What’s new for SharePoint – February 2025

By João Ferreira Mar 3, 2025 What's new 0 Comments

In February 2025, Microsoft made some big announcements for SharePoint, and it looks like they’re doing a bit of spring cleaning. They’re retiring some of the less-used features and bringing in new ones to make the platform even better.

On the chopping block are the SharePoint Spaces, the EEEU sharing permission from the root web and default document library in OneDrive, the ability to create personal pages from SharePoint “start”, and the “Shared with Us” feature in SharePoint Teams sites. But it’s not all about saying goodbye – there are some exciting new features too! Users can now create their own cards in Viva Connections, enjoy updates to Microsoft Lists forms in SharePoint Online, use the new Republish feature in Viva Amplify, and check out the new News feature in Microsoft Teams for Viva Connections.

What is new for SharePoint as a platform

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Microsoft SharePoint: Updated document libraries

Coming soon to Microsoft SharePoint: We will update the document library experience to improve its overall performance and enhance the functionality of Edit in grid view.

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Microsoft Viva: Viva Learning – SharePoint results integration in Viva Learning Search

Users will be able to discover relevant internal SharePoint content seamlessly while searching within Viva Learning, ensuring they have access to all pertinent resources in one place.

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Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Developers building agents in Azure AI Foundry can ground their agent in files stored in SharePoint

Tenant Graph grounding provides grounding for agents with relevant information from Microsoft Graph, including files stored in SharePoint. This capability is now available to developers building agents in Azure AI Foundry.

Microsoft Viva Connections: New user-created cards

Employees will soon be able to create their own link cards that connect to other tools and destinations on the Microsoft Viva Connections dashboard.

OneDrive: Upcoming change to shared folder experience in Microsoft OneDrive

With this feature update, when a user clicks a link to a shared folder from Teams chat, channels, email, or other places, they will navigate to the shared folder within the People view of their own OneDrive. This new view, organized by people, will show and allow access to all the files and folders that have been shared with the user.

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Microsoft Purview | Data Lifecycle Management: Retention based on “last accessed” for OneDrive and SharePoint files

Coming soon for Microsoft Purview | Data Lifecycle Management: Admins will be able to apply a retention policy or retention label in Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft SharePoint for files that have not been accessed by anyone in your organization for a specified period of time. This message applies to retention for Microsoft 365 file types. We will support other file types (non-Microsoft 365) in a future rollout.

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Microsoft SharePoint: We will retire the “My Feed” web part

On March 12, 2025, we will remove the My Feed web part from the toolbox in the edit page experience in Microsoft SharePoint. Site editors will not be able to add a My Feed web part to a site after this date.

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Microsoft SharePoint: The “spaces” feature will retire

Due to limited usage and our focus on investing in Microsoft Mesh where immersive 3D content can be created and experienced in a multi-user collaborative experience, we will retire the spaces feature from Microsoft SharePoint Online starting March 10, 2025 and ending August 11, 2025. As another alternative, you may choose to transition some existing content to SharePoint Pages.

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Microsoft Copilot Studio – Add SharePoint as a knowledge source

We are announcing the SharePoint as a knowledge source for generative answers feature. When a user asks a question and the agent doesn’t have a topic to use for an answer, this feature allows the agent to search the SharePoint URL and all subpaths, and generative answers will summarize this content into a targeted response. This feature will reach general availability on February 28, 2025.

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SharePoint Online: Enhancements to the Text web part

The Text web part in SharePoint Online allows users to add normal text, tables, and paragraphs to a SharePoint site page. It provides various formatting options such as bullets, styles, indentations, links, and highlighting. To use the Text web part, go to edit mode, select the circled plus (+) icon, choose Text from the web part toolbox, and enter your desired text in the Text field.

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SharePoint Online: Updates to Microsoft Lists forms

SharePoint Online is updating Microsoft Lists forms to include new features such as notifications, form scheduling, conditional branching, quick form creation, and additional field-type support. The rollout begins in January 2025 for Targeted Release and mid-February 2025 for General Availability, completing by late March 2025. No admin action is required.

SharePoint: Edit SharePoint site’s built-in agent

Allows the built in SharePoint agent to be edited without having to create a new agent for the site.

SharePoint: Agent usage statistics per SharePoint site

SharePoint agents’ usage statistics will be available for every SharePoint site. This will be available on the site analytics page for the site owner persona. This will also include analytics on how many times source files are cited.

SharePoint: Share site’s built-in agent

Allows the built in SharePoint agent on a site to be shared and used in Teams.

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SharePoint: SharePoint agents are available in Teams app Store

You can find and add SharePoint agents from the Teams app Store.

SharePoint: SharePoint Agents in Teams Channels

SharePoint agents can be used in a Teams Channel similar to how they can be used in a Teams Group Chat.

SharePoint: Add multiple SharePoint agents in Teams chats and meetings

Users can include more than one SharePoint agent as a participant in a Teams chat or meeting.

SharePoint: SharePoint agents in Teams Mobile

Use SharePoint agents in Teams Mobile group chats and meetings.

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SharePoint: Microsoft 365 Archive file-level archiving

This introduces archiving at the file level for Microsoft 365 Archive.

SharePoint: Chat one-on-one with SharePoint agents in Teams

Users can chat one-on-one with a SharePoint agent directly within Teams chat.

SharePoint: Card animation

Card animation will enable motion for web parts on Pages and News.

OneDrive: Annotate with Apple Pencil Experience on OneDrive for iOS

Coming soon to Microsoft OneDrive: OneDrive iOS users will be able to use Apple original pencil toolkit to create, edit, and manage PDF annotations. This integration will provide users with advanced, low-latency tools that align with Apple Pencil experience, making it easier and more enjoyable for iOS users to annotate PDFs within OneDrive.

