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Metadata at Dec 19, 2024

Last Updated

Dec 19, 2024

Published May 29, 2024

Service

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft 365 apps

Tag

Major change
Updated message
New feature
Admin impact

Platforms

Desktop

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

Message Center

What changed since this version

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Updated December 18, 2024:October 1, 2026: We have updated the rollout timeline below.content and timeline. Thank you for your patience.

In 2023, we introduced What it is

Microsoft Teams apps that are compatible withis rolling out a new feature to streamline how app and agent availability and installation is managed across Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft Outlook365 Copilot. Until now, IT admins configured availability and installation settings separately in both the Microsoft 365 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 OutlookAdmin Center (MAC) and the Microsoft 365 app. Similarly, changes made in the Teams admin center would exclusively affect Teams. Starting in June 2024, we will roll out Unified App ManagementAdmin Center (TAC), which led to streamline themismatches. With this update, you’ll be able to unify availability and installation policies for apps and agents across both portals, making app management of these apps across Teams, Outlookmore consistent and the Microsoft 365 App, so they are consistently available across all supported clients.efficient.

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 | General– Default Tenant Unification of App/Agent Availability (Worldwide):

We will begin rolling out late-January 2025 (previously mid-December 2024) and expect to complete late March 2025 (previously mid-January 2025).this feature at the end of September 2025. This initial phase applies totargets tenants with nothat have never modified settingstheir organization-wide defaults, app availability, or block/unblock in either the Microsoft 365 admin center (Integrated apps) or the Teams admin center for organization-wide defaults, app deployment, app availability, or block/unblock. No merge rules apply to these tenants, but aftercenter. At the end of this phase, anyagent and app management setting configured in either admin centers will apply to all relevant hosts.

  • Phase 2: We will update this post with a timeline and more details in March 2025. This phase is applicable to tenants with app settings that have differences between Microsoft 365 admin center (Integrated apps) and Teams admin center, and who have maintained a single app setup policy in Teams that has a modified Installed apps section.
  • How this will affect your organization:

    Before this rollout, managing Teams apps that work in Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app was 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 settingsmanageability will be unified between 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: Phase 2 and 3 tenant administrators will have access to an on-demand report prior to the merging of app settings. This report is designed to help administrators assess the impact of merge rules on their tenant and make any adjustments in advance. We will update this MC post when the report is available.

    What you need to do to prepare:

    We recommend that you review app and tenant settings in theacross both 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. If these are managed by different departmentscenter will help identify affected agents and 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 your organization, we recommend conducting these reviews collaboratively. Teams admin center.

    We also recommendNote: 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 you review the merge rules and consider their potential impact on apps in your organization. Make any necessary adjustmentshave not taken action to unify themavailability through the wizard experience released in advance, ifPhase 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 merge rulestimeline and additional details at least 60 days in advance before this message do not align with your expectations. phase begins.

    B: Unified app and agent installation management 

    This capability unifies installation management across the Teams 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. 

    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 happenbe automatically byenabled 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 specifiedend of September 2026 for eligible tenants. This date withapplies 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 admin action required before the rollout. You may want to update any relevant documentationlonger managed through Teams app setup policies. Installations previously made through those policies are not unified as appropriate. part of this change.

    Snapshot from Dec 19, 2024

    Updated December 18, 2024: We have updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.

    In 2023, we introduced Microsoft Teams apps that are compatible with Microsoft Outlook and the Microsoft 365 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 would exclusively affect Teams. Starting in June 2024, we will roll out Unified App Management to streamline the management of these apps across Teams, Outlook and the Microsoft 365 App, so they are consistently available across all supported clients.

    This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 393931.

    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).

    • Phase 1 | General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late-January 2025 (previously mid-December 2024) and expect to complete late March 2025 (previously mid-January 2025). This phase applies to tenants with no modified settings in either the Microsoft 365 admin center (Integrated apps) or the Teams admin center for organization-wide defaults, app deployment, app availability, or block/unblock. No merge rules apply to these tenants, but after this phase, any app management setting configured in either admin centers will apply to all relevant hosts.
    • Phase 2: We will update this post with a timeline and more details in March 2025. This phase is applicable to tenants with app settings that have differences between Microsoft 365 admin center (Integrated apps) and Teams admin center, and who have maintained a single app setup policy in Teams that has a modified Installed apps section.

    How this will affect your organization:

    Before this rollout, managing Teams apps that work in Outlook and the Microsoft 365 app was 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 between 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: Phase 2 and 3 tenant administrators will have access to an on-demand report prior to the merging of app settings. This report is designed to help administrators assess the impact of merge rules on their tenant and make any adjustments in advance. We will update this MC post when the report is available.

    What you need to do to prepare:

    We recommend that you review app and tenant settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center and the Teams admin center. 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 in your organization. Make any necessary adjustments to unify them in advance, if the merge rules in this message do not align with your expectations.

    This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. You may want to update any relevant documentation as appropriate.