💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- Microsoft is transitioning the self-service installation interface for Microsoft 365 apps from the standalone “My account” portal (portal.office.com/account) to a new integrated modal dialog within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office.com) on both web and desktop.
- This change applies to self-installs of Microsoft 365 Apps, Project, Visio, and Skype for Business.
- Rollout is currently pending, with a status update expected from Microsoft by the end of January 2026.
Impact
- User Experience: Users will no longer be redirected to a separate account page. Instead, they will trigger installations via Apps > Install apps > Install Microsoft 365 apps directly within the Copilot/Office interface.
- Conditional Access Changes: A significant technical shift is occurring: Blocking Microsoft Admin Portals via Conditional Access (CA) policies will no longer prevent users from self-installing apps through this new modal.
- Documentation: Any internal company guides or help desk documentation that links directly to the “My account” portal for software downloads will become outdated.
- Management: Admins who allow self-service will see a more streamlined workflow for their users, while those who restrict it must ensure they are using the correct administrative toggles.
Action Required
- Update Internal Links: If your organization allows self-installs, remove direct links to
https://portal.office.com/accountin your internal documentation. Redirect users to the official Microsoft download documentation instead. - Review Blocking Methods: If your organization restricts self-installation, verify that you are using the Microsoft 365 admin center installation options or the
m365AppsInstallationOptionsAPI. - Modify Conditional Access Logic: If you previously relied on Conditional Access “Admin Portal” blocks to prevent software downloads, you must switch to the M365 Admin Center settings mentioned above to maintain the restriction.
- Monitor for Updates: Watch for a follow-up announcement in late January 2026 for specific Targeted Release and General Availability dates.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: planForChange
Severity: normal
Updated December 11, 2025: No new updates on this feature rollout yet. We expect to share a status update by the end of January.
The My account portal will be replaced by a new modal dialog within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office.com) on web and desktop. The new modal will support end user self-installs that are currently available on the My account portal (Office, Project, Visio, and Skype for Business).
[When this will happen:]
Targeted Release: We will communicate via Message center when we are ready to proceed.
General Availability (Worldwide): We will communicate via Message center when we are ready to proceed.
[How this will affect your organization:]
End users will be able to download their apps by accessing the modal dialog in Apps > Install apps > Install Microsoft 365 apps in the Microsoft 365 Copilot web and desktop app.
[What you need to do to prepare:]
If you allow users to self-install apps:
- Please remove direct links to the My account portal (https://portal.office.com/account) in your self-install communications. Instead, please refer your users to the official Microsoft documentation for installing Office (Download, install or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on PC or Mac). This article will be updated to describe the new self-installs experience when it is released.
If you do not allow users to install apps:
- You can continue to use the Microsoft 365 admin center installation options setting or the m365AppsInstallationOptions API to block self-installs. If you already configured these settings, users will still be blocked from installing apps in the new experience.
Blocking Microsoft Admin Portals using Conditional Access Policies will no longer block self-installs. If you have used this setting to block self-installations, you will need to use one of the settings listed above instead.
