Summary
- Microsoft Whiteboard is retiring legacy Azure-backed storage and moving all remaining legacy Whiteboards to OneDrive-backed storage.
- Organizations still using legacy Whiteboards must identify and migrate any remaining content before Microsoft retires the migration tooling.
- After migration tooling is retired, legacy Whiteboards become read-only and later will be permanently deleted if not migrated.
- Admins should inventory legacy boards, validate migration status, and communicate deadlines to affected users so business content is preserved.
- Existing OneDrive-backed Whiteboards are not affected, and new Whiteboards are already created in OneDrive-backed storage.
Microsoft Whiteboard is migrating from legacy Azure-based storage to OneDrive-backed storage. Migration must be completed by September 25, 2026; afterward, legacy Whiteboards become read-only and are deleted by October 16, 2026. Admins should inventory, notify users, and ensure migration before these deadlines.
Microsoft 365 Message Center ID: MC1469957
Primary Service: WhiteBoard
Admin Impact: High
User Impact: Medium
Release Start: 25 Sept 2026
Release End: 25 Sept 2026
Last Modified: September 10, 2026
Category: Plan for Change
Tags: New feature
Status: Launched
Products & Platforms, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 apps
History
9/9/2026 Item Added to Message Center
Microsoft Message
Microsoft Whiteboard is completing its transition from legacy Azure-backed storage to OneDrive-backed Whiteboards. Organizations that still have legacy Azure-based Whiteboards must migrate them to OneDrive-backed storage before migration tooling is retired – September 25, 2026. After September 25, 2026, remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards become read-only and can no longer be migrated and can be only exported until October 16, 2026. After October 16, 2026, any remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
Key dates
- Before September 25, 2026: Users can still trigger migration, retry failed migrations, and export important content.
- September 25, 2026: Migration tooling is retired. Remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards become read-only and can no longer be migrated, but can still be viewed and exported until October 16, 2026.
- October 16, 2026: Remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
- November 30, 2026: Legacy Azure Whiteboard service shuts down.
Rollout schedule
Worldwide: We will begin rolling out on late September 2026 and expect to complete by mid-October 2026.
Impact on your organization
This change impacts organizations that still have legacy Azure-based Microsoft Whiteboards that have not yet been migrated to OneDrive-backed storage.
After September 25, 2026:
- Users will no longer be able to migrate remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards.
- Remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards become read-only and can no longer be migrated, but can still be viewed and exported until October 16, 2026.
- Organizations that have not completed migration risk losing access to business content stored in legacy Whiteboards.
After October 16, 2026:
- Any remaining legacy Azure-based Whiteboards will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
- Enterprise users should access Microsoft Whiteboard through Teams and supported web experiences.
- Organizations that have already completed migration to OneDrive-backed Whiteboards will not experience changes to existing OneDrive-backed content. New Whiteboards are already created in OneDrive-backed storage.
Action required / Recommendations
Admins should take the following actions immediately:
- Inventory remaining legacy Whiteboards: Use the WhiteboardAdmin PowerShell module to identify Azure-based Whiteboards that still require migration.
Communicate with affected users:
- Notify Whiteboard owners of the migration deadline (September 25, 2026) and deletion deadline (October 16, 2026).
- Encourage users to migrate, export, or preserve any business-critical content before the deadlines.
- Validate migration completion: Review migration status and confirm that important Whiteboards, permissions, and user access have been successfully migrated and remain accessible in OneDrive-backed storage.
- Plan for large-scale migrations: For inactive users, orphaned Whiteboards, or large migration volumes, consider using the administrator-driven migration approach documented by Microsoft Whiteboard engineering.
- Update internal guidance: Update user training materials, help documentation, and support procedures to direct users to Microsoft Whiteboard in Teams and supported web experiences rather than standalone applications.
- Act before migration tooling is retired: After September 25, 2026, migration tooling will no longer be available, and no further migration path will exist for remaining legacy Whiteboards.