# Microsoft 365 Targeted release retirement: move to Standard, Deferred or Frontier

> Targeted release retires in January 2027 and assignments freeze in November 2026 (MC1490899). Map your setup to Standard, Deferred and Frontier and configure them in the admin center.

Source: https://www.epifive.com/blog/microsoft-365-targeted-release-retirement-frontier-deferred · Published 2026-11-12 · EpiFive

## Key takeaways

- Microsoft retires Targeted release for Microsoft 365 services in January 2027, and admins can't change Targeted release enrollment from November 2026 (MC1490899).
- After retirement, Standard release delivers features at general availability and Deferred release delays eligible major updates by about 30 days.
- Frontier is a separate opt-in for pre-GA preview features and can be combined with either Standard or Deferred release.
- Microsoft 365 Apps update channels, Windows update channels and Microsoft 365 Insider programs are not affected by this retirement.
- An organization that used Targeted release for a pilot group can keep that pattern by putting the tenant on Deferred release and the pilot group on Standard release.

Microsoft is retiring Targeted release for Microsoft 365 services in January 2027, and from November 2026 admins can no longer add, remove or change Targeted release assignments (Message center post MC1490899). It is replaced by three audiences: **Standard release** (features at general availability, the default), **Deferred release** (eligible major features about 30 days after Standard), and the opt-in **Frontier** program for pre-release features. To prepare, record who is in Targeted release today, then set Standard or Deferred release, and Frontier if you want it, in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

## Who this is for and what you will have

This guide is for Microsoft 365 admins and change managers who used Targeted release to see changes early, or who simply need to confirm what happens to their tenant. At the end you will have:

- A record of your current Targeted release configuration.
- A decision on Standard, Deferred and Frontier for your tenant and pilot groups.
- The settings configured, with security groups for exceptions.
- A plan for Message center triage under the new tags.

## What changes and when

| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7 October 2026 | MC1490899 published, with an act-by date of 31 October 2026. |
| November 2026 | Admins can no longer add users to, remove users from or modify Targeted release enrollment. A unified **Release preferences** experience for Frontier, Standard and Deferred release arrives in the Microsoft 365 admin center, and the current Standard/Deferred page is retired when it does. |
| Until January 2027 | Users and tenants already in Targeted release keep receiving Targeted release features. |
| January 2027 | Targeted release is retired. Its user and tenant assignments are no longer used for feature delivery, and those users follow their Standard, Deferred or Frontier preferences. |

Because this article is published in November 2026, the Targeted release page may already be read-only in your tenant. The Standard, Deferred and Frontier settings are where you act now.

### What's in scope

The change applies to Microsoft 365 services that delivered features through Targeted release: the Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint Online, Outlook on the web, new Outlook for Windows and Office for the web. It doesn't change Microsoft 365 Apps update channels (Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel and so on), Windows update channels or Microsoft 365 Insider programs. Existing services keep working normally; only feature timing changes.

### Government clouds

For GCC, GCC High and DoD, Standard release remains the supported option after the retirement. Deferred release and Frontier aren't currently available in government clouds, so those tenants don't have an early or delayed option to configure.

## The three release audiences

| Audience | Purpose | Feature readiness | Notes for admins |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Frontier** | Early experimentation and feedback | Pre-GA preview, not fully supported | Opt-in. Not governed by GA service level agreements, can change or be discontinued. Admins control which users get which Frontier features and agents. |
| **Standard release** (default) | General availability | Fully supported | Features arrive when they reach GA. Microsoft recommends it for most organizations. |
| **Deferred release** | Extra preparation time | Fully supported, delayed | Eligible major updates arrive about 30 days after the Standard rollout begins. |

A user can be enrolled in Frontier and also be assigned to Standard or Deferred release. Frontier decides pre-GA access for eligible features; Standard or Deferred decides when everything else arrives at GA.

### How Deferred release really works

Deferred release is narrower than it sounds, so check these points against your change process:

- It only delays features tagged in Message center as both **Major update** and **Deferred feature**. Everything else reaches Deferred users on the Standard schedule.
- The 30-day timer starts when the GA rollout to Standard users **begins**, not when it finishes.
- You can't defer individual features. Use per-feature admin controls where Microsoft provides them.
- Some features are deployed at tenant level and can apply to everyone at once, whatever the user's audience.
- Moving users from Standard to Deferred can make features they already have disappear until the Deferred date.
- Deferred release doesn't apply to Frontier features.

