Overview of cloud update

Important

Cloud update in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center is being updated with new features and improvements. This article reflects the updated experience. Some features are rolling out gradually and might not be available in all tenants right away. If a feature isn’t available in your tenant, use the guidance provided in the relevant section.

Cloud update is a cloud-based update management experience for Microsoft 365 Apps. It enables organizations to manage update channels, control their rollout, monitor progress, and respond to issues across their environment. Cloud update is the recommended solution for managing updates for Microsoft 365 Apps. It helps organizations stay current, reduce update complexity, and support Copilot readiness with less administrative effort.

Benefits of cloud update

Cloud update provides these benefits over traditional update management tools:

  • Improved update compliance: Cloud update improves update compliance for Microsoft 365 Apps compared with traditional update tools. Guided setup, recommended policies, and cloud-based orchestration help more devices receive the latest security, quality, and feature updates with each update release.
  • Broader device reach: Traditional update tools often require devices to be joined to a directory service or enrolled in a management platform. Cloud update can manage Microsoft 365 Apps on devices that are signed in by a Microsoft Entra user from your tenant, regardless of directory membership or management type. This includes support for bring your own device (BYOD) and other personal device scenarios.
  • Consistent update management: Cloud update takes priority over other management tools, helping to reduce conflicts and ensure devices follow one update management path for Microsoft 365 Apps.
  • Cloud-based management: Cloud update doesn't require on-premises infrastructure. Devices will receive updates from the cloud as long as they have access to the required Microsoft endpoints.
  • Update with confidence: Cloud update provides tools to help you roll out updates consistently and reliably. If issues do occur, you can use capabilities such as pause and rollback to quickly restore users to a working state while those issues get resolved.
  • Simplified channel management: Cloud update makes it easy to move users or devices between update channels using channel profiles. Assign the Microsoft Entra groups you need to move, or use built-in channel groups to migrate in bulk.

Features and capabilities

Note

The new profile assignment and channel experience is rolling out gradually and might not be available in your tenant right away. If this experience isn’t available in your tenant, see Channel to profile mapping and Switch device update channel for profile assignment and channel management.

Feature Profile availability Description
Profiles Current
Monthly Enterprise		 Profiles define the update settings and rollout plan for Microsoft 365 Apps updates.
Channel management Current
Monthly Enterprise		 Update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps are assigned by the cloud update profile, simplifying channel management.
Rollout waves Monthly Enterprise Rollout waves let you control the order in which devices receive updates.
Update progress Current
Monthly Enterprise		 Track update rollout progress across devices, including devices that haven't started, are in progress, completed successfully, or failed.
Update health Current
Monthly Enterprise		 Identify update issues and review aggregated reporting for update failures.
Exclusion windows Monthly Enterprise Exclusion windows stop update activity during defined time periods.
Pause Monthly Enterprise Pause stops update actions for a profile until an admin resumes.
Rollback Monthly Enterprise Rollback enables you to quickly return a device to a previous version.
Exclusions Current
Monthly Enterprise		 Exclusions enable you to block cloud update management for select devices.

Stay informed

Use these resources to stay informed about cloud update health and changes.

Send feedback

Use these resources to submit feedback or report issues.

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