MC1139493 - Microsoft Teams Copilot without transcription becomes default for meetings - conversation history now persists

Updated May 7, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

We’re updating the default behavior of Microsoft Teams Copilot in meetings. Copilot without transcription will become the default mode for newly scheduled Teams meetings where Copilot is allowed. Additionally, conversation history will now persist during meetings, improving multitasking and continuity of insights.

This update is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 478611.

When this will happen

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in mid-September 2025July 2026 (previously late April) and expect to complete by late September 2025.end of July 2026 (previously mid-May).

What's changing?

How this affectsWho is affected:

• Affected tenants: If your organization
  • TeamsMeetingPolicy was created or modified before the Copilot without transcription becomes default:
    policy option was introduced (June 2024), your tenant will be affected by this change.
    • Applies to new tenants and new users.
    • Existing usersNot Affected: If your TeamsMeetingPolicy was created or modified after June 2024 when the Copilot without a settranscription option was introduced, your tenant will not be affected.

    What will happen:

    • The default Copilot policy will inherit the host configuration and receive this new default.
    • Custom policies will remain unchanged.
    • In Teams meeting policy, the default property value for “Copilot” will change from EnabledWithTranscript to Enabled. This affects how for both new and existing Teams meetings where Copilot behaves in newly scheduled meetings unless overridden by custom policy.is allowed.
    • Starting Copilot during a meetingand Facilitator will no longer automatically start transcription. transcription for meetings in affected tenants.
    • TranscriptionUsers must be manually enabled in Meeting Options or during the meeting if users wantenable transcription to use post-meeting insightsCopilot or access to Copilot conversation history. Facilitator queries.
  • Conversation history now persistswill persist during meetings:
    • Users can switch between meeting features (chat, participant list) without losing Copilot insights.
    • This change applies to all users usingmeetings for Copilot without transcription.
    • Tenants with TeamsMeetingPolicy created or modified after June 2024 are not affected.

  What you can do to prepareprepare:

  If adopting the new defaults:

  • Review your organization’s Teams meeting policiesTeamsMeetingPolicy for dependencies on transcription defaults. dependencies.
  • Update internal documentation and training to reflect the new default behavior and conversation history persistence. training.
  • Communicate to users how to manually enable transcription when needed, especially if they wantneeded.

  Optional admin steps to retain current behavior:

  • Update Global and Custom TeamsMeetingPolicy settings via TAC or PowerShell.
  • TAC UI Portal: Navigate to Teams Admin Center and set the Copilot insights afterpolicy default value as required. For example, if the meeting. current default value is desired, update it to a different value, then set it back. Please ensure both TeamsMeetingPolicy and all Custom Policies are updated.
  • PowerShell example to set Copilot policy to EnabledWithTranscript for all relevant meeting policies:

    get-csteamsmeetingpolicy | ? {
      $_.Identity -ne "Tag:AllOn" -and
      $_.Identity -ne "Tag:AllOff" -and
      $_.Identity -ne "Tag:Default" -and
      $_.Identity -ne "Tag:Kiosk" -and
      $_.Identity -ne "Tag:RestrictedAnonymousAccess" -and
      $_.Identity -ne "Tag:RestrictedAnonymousNoRecording"
    } | % {
      $_.Identity;
      set-csteamsmeetingpolicy -identity $_.Identity -Copilot EnabledWithTranscript
    }

  Learn more: 

  • Manage Microsoft 365 Copilot in Teams meetings and events | Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
  • Use Copilot without recording a Teams meeting | Copilot in Teams | Copilot | Microsoft Support

  Compliance considerations

  Question	Answer
  Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?	Conversation history is now retained during the meeting instead of being cleared when switching panels.
  Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with or provide access to customer data?	Copilot behavior is updated to persist conversation history, enhancing AI-driven meeting insights.
  Does the change provide end users any new way of interacting with generative AI?	Users can now maintain a continuous Copilot interaction during meetings without transcription.
  Does the change include an admin control and, can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?	IT admins can enforce or override defaults via Teams meeting policy.
  Does the change allow a user to enable and disable the feature themselves?	Users can manually enable transcription during meetings to retain Copilot insights post-meeting.