:

1. Open the Workflows app in Teams.
2. In the Create tab, search for emoji to explore ready-to-use templates.
3. Or, select "Create from blank" and choose the emoji reaction trigger to build a custom workflow.

Learn how to create workflows from emoji reactions in Microsoft Teams here.

Coming Soon in Microsoft 365 (October Updates)

Microsoft Teams: Introducing the Network Strength Indicator

Microsoft Teams will soon include a Network Strength Indicator to enhance meeting clarity. This feature displays your current network quality using a simple three-bar system: Good (3 bars), Poor (2 bars) and Bad (1 bar). When your connection is limited, Teams will suggest actions to help conserve bandwidth and maintain performance. You will also be able to see when other participants have poor or bad connections, providing better context for meeting disruptions.

Microsoft SharePoint: Build SharePoint Automations with Workflows

SharePoint will soon introduce Workflows, delivering the same fast, intuitive automation experience as the Teams Workflows app. This update simplifies automation across SharePoint, Teams and Microsoft 365, enabling users to streamline tasks such as notifications, approvals and file actions with just a few clicks. Powered by Power Automate, Workflows offers a consistent experience across platforms and eliminates the complexity of previous automation methods.

Categories: Science and Technology