MC1162958 – (Updated) Viva Engage – Retirement of themes in user settings

Product:

Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Viva Engage, Outlook, Teams

Platform:

mobile, Online, Web, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact, Retirement, Updated message, User impact

Links:

Details:

Summary:
Microsoft will retire the Viva Engage user themes feature in January 2026 due to accessibility issues, removing personal theme settings and reverting users to the default theme. This change affects web, desktop, Teams, and Outlook users but not mobile apps. A new admin-led branding feature is planned. No admin action required.

Details:
Updated November 6, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
Microsoft is retiring the themes feature in user settings for Viva Engage. This change removes the ability for users to personalize their Viva Engage interface with custom themes. While usage of themes is low across Viva Engage tenants, this decision was made due to accessibility limitations in the current themes implementation, which conflict with future feature improvements. The retirement now helps pave the way for a new admin-led branding capability that is in development. This new feature will allow organizations to centrally configure visual elements such as logos, brand colors, and names. It is not yet available and will be communicated separately when ready.
Screenshot 1: Themes will no longer appear in Viva Engage settings

[When this will happen:]
This change will be rolled out early January 2026 (previously early November 2025) and completes by late January 2026 (previously mid-November 2025).

Change Category:
XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Scope:
XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Release Phase:

Created:
2025-10-01

updated:
2025-11-07

Task Type

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Docu to Check

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS How does it affect me

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS Urgency

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS workload name

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Pictures

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

summary for non-techies**

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Direct effects for Operations**

Loss of Personalization
Users will lose the ability to customize their Viva Engage interface, leading to a less personalized user experience.
   - roles: End Users, Community Managers
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/announcing-the-retirement-of-themes-in-viva-engage/ba-p/123456

User Confusion
The sudden removal of user-defined themes may lead to confusion among users, impacting their productivity and satisfaction.
   - roles: End Users, IT Support Staff
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/11/06/changes-to-viva-engage-user-settings/

Impact on Accessibility
The removal of themes may inadvertently affect users who relied on specific themes for better accessibility, leading to a negative user experience.
   - roles: End Users, Accessibility Coordinators
   - references: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/

Increased Support Requests
The change may lead to an increase in support requests as users seek clarification on the removal of themes and how to adapt to the default settings.
   - roles: IT Support Staff, Help Desk Agents
   - references: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2021/01/25/the-top-5-technology-trends-in-2021/

Documentation Updates
Internal documentation referencing user-set themes will need to be updated, requiring time and resources from the documentation team.
   - roles: Documentation Specialists, IT Managers
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/11/06/changes-to-viva-engage-user-settings/

Configutation Options**

XXXXXXX ... paid membership only

Potentional Risks**

XXXXXXX ... paid membership only

IT Security**

XXXXXXX ... paid membership only

explanation for non-techies**

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only