Table of Contents
Summary
- The People agent in Frontier will be retired, impacting those who manage or use it.
- Key capabilities will be integrated into M365 Copilot experiences for greater user benefit.
- No configuration changes are required for admins, and there’s no user action needed.
- Users can still utilize the People companion app and Copilot for skills discovery and organizational context.
- Ongoing feedback on Copilot experiences is encouraged through the Frontier program.
Admin Impact: Low
User Impact: High
Release Start: 01 Mar 2026
Release End: 01 Mar 2026
Services: M365 Copilot
Category: Plan for change
Tags: User Adoption, Admin Action, Retirement
History
3/5/2026 Item Added to Message Center
Microsoft Message
Introduction
The People agent in Frontier will no longer be available starting March 2026. Frontier agents help us learn what users value most and how they want to experience M365 Copilot. Through the People agent, users explored new ways to understand colleagues, prepare for meetings, and navigate organizational relationships, and this feedback has directly shaped our broader people experiences in M365 Copilot.
As part of moving these capabilities into core M365 Copilot surfaces—where more users can benefit—we are retiring the standalone People agent.
When this will happen
People agent retirement (Worldwide): Begins in early March 2026.
How this affects your organization
Who is affected
- Admins managing Microsoft 365 Copilot deployments
- Users who previously accessed the People agent through the Frontier program
What will happen:
- The People agent will no longer be available.
- Key capabilities from the People agent are being incorporated into broader Copilot people experiences.
- No admin configuration changes are required.
- No impact to existing admin policies or controls.
- There is no user action required.
What you can do to prepare
No preparation is required.
Users can continue to leverage the People companion app or Copilot to find people with specific skills, and explore the greater organizational context of any colleague using the org explorer. Learn more here:
- Org Explorer – Microsoft Support
- Microsoft 365 companions apps overview – Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn
We encourage continued feedback on Copilot experiences through Frontier, which remains the primary program where we gather insights to inform early Copilot innovations.
Learn more about the Frontier program: Frontier program | Microsoft 365 Copilot
Compliance considerations
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.