### What Frontier involves

Frontier now covers non-AI features too, and Microsoft says a Copilot license isn't required to enroll users. Users only see Frontier features for products they're licensed for: Copilot Frontier features need a Copilot license, Teams Frontier features need a license that includes Teams. Before enrolling production users, read Microsoft's terms on the Frontier page: Frontier experiences are previews that may not have standard support or SLAs, aren't covered by the HIPAA Business Associate Agreement, and don't comply with ISO 27001, ISO 27002 or ISO 27018 requirements. Some may be paid or consume Copilot credits.

## How to check whether you're affected

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with Office Apps Admin, Security Admin or AI Admin. These are the roles Microsoft lists for release options.
2. Go to **Settings** > **Org settings**, open the **Organization profile** tab and select **Release preferences**.
3. Note which option is selected: **Standard release**, **Targeted release for everyone** or **Targeted release for selected users**. If it's selected users, record the user list.

If the page shows Standard release, Targeted release isn't in use and no immediate action is required, though the new audiences are still worth configuring. If the unified Release preferences experience has already replaced this page in your tenant, Microsoft says the Learn articles will be updated with the new navigation; the option names above are the ones documented as of 12 November 2026.

## Map your current setup to the new options

Microsoft publishes this mapping:

| Today | Recommended after retirement |
|---|---|
| **Targeted release for everyone** | **Standard release** if users should get features as soon as they reach GA. **Deferred release** if you need more time for major changes. |
| **Targeted release for selected users** | **Deferred release** for the tenant, with your validation, support and pilot users added as exceptions under **Standard release**. |
| **Standard release for everyone** | No change needed. Standard release is the default. |

The second row is the important one. A pilot group in Targeted release used to see features earlier than everyone else. In the new model the pilot group stays on Standard release and everyone else moves to Deferred, so the pilot still sees eligible major features about 30 days ahead of the rest of the organization.

Make sure the help desk is in the pilot group. Microsoft's Targeted release guidance already recommended that, and it matters more with Deferred release because support staff on Deferred would see changes after the users calling them.

## Step 1: Create security groups for exceptions

Exceptions are users or Microsoft Entra security groups. Create a dedicated security group, for example `Release-Standard-Pilot`, and add your pilot, IT and help desk users. Using a group means later changes happen in Entra rather than in the release settings.

You can add up to 10,000 exceptions. Each user in a security group and each individually added user counts toward the limit. If you add users to a group that is already an exception and the total goes over 10,000, the admin center shows an error and you have to remove some exceptions first.

## Step 2: Set Standard or Deferred release

Microsoft's documented path, as of 12 November 2026:

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, expand **Copilot** in the left navigation and select **Settings**.
2. On the **View all** tab, select **Copilot Release Preferences: General Availability**.
3. Choose **Standard release** or **Deferred release** for the organization.
4. Add exceptions:
   - To put only specific users or groups on Deferred release, select **Standard release** for the organization, then search for and select those users or groups.
   - To put only specific users or groups on Standard release, select **Deferred release** for the organization, then search for and select those users or groups.
5. Select **Save**.

Changes can take up to 24 hours to take effect. Microsoft notes that this page will be replaced by the unified Release preferences experience in November 2026, so the navigation may differ in your tenant; the options themselves stay the same.

## Step 3: Decide on Frontier

If you want a group to try preview features:

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to **Copilot** > **Settings** and select the **View all** tab.
2. Search for "Frontier" in **Search all Copilot settings** and select **Copilot Frontier**.
3. Choose **No access** (the default), **All users**, or **Specific users and groups**, and select your Frontier group.

Frontier features and agents can take about three hours to appear. Frontier agents also need **Agent** > **Settings** > **Agent and plugin access** with **Allow agents and plugins built by Microsoft** checked, and the Frontier control never overrides an agent you turned off in the Agents section. Users already enrolled in Frontier stay enrolled after Targeted release retires.

For most organizations, a small Frontier group of IT and early adopters, separate from the Standard release pilot group, is easier to manage than putting the whole pilot into preview.

## Step 4: Update your change process

- **Message center triage**: Deferred-eligible features are labelled in Message center, and Microsoft added a **Rollout timing** column. Filter for **Major update** items, and note which are tagged **Deferred feature**.
- **Documentation**: replace references to Targeted release in runbooks, onboarding and help desk articles.
- **Communication**: tell change management, support, security and compliance teams, and the pilot group, what their new audience is.
- **Review**: Microsoft recommends adjusting audience assignments over time as readiness changes.

