Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly: Countdown timers in Teams, spellcheck in Outlook and more

It's been a while since we've done one of these, but the Microsoft 365 roadmap site never sleeps. This week brings several notable updates, especially for Teams users, with a significant number of features targeting a July 2025 general availability.

First up, Teams meetings are set to become a bit more intelligent. Copilot within these meetings will soon gain the ability to search the web and also analyze your work files and contacts. This enhancement is slated for general availability in July 2025. Speaking of meeting efficiency, for those sessions that stretch endlessly, a new countdown timer is also coming to Teams meetings in July. Any participant can initiate a timer, and its colors will change as zero hour approaches.

Accessibility in Teams meetings is also receiving a significant and much-needed improvement for sign language users. By July, interpreters will be clearly identified, and deaf or hard-of-hearing participants using sign language will be automatically spotlighted as active speakers, ensuring their contributions are seen alongside spoken ones.

For organizations with specific jargon, tenant administrators will be able to upload a Custom Dictionary through the M365 Admin Portal by July. This should improve the accuracy of Teams meeting transcripts and Copilot's understanding of company-specific terms.

Beyond meetings, Teams users on mobile are not forgotten. Next month should see the arrival of custom ringtones and the ability to set specific alert behaviors for assigned line keys. Then, in July, Copilot support will extend to 1:1 and group calls on Teams phone devices, alongside intelligent suggestions for call transfers based on your recent activity. For those of us who juggle multiple chats and apps, the ability to open Teams' apps like Chat and Calls in separate windows, also slated for July.

Finally, Outlook gets a couple of updates. Automatic spellcheck and grammar assistance, core Editor functions, are finally rolling out in next month. It's a bit surprising this was not standard already, but its arrival is welcome. Users will also find it easier to insert graphics like emoji and stock photos from the ribbon, an update planned for July. Microsoft is also making it easier to "keep your inbox clean," so soon, when you report an email as junk, you may also get an option to unsubscribe. This feature is set to begin rolling out next month as well.

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