MC1169069 – Viva Engage: Retirement of Viva Engage Desktop Notifications

Product:

Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Viva Engage, Outlook, Teams

Platform:

Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

User impact, Retirement

Links:

Details:

Summary:
Microsoft is retiring Viva Engage desktop notifications by mid-November 2025 to streamline notifications across Microsoft 365. Desktop push notifications and related settings will be removed. Users will still receive notifications via Viva Engage in-app, Teams, and Outlook. No admin action is needed; inform users accordingly.

Details:
[Introduction]
To simplify and streamline notification experiences across Microsoft 365, Microsoft is retiring the desktop notification capability in Viva Engage. This change helps reduce redundancy and ensures consistency across supported channels such as Teams, Outlook, and Viva Engage in-app notifications. It also affects how users receive @mention and community announcement notifications on desktop.
[When this will happen:]
This change will roll out automatically by mid-November 2025.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2025-10-10

updated:
2025-10-10

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS How does it affect me

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Retirement of Desktop Notifications
Users will no longer receive @mention and community announcement notifications via desktop push, leading to potential delays in communication and response times.
   - roles: End Users, Tenant Admins
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/announcing-the-retirement-of-viva-engage-desktop-notifications/ba-p/3851230

Increased Reliance on Alternative Notification Channels
Users will need to adapt to receiving notifications through Teams and Outlook, which may lead to confusion and missed alerts if not properly communicated.
   - roles: End Users, IT Support
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/announcing-the-retirement-of-viva-engage-desktop-notifications/ba-p/3851230

Need for User Education and Documentation Updates
Internal documentation will need to be updated to reflect the removal of desktop notifications, requiring time and resources to ensure users are informed.
   - roles: Tenant Admins, Content Managers
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/announcing-the-retirement-of-viva-engage-desktop-notifications/ba-p/3851230

Configutation Options**

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Potentional Risks**

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IT Security**

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explanation for non-techies**

Imagine you're managing a large office building. Previously, you had a separate notification system for each floor to inform employees about important updates or announcements. This system was useful but also created a lot of overlap and sometimes confusion because employees would receive the same message multiple times from different sources.

Now, think of Microsoft Viva Engage as one of those notification systems. Microsoft has decided to retire the desktop notification feature of Viva Engage, much like deciding to turn off the individual floor notification systems. Instead, they're encouraging everyone to use a more centralized system that works throughout the entire building, like a main intercom system. In this case, the main intercom system is represented by Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and the Viva Engage app itself.

By focusing on these centralized channels, Microsoft aims to streamline how notifications are delivered, ensuring that everyone receives the same message without redundancy. Users will still get all the important updates and alerts, just through a more consistent and unified system. This means that while the desktop notifications for Viva Engage will no longer pop up, users can still stay informed through the other channels.

For those who manage these systems, there's no need to make any changes or adjustments. The transition will happen automatically, and the focus should be on informing users about the change. It's like telling everyone in the building that they should now listen to the main intercom for announcements instead of relying on the floor-specific systems. Updating any internal guides or instructions that mention the old notification method would also be a good idea to ensure everyone is on the same page.