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Microsoft Viva: Introducing the New Republish Feature in Viva Amplify

We’re excited to launch Republish, a new feature that keeps your content fresh, extends its reach, and maximizes engagement across SharePoint, Viva Engage, Outlook, and Teams. Update existing published content in a few clicks, re-share key messages to new audiences or channels, correct errors and refine your messaging —all without starting from scratch. Republish in Viva Amplify makes content management effortless.

Microsoft Viva: Viva Amplify – Additional Teams publishing capabilities (also for frontline workers)

You will be able to publish your messages to any Teams channel and to frontline workers through Teams channels using our new Amplify communicator in Teams. To iterate on this, we are also working on publishing to 1:1 chat.

OneDrive: Protect PDF with Password on OneDrive for Web

With this capability, OneDrive web users can protect their PDF files with User Password and Owner Password. The User Password is required to open and view a PDF file. The Owner Password is used to set permissions on a PDF file, such as grant permissions on printing, copying, or modifying the content.

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Microsoft Viva: Viva Amplify – Audience breakdown tooltip

Amplify reports will provide a breakdown of the channels shown in the Unique viewers card. The tool tip will show the top 5 channel audiences and their contribution to the overall numbers for each publication channel presented in the report.

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Microsoft Purview | Information Protection: On-demand classification of files in SharePoint and OneDrive for business

Microsoft Purview is introducing on-demand classification of files in SharePoint and OneDrive, allowing discovery and classification of sensitive historical data. This pay-as-you-go feature will roll out in public preview from late March to early April 2025 and be generally available by late June 2025. Admins can configure this feature, which will automatically apply relevant policies. No immediate action is required from admins before the rollout.

Microsoft OneDrive: We will remove the EEEU sharing permission from root web and default document library

Microsoft OneDrive will remove the EEEU sharing permission from the root web and default document library between April 10, 2025, and September 30, 2025, to prevent inadvertent data oversharing. Users, processes, and apps with direct permissions will retain access. No admin action is required; notify users and update documentation.

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Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Copilot uses enterprise assets hosted on SharePoint OAL when creating presentations with Copilot

Once you integrate your organization’s assets into a Sharepoint OAL (Organization Asset Library) you will be able to create presentations with your organization’s images

Microsoft SharePoint Online: New usage reports through Microsoft PowerShell for the SharePoint agents trial

New PowerShell cmdlet, Get-SPOCopilotPromoUsage, will be available on March 1, 2025, for SharePoint and Global Admins to review tenant-level usage data for the SharePoint agents trial. Admins need to download version 16.0.25813.12000 of SharePoint PowerShell. No admin action is required before or after the rollout.

OneDrive files as knowledge sources for agents

Allow files from OneDrive to be added as a grounding source in the Sources tab when creating a custom agent. This would apply to agents created from both OneDrive and SharePoint.

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Microsoft 365 admin center: Usage reports – SharePoint Quota Consumption and recommendations

This feature allows organizations to monitor Microsoft 365 SharePoint Quota Consumption and their usage growth over time. It enhances the report by providing single pane access to the above metrics along with recommendations to storage decluttering and storage optimization.

Viva Amplify: Publish to Viva Engage Storyline or Communities

Viva Amplify will soon allow campaign members and authors to publish communications directly to Viva Engage Storyline or Communities, with options to preview and customize drafts. Rollout begins mid-March 2025 for Targeted Release and early April 2025 for General Availability. No admin action is required, but user notification and training updates are recommended.

Microsoft OneDrive: Protect PDF with Password on OneDrive for web

Coming soon to Microsoft OneDrive: OneDrive web users can protect their PDF files with User Password and Owner Password. The User Password is required to open and view a PDF file. The Owner Password is used to set operation permissions on a PDF file, such as allow printing, copying, or modifying the content. This enhancement provides an additional layer of security for sensitive documents, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the content.

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Microsoft SharePoint: We will retire creating personal pages from SharePoint “start” (Preview)

Microsoft will retire the ability to create personal pages from SharePoint start (Preview) between mid-March 2025 and early April 2025. Users should create pages connected to SharePoint sites instead. Existing personal pages remain accessible but cannot be moved or converted by users, only by admins using PowerShell.

SharePoint: Restricted Access Control Enhancements

New enhancements for RAC policy for SharePoint administrators to restrict access to SharePoint sites including managing M365 group connected sites with M365 groups or Security groups.

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Retiring “Shared with Us” Feature in SharePoint Teams sites

Retiring the “Shared with Us” feature in SharePoint Teams sites will begin in April 2025 and complete by May 2025. Users can use OneDrive’s “Shared with me” and Microsoft Teams or email notifications as alternatives. No action is required, but users should be informed about the change.

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: Information Protection: SharePoint Online extends library permissions to downloaded files

The Work Feed experience, available on the New Tab Page (NTP) for Commercial users, will have changing and updated functionalities. These changes will include renewed focus on productivity and M365 modules.

Microsoft Viva Connections: New News feature in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Viva Connections in Teams will replace the Feed with a SharePoint News experience, starting March 2025. This update includes a Copilot-powered summary feature for licensed users on Windows desktop. The rollout is automatic, and users will see news based on their activity and permissions.

OneDrive: OneDrive: New annotation layout and tools for PDF editing

The new PDF annotation layout features a more intuitive design where all annotation tools are now conveniently located in a single row at the top of the screen. A new type of eraser has been added to allow for more precise editing which can remove annotations pixel by pixel.