On 28 October 2026 Microsoft told Microsoft 365 administrators, in message center post MC1529472, that from November 2026 its Frontier early-access program will also deliver public preview features in Teams, new Outlook for Windows, OneDrive and SharePoint, not only Copilot. The change arrives as Targeted release, the early-access setting many offices switched on years ago, heads for retirement in January 2027. If some of your staff see new Microsoft 365 features before everyone else, now is the time to decide where they land.
What happened
The message center is the notice board inside the Microsoft 365 admin center where Microsoft announces changes to the tenant (your organisation's Microsoft 365 account). Post MC1529472, published on 28 October 2026, says users enrolled in Frontier will start getting eligible public preview features in Teams, new Outlook for Windows, OneDrive and SharePoint from November 2026, in addition to the Copilot previews Frontier already offered. Admins manage it all with one program and one setting.
The same post removes a barrier. A Microsoft Copilot licence is no longer required to enrol someone in Frontier, although each person still needs a licence for the product being previewed: a licence that includes Teams for Teams previews, for example. Standard release stays the default, Frontier is opt-in, and Microsoft says people currently in Targeted release are not moved into Frontier automatically.
That last point connects to an earlier notice. In MC1490899, published on 7 October 2026 with an act-by date of 31 October 2026, Microsoft said Targeted release will retire in January 2027 and be replaced by three options: Frontier, Standard release and Deferred release. Its Targeted release retirement page on Microsoft Learn sets out the steps. In November 2026 admins can no longer add people to, remove people from or change Targeted release enrolment. In January 2027 the setting is retired, and anyone still assigned to it falls back to the organisation's general availability preference, which is Standard release unless you chose Deferred.
A release preference, in plain terms, is the setting that decides when your staff receive new Microsoft 365 features. Microsoft also says that in November 2026 Frontier, Standard and Deferred will be managed together in one unified release preferences screen.
Key details
| Item | When | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier covers more apps | From November 2026 | Enrolled users get eligible public previews in Teams, new Outlook for Windows, OneDrive and SharePoint, as well as Copilot |
| Copilot licence for Frontier | Announced 28 October 2026 | No longer required; a licence for the previewed product still is |
| Targeted release enrolment frozen | November 2026 | Admins can no longer add, remove or modify Targeted release users |
| One release preferences screen | November 2026 | Frontier, Standard release and Deferred release managed in one place |
| Targeted release retired | January 2027 | Remaining users default to the general availability preference (Standard unless set to Deferred) |
| Deferred release | 30 days after Standard rollout begins | Applies to features tagged as both Major update and Deferred feature; never to Frontier features |
Microsoft's Frontier set-up page adds the practical detail. Frontier is managed for the whole tenant in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Copilot, Settings, View all, Copilot Frontier. The default is No access; the other choices are All users, or Specific users and groups. Configuring it needs an account with the AI Administrator, Security Administrator or Office Apps Administrator role.
Why it matters
For years Targeted release did a quiet but useful job in many small offices. A practice manager or an IT-minded staff member saw new features a little earlier, spotted anything confusing, and warned everyone else. That early-warning role is being split in two.
Frontier is the new early door, but it is a different kind of door. It hands out public previews: features that Microsoft says are subject to change and may be modified, suspended or discontinued. Until now that mostly meant Copilot experiments. From November 2026 it reaches the tools your team uses all day, such as Teams meetings and chats, the new Outlook for Windows, and the files in OneDrive and SharePoint. Who you enrol now matters more.
Doing nothing has a consequence too. Microsoft's release options FAQ says it will not change your release preference settings for you. If Targeted release users are left alone, they simply move to Standard release in January 2027, and your business loses its early look at changes without anyone deciding that.
The licence change widens who can take part. Before, Frontier needed a Copilot licence; now a staff member with an ordinary Microsoft 365 plan that includes the right app can be enrolled. That is good news for a small team that wants early warning without buying Copilot for the tester.
There is also a new option at the cautious end. Deferred release holds eligible major updates back for 30 days after Standard rollout begins, which can suit a reception desk, a dispatch team or anyone who needs screens to stay the same during a busy period. A recruitment office that checks candidates on a verification platform such as Talent Tabloid and then interviews them in Teams has good reason to keep those meeting screens steady. Microsoft's guide to configuring release options warns that people moved to Deferred might lose access to features not yet available there, and allows up to 100 exceptions to the organisation's default.
This continues a run of fast Microsoft 365 change we have covered, from Copilot's new Home, Code and Autopilot features to the end of support for Office 2021. The release preference is how you control the pace at which that change reaches your staff.
What this means for businesses
For a typical small business the job is a short review, not a project. Microsoft says Microsoft 365 Apps update channels, Windows update channels and Microsoft 365 Insider programs are not affected, so this is about Microsoft 365 service features rather than how desktop apps update. Deferred release and Frontier are not currently available in government cloud environments, which matters only if your tenant is one of those.
A short checklist for owners and managers:
- Ask whoever runs your Microsoft 365 admin center whether any staff are in Targeted release today, and why they were put there.
- Decide whether you still want an early-warning group. If yes, choose two or three willing people and enrol them in Frontier as specific users, not All users.
- Check that each Frontier tester has a licence for the products being previewed, such as a plan that includes Teams.
- Tell testers that preview features may be modified, suspended or discontinued, and that they should not build client-facing routines on them.
- Consider Deferred release for teams that need stable screens, and note the features they may wait longer for.
- Review who holds the AI Administrator, Security Administrator and Office Apps Administrator roles. Every admin role is access worth guarding, as the ConnectWise Cloud Backup breach showed.
- Write the decision down, so the next person managing the tenant knows why each group is set the way it is.
If your Microsoft 365 is looked after by an outside provider, put these questions to them before November 2026. Administering Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace is part of what we cover in managed IT support, and our guide to what to expect from a managed IT provider explains how changes like this should be reported to you in plain English. If you would like a second opinion on how your tenant is set up, ask us for a free first consultation and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to Targeted release users if we do nothing?
Microsoft says users assigned to Targeted release move to your general availability release preference when it retires in January 2027. For most offices that means Standard release, the default. They are not enrolled in Frontier automatically, so your early-warning group simply disappears.
Do we need a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence to use Frontier?
No. Microsoft says a Microsoft Copilot licence is no longer required to enrol users in Frontier. Each person still needs a licence for the product being previewed, for example a licence that includes Teams to see Teams previews.
Is Frontier safe to turn on for the whole business?
Frontier delivers public preview features, which Microsoft says are subject to change. The default is No access, and you can enrol specific users and groups instead of everyone. A small, willing test group is a sensible way to use it.
What is the difference between Standard release and Deferred release?
Standard release is the default: features arrive as they become generally available. Deferred release holds eligible major updates for 30 days after the Standard rollout begins, but only features tagged as both Major update and Deferred feature, and never Frontier features.
Does this change how Word, Excel and Outlook desktop apps update?
No. Microsoft says Microsoft 365 Apps update channels, Windows update channels and Microsoft 365 Insider programs are not affected. The release preferences cover Microsoft 365 service features, which is a separate setting from desktop app update channels.
Key takeaways
- From November 2026, Microsoft's Frontier program adds public previews in Teams, new Outlook for Windows, OneDrive and SharePoint.
- A Copilot licence is no longer needed to join Frontier; a licence for the previewed product still is.
- Targeted release enrolment freezes in November 2026 and the setting retires in January 2027.
- Targeted release users are not moved to Frontier automatically; they fall back to Standard release unless you choose otherwise.
- Pick a small Frontier test group, consider Deferred release for stable teams, and record the decision.