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Microsoft Message ID: MC1139493 – 2026-01-14 | (Updated) Microsoft Teams Copilot without transcription becomes default for meetings – conversation history now persists

Microsoft 365 Update

💡 Our Technical Review in summary

Summary

  • Message ID: MC1139493
  • Roadmap ID: 478611
  • Timeline: Rollout begins late March 2026 and is expected to complete by early April 2026.
  • Core Change: Microsoft is updating the default setting for Teams Copilot in meetings. “Copilot without transcription” will become the default mode for newly scheduled meetings in affected tenants.
  • Key Enhancement: Copilot conversation history will now persist during meetings, ensuring insights are not lost when users switch panels or multitask.

Impact

  • Affected Tenants: Only tenants with TeamsMeetingPolicy settings created or modified before June 2024 will see this change. Tenants with policies updated after that date are unaffected.
  • Feature Behavior: The default policy value will shift from EnabledWithTranscript to Enabled. In this mode, Copilot and Facilitator will no longer trigger automatic transcription.
  • Post-Meeting Analysis: Because transcription is no longer automatic, users will not be able to perform post-meeting Copilot queries unless they manually enable transcription during the meeting.
  • User Experience: While the loss of automatic transcription may impact post-meeting workflows, users benefit from a more persistent in-meeting chat history that does not clear when the Copilot panel is closed or reopened.

Action Required

  • Review Policies: Check your current TeamsMeetingPolicy via the Teams Admin Center (TAC) or PowerShell to identify if your settings predate June 2024.
  • Update Documentation: If you choose to adopt the new defaults, update internal training materials to instruct users on how to manually start transcription for meetings where post-meeting insights are required.
  • Maintain Current Behavior (Optional): To keep transcription-based Copilot as the default, admins must explicitly set the Copilot policy to EnabledWithTranscript.
    • TAC: Navigate to meeting policies and toggle the Copilot setting to a different value, save, and then set it back to your preferred default to “refresh” the policy timestamp.
    • PowerShell: Use Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy with the -Copilot EnabledWithTranscript parameter for all relevant policy identities.
  • Communication: Inform stakeholders and power users about the change in transcription requirements to avoid data gaps in post-meeting AI recaps.

Microsoft Official Update

Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal

Updated January 14, 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 late March 2026 (previously mid-January) and expect to complete by early April 2026 (previously early February).

[What’s changing?]

Who is affected:

  • Affected tenants: If your TeamsMeetingPolicy was created or modified before the Copilot without transcription policy option was introduced (June 2024), your tenant will be affected by this change.
  • Not Affected: If your TeamsMeetingPolicy was created or modified after June 2024 when the Copilot without transcription option was introduced, your tenant will not be affected.

What will happen:

  • The default Copilot policy will change from EnabledWithTranscript to Enabled for both new and existing Teams meetings where Copilot is allowed.
  • Copilot and Facilitator will no longer automatically start transcription for meetings in affected tenants.
  • Users must manually enable transcription to use post-meeting Copilot or Facilitator queries.
  • Conversation history will persist during meetings for Copilot without transcription.
  • Tenants with TeamsMeetingPolicy created or modified after June 2024 are not affected.

[What you can do to prepare:]

If adopting the new defaults:

  • Review TeamsMeetingPolicy for transcription dependencies.
  • Update internal documentation and training.
  • Communicate to users how to enable transcription when needed.

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 policy default value as required. For example, if the 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: 

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.

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