## Test and rollback

There's no way to keep Targeted release after January 2027. What you can test and reverse is the new configuration:

- After saving, wait up to 24 hours, then compare a pilot user and a Deferred user when the next Message center item tagged **Deferred feature** starts rolling out. The pilot user should see it first.
- To roll back a Deferred decision, select **Standard release** again and save. Users on Deferred catch up to the Standard schedule; users moved the other way may temporarily lose features they had.
- To remove someone from Frontier, take them out of the Frontier group or set **Copilot Frontier** to **No access**.

Microsoft doesn't document a PowerShell or Microsoft Graph method for these release preferences in the pages reviewed here, so plan to manage them in the admin center.

## Checklist

- Recorded the current Targeted release option and user list.
- Created security groups for Standard release exceptions and for Frontier.
- Set the organization to Standard or Deferred release, with exceptions, and saved.
- Decided on Frontier and reviewed its preview terms with compliance.
- Help desk placed in the early group.
- Runbooks and Message center triage updated.
- Government cloud tenants: confirmed Standard release is the only option and no action is needed.

For related admin-side planning, see [Microsoft 365 Copilot license assignment checklist](https://www.epifive.com/blog/microsoft-365-copilot-license-assignment-checklist).

## What we checked

- Opened MC1490899 on mc.merill.net on 2026-11-12: published 7 October 2026, act-by 31 October 2026, November 2026 freeze and January 2027 retirement, plus the three admin center paths.
- Read "Plan for the retirement of Targeted release" on Microsoft Learn (dated 2026-10-07) and copied the mapping table, the scope list of services and the government cloud note.
- Cross-checked the Standard/Deferred steps, the 10,000 exception limit, the 24-hour delay and the required roles on "Configure new Standard and Deferred release options" (dated 2026-11-03).
- Confirmed in the release options FAQ (dated 2026-11-03) that the 30-day timer starts when the Standard rollout begins, that only features tagged **Major update** and **Deferred feature** are deferred, and that Microsoft won't change release preferences automatically.
- Copied the **Release preferences** option names and path from the older "Set up the Standard or Targeted release options" page (dated 2026-11-03), which also says unconfigured Targeted release users default to Standard release.
- Checked the Frontier enrollment steps, license note and compliance limitations on "Get started with the Microsoft Frontier Program" (updated 2026-11-04).
- Not tested on a live tenant: the unified Release preferences experience arriving in November 2026 may change the menu paths. Steps follow Microsoft's documentation as of 2026-11-12.

Last tested: 2026-11-12

## References

- MC1490899, Microsoft 365: Targeted Release retirement (Message center mirror): https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1490899
- Plan for the retirement of Targeted release in Microsoft 365: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/targeted-release-retirement
- Configure new Standard and Deferred release options for Microsoft 365: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/configure-release-options
- Frequently asked questions about modern release options for Microsoft 365: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/release-options-faq
- Set up the Standard or Targeted release options: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/release-options-in-office-365
- Get started with the Microsoft Frontier Program: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/get-started-frontier

## Frequently asked questions

### When is Targeted release retired in Microsoft 365?

Microsoft retires Targeted release for Microsoft 365 services in January 2027. In November 2026 admins can no longer add users to, remove users from or modify Targeted release enrollment. The change was announced in Message center post MC1490899 on 7 October 2026.

### What happens to my Targeted release users if I do nothing?

They keep receiving Targeted release features until the retirement, then follow your general availability release preference, Standard release or Deferred release. If you never configured that preference, the default is Standard release. Microsoft won't change your release preference settings for you.

### Does this affect Microsoft 365 Apps update channels like Current Channel?

No. The retirement covers services such as Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook on the web, new Outlook for Windows, Office for the web and the Microsoft 365 admin center. Microsoft 365 Apps update channels, Windows update channels and the Microsoft 365 Insider programs aren't affected.

### Is Frontier the replacement for Targeted release?

Not exactly. Targeted release gave early access within general availability. Frontier gives opt-in access to preview features before general availability, which aren't covered by GA service level agreements. After the retirement, Standard and Deferred release control timing at general availability, and Frontier is a separate opt-in.

### Is Deferred release available in GCC or GCC High?

Not currently. Microsoft says Standard release remains the supported option for GCC, GCC High and DoD after Targeted release retires, and that Deferred release and Frontier aren't available in government clouds yet.