Everything you Need to Know about Microsoft 365 August 2025 Updates
At Speedster IT, we pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve when it comes to Microsoft technologies. As certified Microsoft experts, we’re committed to helping UK businesses get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investment—whether that’s through smarter collaboration, tighter security, or simply making day-to-day work a little easier.
This month, Microsoft has rolled out a host of updates across Teams, Outlook, Intune, and Copilot. Here’s what you need to know, and how these changes can benefit your business.
Microsoft Teams: Smarter Meetings, Better Control
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Countdown Timer for Meetings:
Ever lost track of time in a meeting? Teams now lets anyone add a visual countdown timer (up to 100 minutes) directly in the meeting window. It’s a simple way to keep everyone on schedule—no more overrunning or awkward cut-offs. -
New Organiser Controls:
Meeting organisers and co-organisers will soon see a streamlined menu for managing meetings. All the key controls are now in one place, making it easier to manage participants and security settings. Teams Premium users also get enhanced chat protection.
Outlook: Fewer Mistakes, More Productivity
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Send Button Moved (Mobile):
On iOS and Android, the Send button is moving to the top of the screen to help prevent those accidental sends we’ve all experienced. -
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) on Mobile:
Outlook Mobile will now alert you if you’re about to send sensitive information, just like on desktop. This helps keep your company data safe, even when you’re on the go. -
Email Templates in New Outlook:
Save time with reusable email templates in the new Outlook for Windows and web. You can even import your old .oft templates, making the switch seamless.
Intune: Stronger Device Management
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Granular App Control:
IT admins can now target app control policies to specific groups, not just the whole organisation. This means more flexibility and less risk. -
Windows Autopilot Patching:
New devices will automatically install the latest Windows updates during setup, so staff get secure, up-to-date machines from day one. -
Multiple Admin Approval:
Critical actions like device wipes or role changes now require a second admin’s approval—helping prevent costly mistakes.
Microsoft Admin: Security and Compliance Boosts
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Defender for Identity:
New recommendations in Secure Score help you remove inactive accounts and discovered passwords, tightening your security posture. -
Teams & Defender Integration:
Security admins can now block external domains in Teams directly from the Microsoft Defender portal, making it easier to control who can contact your staff. -
Restrict File Creation to Cloud:
You can now require staff to save new Office files to the cloud, supporting better backup and collaboration. -
Quarantine Improvements:
It’s now easier to view and restore emails that were temporarily deleted from quarantine in Defender and Exchange Online. -
Windows 10 Extended Security Updates:
Extended support is now available for Windows 10 devices via Cloud Solution Providers, helping you stay secure during your transition to Windows 11.
Microsoft Copilot: AI That Works for You
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GPT-5 in Copilot:
The latest AI model, GPT-5, is now powering Copilot Chat in Microsoft 365. Expect faster, smarter responses—whether you’re drafting emails or summarising documents. -
Dynamic Document Snapshot in Word:
The Activity tab now shows recent comments and edits, so you can catch up on changes at a glance. -
Immersive Search in Outlook:
After searching, you’ll see an AI-generated summary of your results—including emails, Teams messages, and documents—all in one place. -
AI Image Creation for All:
All Copilot Chat users can now generate and edit images for posters, banners, and more—no design skills required. -
SharePoint Agents in Teams Channels:
Access SharePoint knowledge directly in Teams channels with simple @mentions, making information sharing even easier. -
Teams Copilot Default (No Transcription):
Copilot will now default to meetings without transcription, but conversation history will persist—helping you multitask and keep track of insights.
SharePoint: Smarter Knowledge Sharing in Teams Channels
- SharePoint Agents in Teams Channels: Microsoft is making it easier than ever to access and share knowledge stored in SharePoint, right from within Teams channels. With the new SharePoint agents, you can simply use @mentions in a Teams channel to:
- Summarise documents
- Get quick answers from your SharePoint content
- Discover files—without leaving Teams
Rollout: Late August to mid-September 2025
Windows 10 Extended Security Updates Available in CSP
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Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10:
Starting 1st September 2025, Windows 10 ESU will be available for Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners. This means UK businesses can keep their Windows 10 devices secure during the transition to Windows 11, with protection available for one, two, or three years.
ESU is now offered as a perpetual licence, so partners can purchase all three years of coverage at once, with separate SKUs for each year. Coverage begins after 14th October 2025, aligning with Windows 10’s End of Support date.
Microsoft Outlook: Enhanced Search Experience with Copilot
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Immersive Search:
Outlook for Web, Mac, iOS, Android, and the new Outlook for Windows now features Immersive Search. After performing a search, users will see an entry point to the Microsoft Copilot side pane, which presents a highly relevant, AI-generated summary based on their query. This summary includes content from emails, Teams messages, and documents—helping users quickly understand and act on their information.
Rollout: Early September to late September 2025
Need Help Navigating Microsoft 365 August 2025 Updates?
If you’d like to know how these updates can be tailored to your business, or need help rolling out new features, Speedster IT is here to help. As your trusted Microsoft partner, we’ll make sure you’re always getting the best from your technology.
