Microsoft 365 Updates You Might Have Missed (and How They Could Actually Make Your Work Easier)

Microsoft 365 gets updated more often than most of us realise. And while some updates are behind-the-scenes security tweaks, others can genuinely change how you work - for the better. But let's be honest: unless you live and breathe IT (like we do) or if you're a business owner or operations director, you probably don't), it's easy to miss these changes.

In this blog, we're sharing some of the most useful Microsoft 365 updates from the past few months that we think Greater Manchester businesses should know about - along with a few quick wins you can start using right away.

Why This Matters

If your business is already using Microsoft 365 (and over 90% of UK SMEs are), you're paying for tools that can help you:

• Save time
• Improve collaboration
• Boost security
• Reduce manual admin

But if you don't know about the latest features, you're probably not getting your money's worth.

5 Microsoft 365 Updates That Are Useful for Day-to-Day Work

1. Microsoft Loop (gradually rolling out since early 2025)

Loop is a new way to collaborate across Teams, Outlook, and Word in real-time. It lets your team co-create lists, checklists, and documents live, without switching apps.

📌 Use Case: You're in a Teams meeting and want to brainstorm a to-do list. Use a Loop component to create it directly in the chat - everyone can update on the spot.

2. Teams Town Halls and Webinars Upgrade

Microsoft has merged the old Live Events tools into Teams Town Halls - with more control for organisers, support for large audiences, and custom branding.

📌 Use Case: Running a client webinar or staff update? Town Halls gives a more polished experience than a standard Teams call.

3. Outlook's New 'Delay Send' and Scheduling Tools

You can now delay or schedule emails in the new Outlook more easily - great for avoiding late-night replies or preparing early messages for later delivery.

📌 Use Case: Writing an email at 10:30pm? Schedule it for 8:30am the next day to avoid pressuring colleagues out of hours.

4. Microsoft 365 Copilot (for licensed users)

Copilot is the AI assistant now rolling out across Word, Excel, Teams, and more. It can help you summarise meetings, draft content, find data, and get work done faster.

📌 Use Case: Need a first draft of a report or help analysing sales trends in Excel? Copilot gives you a solid starting point - saving hours.

5. Improved Security Defaults for Admins

Behind the scenes, Microsoft has introduced stronger baseline security defaults for Microsoft 365 accounts - including automated recommendations for multi-factor authentication (MFA), identity protection, and more.

📌 Use Case: Even if you don't have an internal IT manager, Microsoft is quietly tightening security - though it's still worth getting a professional to check your settings.

Are You Using These Features?

Many businesses are sitting on features they've never explored - either because they're new, or because the team was too busy to notice them appear. That's totally understandable, but with the pace of change in 2025, even small tweaks can lead to big productivity boosts and stronger security.

4 Quick Wins You Can Do This Week

1. Schedule a 30-minute Teams training session for your team
2. Test Microsoft Loop in your next meeting
3. Review your Microsoft 365 admin settings (or ask your MSP to)
4. Try scheduling your next 3 emails in Outlook

You don't need to overhaul your systems - just start by trying one or two things.