check before: 2026-03-01
Product:
Copilot, Copilot Chat, eDiscovery, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Planner, Project, Purview, Purview Communication Compliance, Purview Information Protection
Platform:
Mac, Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant
Status:
Rolling out
Change type:
Updated message, New feature, User impact, Admin impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Starting mid-March 2026, Microsoft Planner's Project Manager agent will be renamed Planner Agent, aligning with Microsoft 365 Copilot branding and expanding to group-based Planner premium and basic plans for licensed users. No functional changes occur; rollout is automatic, with enhanced AI-driven status reporting and task execution features.
Details:
Updated April 2, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
Beginning in mid‑March 2026, Microsoft Planner will update the agent experience to align naming with Microsoft 365 Copilot and expand availability. As part of this update, the Project Manager agent will be renamed to Planner Agent, the Planner Agent icon will be changed to match the Planner icon, and the agent will become available to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license in group-based Planner premium and Planner basic plans.
This update aligns Planner's agent experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot and expands access to Copilot-powered capabilities.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 511820.
[When this will happen]
Targeted Release: Rollout will begin in early to mid-March 2026 and is expected to complete between mid- and late March 2026.
General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in mid‑March 2026 and is expected to complete by early May 2026.
Availability to group-based basic plans: Planner agent will begin rolling out to group-based Planner basic plans starting in mid‑March 2026.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Preview, Targeted Release
Created:
2026-03-17
updated:
2026-04-03
Public Preview Start Date
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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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linked item details
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Renaming of Project Manager Agent to Planner Agent
Users may experience confusion due to the name change, potentially impacting their ability to locate and utilize the agent effectively until they adapt to the new terminology.
- roles: End Users, Helpdesk Staff
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/admin/manage/release-options-in-office-365?view=o365-worldwide
Introduction of AI-driven features
Users may face challenges in adapting to the new AI-driven task execution and status reporting features, leading to a temporary decrease in productivity as they learn to utilize these capabilities effectively.
- roles: End Users, Project Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/ai-m365-copilot#ediscovery-and-ai-interactions
Changes in compliance capabilities
The introduction of new compliance features may lead to confusion regarding data handling and compliance processes, especially for users unfamiliar with the updated functionalities.
- roles: Compliance Officers, IT Administrators
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=511820#Roadmap
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
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Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2026-04-03 | MC Messages | Updated March 13, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] Beginning in mid‑March 2026, Microsoft Planner will update the agent experience to align naming with Microsoft 365 Copilot and expand availability. As part of this update, the Project Manager agent will be renamed to Planner Agent, the Planner Agent icon will be changed to match the Planner icon, and the agent will become available to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license across both Planner premium and Planner basic plans. This update aligns Planner's agent experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot and expands access to Copilot-powered capabilities. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 511820. [When this will happen] Targeted Release: Rollout will begin in early to mid-March 2026 and is expected to complete between mid- and late March 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in mid‑March 2026 and is expected to complete by early May 2026. Availability to basic plans: Planner agent will begin rolling out to Planner basic plans starting in mid‑March 2026. | Updated April 2, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] Beginning in mid‑March 2026, Microsoft Planner will update the agent experience to align naming with Microsoft 365 Copilot and expand availability. As part of this update, the Project Manager agent will be renamed to Planner Agent, the Planner Agent icon will be changed to match the Planner icon, and the agent will become available to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license in group-based Planner premium and Planner basic plans. This update aligns Planner's agent experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot and expands access to Copilot-powered capabilities. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 511820. [When this will happen] Targeted Release: Rollout will begin in early to mid-March 2026 and is expected to complete between mid- and late March 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout will begin in mid‑March 2026 and is expected to complete by early May 2026. Availability to group-based basic plans: Planner agent will begin rolling out to group-based Planner basic plans starting in mid‑March 2026. |
| 2026-04-03 | MC How Affect | Who is affected
Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license Organizations using Planner premium or Planner basic plans Users who previously used the Project Manager agent What will happen The Project Manager agent will be renamed to Planner Agent across Planner interfaces and documentation. There are no functional or behavioral changes associated with this rename. Planner Agent will be available to Microsoft 365 Copilot-licensed users in both premium and basic plans. Planner Agent will remain enabled by default for licensed users where it is available. Existing users will continue to have access to all current capabilities. No action is required. The Planner agent provides: Status reporting: Automated creation and management of status reports based on plan data. Task execution: First‑draft task output generation, progress tracking, and iterative refinement. | Who is affected
Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license Organizations using group-based Planner premium or Planner basic plans Users who previously used the Project Manager agent What will happen The Project Manager agent will be renamed to Planner Agent across Planner interfaces and documentation. There are no functional or behavioral changes associated with this rename. Planner Agent will be available to Microsoft 365 Copilot-licensed users in both group-based premium and group-based basic plans. Planner Agent will remain enabled by default for licensed users where it is available. Existing users will continue to have access to all current capabilities. No action is required. The Planner agent provides: Status reporting: Automated creation and management of status reports based on plan data. Task execution: First‑draft task output generation, progress tracking, and iterative refinement. |
| 2026-04-03 | MC Last Updated | 03/13/2026 21:39:36 | 2026-04-02T18:40:10Z |
| 2026-04-03 | MC prepare | No admin action is required. These updates will roll out automatically.
