💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- Feature Overview: Microsoft is introducing a new end-user moderation tool in Viva Engage that allows users to hide messages from specific individuals.
- Purpose: This feature is designed to give users more control over their experience by reducing visibility of distracting or unwanted content while maintaining their participation in communities.
- Timeline: The rollout is scheduled to begin in late February 2026 and is expected to be completed by late March 2026.
- Roadmap Association: This update is linked to Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 513276.
Impact
- User Experience: Users will see a new option to “hide” individuals via message menus or directly from a user’s profile page.
- Content Visibility: When a user is hidden, their threadstarter posts are removed from the Home Feed and email digests. In specific communities, their posts and all comments across the platform will appear collapsed with a “click-to-reveal” placeholder.
- Exemptions: To ensure critical organizational communication is not missed, certain roles cannot be hidden. These include Network/Engage Admins, Corporate Communicators, and designated Leaders.
- Default State: This feature will be enabled by default for all Viva Engage users once the rollout reaches the tenant.
- Administrative Control: IT Admins retain the ability to disable this functionality entirely through the Viva Engage admin center.
Action Required
- Review Configuration: Determine if your organization’s communication policy allows for user-level content hiding. If not, plan to disable the toggle in the Engage admin center prior to late February 2026.
- Update Documentation: Refresh internal Viva Engage usage guides and help desk documentation to reflect the new “Hide User” capability.
- User Communication: Inform users of this new self-moderation tool, emphasizing that hiding a user is a personal preference and does not constitute a formal report or block at the organizational level.
- Monitor Updates: Watch for the updated official documentation from Microsoft, which will be linked in the original Message Center post prior to the rollout.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
[Introduction]
We’re introducing a new end-user moderation control in Viva Engage: Hide a user’s messages. This feature allows users to reduce visibility of messages from specific individuals, helping minimize unwanted or distracting interactions while preserving community engagement.
This message is associated with Roadmap ID 513276.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out late February 2026 and completing by late March 2026.
[How this affects your organization:]
Who is affected:
All Viva Engage users.
What will happen:
- The feature is on by default.
- Admins can turn this feature off in the Engage admin center.
- Users will have a new option to hide another user’s messages from:
- Any message in Viva Engage
- A user’s profile page
- When a user is hidden:
- Their threadstarters will no longer appear in Home Feed or email digests.
- In communities and other locations, their threadstarters will appear collapsed with a click‑to‑reveal option.
- In all surfaces, comments appear collapsed with a click-to-reveal option.
- Some roles cannot be hidden, including:
- Designated leaders (requires the Viva Communications & Communities or Viva Suite license)
- Corporate communicators
- Network/verified admins
- Engage admins
[What you can do to prepare:]
No admin action is required.
We recommend:
- Informing users about this new moderation option.
- Updating internal documentation or guidance, as needed.
- Using the Engage admin center if you wish to disable the feature.
Before rollout, we will update this post with new documentation.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
