💡 Our Technical Review in summary
- Microsoft is introducing rule-based management for Microsoft 365 certified third-party applications within the Teams admin center.
- This feature, associated with Roadmap ID 485712, allows administrators to bulk-manage the availability of trusted SaaS applications based on specific security and metadata criteria.
- The rollout has been updated to align with MC796790, with a revised timeline beginning in mid-March 2026 and reaching completion by the end of March 2026.
- The core objective is to provide a scalable way to automate the availability of apps that meet an organization’s security standards without manual per-app intervention.
#### Impact
- Centralized Governance: Administrators gain a new control point in the Org-wide app settings to manage Microsoft 365 certified apps collectively rather than individually.
- Granular Control: Availability can be automated based on specific rules, such as the app publisher’s name or the specific permissions requested by the application.
- No Immediate Disruption: This feature will be disabled by default. No existing tenant-wide settings or app statuses will change unless an administrator proactively configures the new rules.
- Security Enhancement: By filtering apps based on permissions, admins can ensure that only apps with acceptable data-access levels are made available to the user base.
#### Action Required
- Review Configuration: Assess your current third-party app governance strategy to determine if rule-based automation aligns with your security policies.
- Locate the Setting: After the rollout in March 2026, navigate to the Teams admin center > Manage apps > Actions > Org-wide app settings > Microsoft 365 certified apps to view the new controls.
- Define Rules: If you plan to enable the feature, identify the trusted publishers and acceptable permission scopes that will define your “allow” rules.
- Update Documentation: Update internal IT SOPs or user-facing documentation regarding how third-party apps are vetted and made available within your organization.
- Monitor Related Updates: Reference MC796790 as this feature is now bundled with the updates mentioned in that communication.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: planForChange
Severity: normal
Updated January 14, 2026: We have updated the timeline. This feature will now be included as part of another update referenced in MC796790. Administrators will gain the ability to manage Microsoft 365 certified SaaS applications through org-wide settings for third-party apps. No changes will be applied to tenant-wide settings unless initiated by an administrator. Thank you for your patience.
This feature will empower administrators to manage the availability of trusted Microsoft Teams apps based on rules, for enhanced security. Admins will be able to manage Microsoft 365 certified apps in the Teams admin center through a new control in Org-wide settings. You can further customize the availability of these apps based on permissions accessed and publisher names. The system automatically checks the Microsoft 365 certified apps that meet all the conditions you specify and makes those apps available.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 485712.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-March 2026 (previously mid-February) and expect to complete by end of March 2026 (previously late February).
[How this will affect your organization:]
Before this rollout, you cannot manage at bulk the availability of Microsoft 365 certified apps. They are only controlled by third-party app tenant settings.
After this rollout, you can manage Microsoft 365 certified apps availability from org-wide settings in the Teams admin center at Manage apps > Actions > Org-wide app settings > Microsoft 365 certified apps.
You can configure additional criteria from the Customize availability option:
[What you need to do to prepare:]
This rollout will happen automatically by the specified dates with no admin action required before or after the rollout. Review your current configuration to assess the impact on your organization. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation. This new control will be disabled by default.
Learn more: Manage org-wide app settings in Manage your apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout)