Admins may optionally: Notify users and helpdesk staff about the rename from Project Manager agent to Planner Agent. Update internal documentation that references the previous agent name. If you want to receive changes earlier, configure Targeted Release for your organization: Set up the Standard or Targeted release options | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn Learn more: Use Microsoft Purview to manage data security & compliance for Microsoft 365 Copilot & Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations] QuestionAnswer Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?Yes. Planner Agent uses existing plan content and related files to generate task outputs and status reports. Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with customer data?Yes. Planner Agent expands access to Microsoft 365 Copilot-powered status reporting and task execution for licensed users across premium and basic plans. Does the change modify, interrupt, or disable any Purview capabilities?Yes (varies by plan). In basic plans, sensitivity labeling and Data Lifecycle Management are supported at release. eDiscovery of grounding files becomes available on April 1, 2026, as outlined in Use Microsoft Purview to manage data security & compliance for Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Until April 1, customers with mandatory eDiscovery requirements may opt out of using Planner Agent using the admin control. In premium plans, these Purview capabilities are not yet supported; they will become available as compliance support expands across plans. Does the change alter how admins can monitor, report on, or demonstrate compliance activities?Yes. Planner Agent supports auditing and tenant admin settings across both plan types. Does the change provide end users a new way of interacting with generative AI?Yes. Users can generate first‑draft task outputs, iterate, refine, and review AI-generated content within Planner. https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/admin/manage/release-options-in-office-365?view=o365-worldwide https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/ai-m365-copilot#ediscovery-and-ai-interactions https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=511820#Roadmap | No admin action is required. These updates will roll out automatically.
Admins may optionally: Notify users and helpdesk staff about the rename from Project Manager agent to Planner Agent. Update internal documentation that references the previous agent name. If you want to receive changes earlier, configure Targeted Release for your organization: Set up the Standard or Targeted release options | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn Learn more: Use Microsoft Purview to manage data security & compliance for Microsoft 365 Copilot & Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Microsoft Learn [Compliance considerations] QuestionAnswer Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?Yes. Planner Agent uses existing plan content and related files to generate task outputs and status reports. Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with customer data?Yes. Planner Agent expands access to Microsoft 365 Copilot-powered status reporting and task execution for licensed users across group-based premium and group-based basic plans. Does the change modify, interrupt, or disable any Purview capabilities?Yes (varies by plan). In basic plans, sensitivity labeling and Data Lifecycle Management are supported at release. eDiscovery of grounding files becomes available on April 1, 2026, as outlined in Use Microsoft Purview to manage data security & compliance for Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Until April 1, customers with mandatory eDiscovery requirements may opt out of using Planner Agent using the admin control. In premium plans, these Purview capabilities are not yet supported; they will become available as compliance support expands across plans. Does the change alter how admins can monitor, report on, or demonstrate compliance activities?Yes. Planner Agent supports auditing and tenant admin settings across both plan types. Does the change provide end users a new way of interacting with generative AI?Yes. Users can generate first‑draft task outputs, iterate, refine, and review AI-generated content within Planner. https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/admin/manage/release-options-in-office-365?view=o365-worldwide https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/ai-m365-copilot#ediscovery-and-ai-interactions https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=511820#Roadmap |
| 2026-04-03 | MC Summary | Starting mid-March 2026, Microsoft Planner’s Project Manager agent will be renamed Planner Agent, aligning with Microsoft 365 Copilot branding and expanding access to users with Copilot licenses on both Planner premium and basic plans. No functional changes occur; rollout is automatic and includes enhanced AI-driven task and status report features. | Starting mid-March 2026, Microsoft Planner's Project Manager agent will be renamed Planner Agent, aligning with Microsoft 365 Copilot branding and expanding to group-based Planner premium and basic plans for licensed users. No functional changes occur; rollout is automatic, with enhanced AI-driven status reporting and task execution features. |
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