Microsoft is making Microsoft Teams safer by default. Beginning January 12, 2026, the platform will automatically apply new messaging safety protections for organizations that are still using standard Teams settings.
This update is designed to close common security gaps that exist when messaging controls are left unchanged. Instead of relying on administrators to manually turn on protections, Microsoft is shifting responsibility to the platform itself.
The changes focus on how messages, links, and files are handled inside Teams. Certain file types that are often abused by attackers will no longer be allowed to pass through chats.
Links shared in conversations will be checked as they are posted, helping stop phishing attempts before users can interact with them. Microsoft is also adding a feedback option so users can report incorrect security blocks.
Only tenants using the default configuration will see these changes. Organizations that have already adjusted their messaging safety settings will continue using their existing setup without disruption.
Users may notice that some messages now include warnings, especially when links appear suspicious. In other cases, file sharing may be blocked entirely if the file type is considered risky.
These actions are meant to prevent harm, not interrupt daily work.Administrators who want to control how these protections behave should review their Teams settings ahead of the rollout.
If no changes are made before the January 2026 deadline, the new protections will activate automatically.
Microsoft’s goal is to reduce the growing misuse of collaboration tools for phishing and malware spread, making Teams a harder target by default rather than relying on manual security tuning.
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