Deep Dive into Microsoft Teams Update Policies: A Practical Example
Microsoft Teams is updated frequently with new features that help organizations improve collaboration. But not every feature is released to all users immediately. Microsoft provides a Public Preview program that allows selected users to test upcoming features before they reach general availability.
As an administrator, you control who can access these preview features through Teams update policies. In this blog, we’ll explore how update policies work using a practical example where users in different departments receive different levels of access.
What Are Teams Update Policies?
Teams update policies define whether users:
- Can access Public Preview features in the Teams client.
- Must follow Office Preview settings (if applied globally).
- Are restricted from preview features completely.
Administrators can:
- Use the Global (Org-wide default) policy.
- Create custom policies and assign them to departments or users.
This flexibility allows IT to pilot new features with a smaller group of users before rolling them out company-wide.
Example Company Setup
Your organization has three users in different departments:
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| User1 | HR |
| User2 | IT |
| User3 | Production |
Teams Update Policies Configured
| Policy Name | Allow Public Preview |
|---|---|
| Global (Org-wide default) | Follow Office Preview |
| Policy1 | Not enabled |
| Policy2 | Enabled |
Policy Assignments by Department
| Teams Update Policy | Department |
|---|---|
| Policy1 | HR |
| Policy2 | IT |
👉 Departments without an explicit assignment (like Production) fall back to the Global policy.
Step-by-Step Analysis
🔹 User1 (HR Department)
- Assigned Policy1.
- Policy1 has “Allow Public Preview” set to Not enabled.
- This means User1 cannot enable preview features in their Teams client, even if Office Preview is enabled.
✅ Result: No access to Teams Public Preview.
🔹 User2 (IT Department)
- Assigned Policy2.
- Policy2 has “Allow Public Preview” set to Enabled.
- This means User2 can toggle public preview features directly in the Teams client.
✅ Result: Yes, access to Teams Public Preview.
🔹 User3 (Production Department)
- No explicit departmental policy assigned.
- Defaults to Global (Org-wide default).
- The Global policy is set to Follow Office Preview.
- This means:
- If the user is enrolled in Office Preview, they will see Teams preview features.
- If not enrolled, they won’t.
✅ Result: Yes, access — but conditional on Office Preview enrollment.
Final Results
| User | Department | Policy Applied | Access to Teams Public Preview? |
|---|---|---|---|
| User1 | HR | Policy1 | ❌ No |
| User2 | IT | Policy2 | ✅ Yes |
| User3 | Production | Global (Default) | ✅ Yes (if Office Preview is enabled) |
Why This Matters for Admins
- Controlled Rollouts: IT teams can test new Teams features with IT staff before exposing them to the wider organization.
- Risk Management: Features can be validated for compatibility with business processes.
- Flexibility: Some departments (like HR in this case) may remain stable without access to experimental features.
Exam Tip (MS-700)
On the Managing Microsoft Teams (MS-700) exam, scenarios like this often appear in hotspot questions. Key things to remember:
- Custom policies override Global defaults.
- Global policy applies when no specific policy is assigned.
- “Follow Office Preview” means user enrollment in Office Preview determines access.
✅ Key Takeaway:
If you need certain users to test Teams features early, assign them an update policy with Public Preview enabled. Others can stay on the Global default or have preview disabled entirely.
