💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- Microsoft is transitioning Whiteboard storage from Azure to OneDrive for Business (Roadmap ID 117394) to align with enterprise-grade security and compliance standards.
- The migration is “user-initiated,” meaning the process begins automatically when a user opens a supported Whiteboard client (Windows, Teams, or Web).
- Azure-based storage is scheduled for full deprecation in February 2026, after which any unmigrated boards will be permanently inaccessible.
Impact
- User Experience: Migration is non-blocking. Once complete, boards appear in the standard OneDrive list. Boards that fail to migrate will be isolated in a “Not migrated” section in the board picker.
- Data Governance: Whiteboard data will now reside within the SharePoint-based infrastructure, allowing it to be managed via standard OneDrive retention policies and deletion workflows.
- Data Retention: Following a successful migration, the original Azure-stored versions of the boards will be permanently deleted after 90 days.
- Final Deadline: Support for Azure storage ends in February 2026. Organizations that have not migrated by this date will lose access to legacy Whiteboard data.
Action Required
- User Communication: Encourage all employees to launch the Whiteboard app (Web, Windows, or Teams) at least once before February 2026 to trigger their individual migrations.
- Admin Monitoring: Utilize the latest
WhiteboardAdminPowerShell module to monitor migration status and identify specific users who still have data residing in Azure storage. - Validation Period: Advise users to validate their migrated content immediately. Technical issues or data discrepancies must be reported within 90 days of the migration completion while the Azure source data still exists.
- Policy Review: Update internal documentation and compliance settings to reflect that Whiteboards are now stored in OneDrive and subject to SharePoint-based data handling rules.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: preventOrFixIssue
Severity: normal
Updated September 12, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
Introduction
The migration of Microsoft Whiteboard storage from Azure to OneDrive has begun and will reach all tenants by the end of August 2025. This change enhances data accessibility, security, and compliance by aligning Whiteboard storage with OneDrive’s enterprise-grade capabilities.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 117394.
When this will happen
- General Availability (Worldwide): Began in late February 2024
- Full tenant flighting: Expected by end of August 2025 – Completed
- Azure storage deprecation: February 2026
How this affects your organization
- Any user who launches an eligible Whiteboard client (Windows app, Microsoft Teams desktop/web, or web app) will automatically initiate a non-blocking migration of their Azure-stored whiteboards to OneDrive.
- Once migration is complete, users will see their boards listed under OneDrive. Boards that fail to migrate will appear in a separate Not migrated section in the board picker.
- Following full flighting, we aim to continue supporting the migration experience for an additional six months. After February 2026, Azure-backed whiteboards that have not been migrated will no longer be accessible, as support for Azure board storage will be discontinued.
Users are strongly encouraged to complete their OneDrive migration by February 2026 to retain access to their whiteboards.
What you can do to prepare
Actions for users:
- Open the Whiteboard app to check if migration has started.
- Allow migration to complete and validate board contents.
- If any issues are found, please report them within 90 days of migration completion. After this period, migrated Azure-stored boards will be permanently deleted.
Action item for Admins:
- Use the latest PowerShell cmdlets to monitor migration status and identify users whose boards remain in Azure.
- Encourage users to open the Whiteboard app to initiate migration.
Refer to:
- Migration of Whiteboards from Azure to OneDrive: for detailed guidance
- WhiteboardAdmin Module: for help with Powershell cmdlets
Compliance considerations
| Compliance Area | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Data storage location | Whiteboard data is moved from Azure to OneDrive, changing the storage location to OneDrive’s SharePoint-based infrastructure. |
| Existing data processing | Migration alters how existing Whiteboard data is stored and accessed, transitioning from Azure to OneDrive. |
| Admin monitoring/reporting | Admins can monitor migration status using PowerShell cmdlets via the WhiteboardAdmin module. |
| Retention policies and deletion workflows | Post-migration, boards are subject to OneDrive retention and deletion policies. Azure-stored boards will be permanently deleted after 90 days. |
