check before: 2026-01-01
Product:
Entra, Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft 365 Apps, Teams
Platform:
Online, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
New feature, Admin impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft Teams will introduce a new Teams External Collaboration Administrator RBAC role by mid-February 2026, allowing admins to manage external collaboration settings via PowerShell without full Teams admin rights. Global admins can assign this role through Microsoft Entra or Microsoft 365 admin centers. No prior action is needed.
Details:
[Introduction]
We're excited to announce the rollout of a new built-in role-based access control (RBAC) role in the Microsoft Teams admin center called Teams External Collaboration Administrator. This role provides targeted administrative capabilities for managing external collaboration settings (Federation) in Teams, enabling organizations to delegate responsibilities securely without granting full Teams admin permissions.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late January 2026 and expect to complete by mid-February 2026.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2026-01-08
updated:
2026-01-08
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Increased Risk of Misconfiguration
Without proper preparation, the introduction of the new Teams External Collaboration Administrator role may lead to misconfigurations in external collaboration settings, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
- roles: Global Admins, IT Security Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/permissions-reference, https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/using-admin-roles
User Experience Disruption
If the new role is not communicated effectively, users may experience disruptions in their ability to collaborate with external partners, leading to frustration and decreased productivity.
- roles: End Users, Collaboration Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/permissions-reference, https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/using-admin-roles
Configutation Options**
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IT Security**
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explanation for non-techies**
Microsoft Teams is introducing a new role called the Teams External Collaboration Administrator. Think of this role like a specialized key that only opens certain doors in a building. In this case, the building is Microsoft Teams, and the doors are the settings related to external collaboration, such as allowing or disallowing communication with users outside your organization.
Currently, to manage these settings, you might need a key that opens all the doors (full admin rights), which can be risky if you only need to adjust a few specific settings. This new role acts like a master key that only works on the external collaboration doors, allowing someone to manage these specific settings without having access to everything else.
This change is beneficial for organizations that want to delegate specific tasks without giving away full control. It’s like letting someone into your house to water the plants while you're away, without giving them access to your entire home.
Global admins, who are like the property managers of your organization's IT environment, can assign this new role. They can do this through Microsoft Entra or the Microsoft 365 admin centers, which are like the control panels for managing access and permissions.
This update will roll out automatically between late January and mid-February 2026, so there's no need for immediate action. However, it's a good idea to inform your global admins about this new role and update any internal guides or training materials to include this information. This way, everyone knows who has the keys to what, ensuring smooth and secure operations.
** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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