MC796790 - Update: Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams: Unified management of Teams apps in Teams, Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 app

Updated October 1, 2026:August 13, 2025: We have updated the content and timeline.content. Thank you for your patience.

What it is

In 2023, we introduced Microsoft is rolling out a new feature to streamline how appTeams apps that are compatible with Microsoft Outlook and agent availability and installation is managed across Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Until now, IT admins configured availability and installation settings separately in both the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (MAC)App (manifest version v1.13 or higher). Before this rollout, admin changes made in the Integrated apps section of the Microsoft 365 admin center would only affect these Teams apps in Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app. Similarly, changes made in the Teams Admin Center (TAC), which ledadmin center would exclusively affect Teams. Starting in June 2024, we will roll out Unified App Management to mismatches. With this update, you’ll be able to unify availabilitystreamline the management of these apps across Teams, Outlook and installation policies for apps and agentsthe Microsoft 365 App, so they are consistently available across both portals, making app management more consistent and efficient.all supported clients.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 393931, 485712 and 503105.

When this will happen: 

This rollout will happen in two major phases. Unified App Management can apply only to tenants that have migrated to app centric management in Teams admin center, as communicated in MC688930 (Updated) Teams admin center: App centric management and changes to app permission policies (November 2023).

• App and agent AVAILABILITY unification (section A): Rollout began in late September 2025. The Phase 3 timeline will be announced separately, at least 60 days before that phase begins.
• App and agent INSTALLATION unification (section B): Rollout begins at the end of September 2026. 

A: Unify app availability across admin centers

1. Phase 1 – Default Tenant Unification of App/Agent| General Availability

(Worldwide): We will begin rolling out this feature at the end of September 2025.late-January 2025 (previously mid-December 2024) is now on hold (previously late March 2025), with further guidance to be provided by late May 2025 (previously late April). This initial phase targetsapplies to tenants that have neverwith no modified their organization-wide defaults, app availability, or block/unblocksettings in either the Microsoft 365 admin center (Integrated apps) or the Teams admin center. At the end ofcenter for organization-wide defaults, app deployment, app availability, or block/unblock. No merge rules apply to these tenants, but after this phase, agentany app management setting configured in either admin centers will apply to all relevant hosts.

How this will affect your organization:

Before this rollout, managing Teams apps that work in Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app manageabilitywas fragmented between the Integrated apps page in the Microsoft 365 admin center for Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app, and the Teams admin center for Teams. This sometimes resulted in different settings for the same app in the two admin centers. With Unified App Management, we will be consolidating app catalog management into a single platform. You will be able to manage apps on the Integrated apps page in the Microsoft 365 admin center or in the Teams admin center, and any changes made in either admin center will synchronize.

What you can expect

1. App catalog enhancements: Apps will start showing hosts where they are available: Teams, Outlook, or the Microsoft 365 app.
2. Organization-wide settings: App availability default settings will now apply to apps used in Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365 app.
3. App installs: Apps deployed from the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365 admin center will be preinstalled in all applicable hosts for the app. Unlike app preinstallation in the Teams App setup policy, new app installs will provide access to the preinstalled apps, similar to deploying the app for Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App.. For more details on app deployment, refer to MC795355 Microsoft Teams admin center: App centric management for app installation and changes to app setup policies (May 2024)].
4. App availability: Managing app availability will apply to all applicable app hosts.
5. App block/unblock: Blocking or unblocking apps will apply to all applicable app hosts.
6. Consolidation of existing app settings: All existing app settings will be unified across bothbetween Integrated apps (MAC) and Manage apps (TAC) pages. Merge rules can be found in Manage apps that work across Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn. These changes cannot be rolled back.
7. Consolidation report: After further review we have decided not to proceed with this change at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

What you need to do to prepare:

We recommend that you review app and tenant settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center and Teams admin center ensuring agent and Microsoft 365 apps availability policies are in alignment for all future administrative changes. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 393931.

2.Phase 2 – Modified Tenants Unification of App/Agent Availability

This phase targets tenants that have previously modified their organization-wide defaults, app availability, or block/unblock settings in either admin center. These tenants will be transitioned to a unified management experience across both Microsoft 365 and Teams admin centers.

• For tenants with no agent or app availability differences across both admin centers, guidance will be provided to help maintain unified availability policy for all future changes.

For tenants with agent or app availability differences across both admin centers, a wizard in the Teams admin center will help identify affected agentscenter. If these are managed by different departments in your organization, we recommend conducting these reviews collaboratively.

We also recommend that you review the merge rules and consider their potential impact on apps and guide through resolving discrepancies.

• As part of this phase we will also enable administrators to manage Microsoft 365 certified SaaS applications within their tenant through org-wide settings for third-party apps. This has been rolled out completely for all tenants.
• This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 485712 & 503105.

This phase has been fully rolled out to all tenants. Tenants can choose to align through the wizard experience available in Teams admin center.

Note: In this phase, no changes will be applied to org-wide settings or app-level settings without administrator action.

3. Phase 3 – Automatic Unification (Future)

Tenants that have not taken actionyour organization. Make any necessary adjustments to unify availability throughthem in advance, if the wizard experience releasedmerge rules in Phase 1 and Phase 2 will have their availability automatically unified across MAC and TAC as part of this phase. We will inform customers of the timeline and additional details at least 60 days in advance before this phase begins.

B: Unified app and agent installation management message do not align with your expectations.

This capability unifies installation management acrossrollout will happen automatically by the Teamsspecified date with no admin center and Microsoft 365 admin center. Administrators can manage supported app and agent installations from either portal, with changes synchronized across both admin centers.action required before the rollout. You may want to update any relevant documentation as appropriate.

Who receives this capability? 

Tenants whose app and agent availability has been unified through any of the phases described in section A are eligible. Once rollout begins, this capability will be automatically enabled for tenants whose availability is already unified as part of Section A. Tenants that unify their availability later will receive this capability automatically once unified. 

Note: This capability is separate from availability unification described in section A . It does not automatically unify app or agent availability. 

When will it roll out? 

Rollout will begin at the end of September 2026 for eligible tenants. This date applies only to installation management (section B). 

Is administrator action required? 

No additional action is required to enable installation unification for eligible tenants. Existing installation assignments for supported apps and agents will be synchronized across both admin centers. 

Important: App installation is no longer managed through Teams app setup policies. Installations previously made through those policies are not unified as part of this change.