Configurable recovery window for Microsoft 365 Backup

Microsoft 365 Backup now allows admins to configure recovery windows from 3 months to 2 years, replacing the fixed 1-year default. This enhances flexibility for compliance and cost management. The feature rolls out worldwide in late July 2026, requires manual configuration, and may permanently delete data outside the set window after a grace period. What and Why: We’re introducing configurable recovery window for Microsoft 365 Backup, allowing administrators to define backup recovery windows between 3 months and 2 years at the policy level. Previously, recovery window was fixed at 1 year. This enhancement provides greater flexibility to align data protection practices with organizational compliance requirements, cost considerations, and business continuity strategies—improving control over backup lifecycle management. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 481834. Rollout Schedule: Public Preview (Worldwide): Beginning late July 2026; expected to complete by early August 2026 General Availability (Worldwide): Beginning late July 2026; expected to complete by early August 2026 Impact on Your Organization: Who is affected: Microsoft 365 administrators managing Microsoft 365 Backup policies Platforms/Services: Microsoft 365 admin center (web) Microsoft 365 Backup What will happen: Admins can configure recovery window per backup policy between 3 months and 2 years. The default recovery window remains 1 year unless changed. Existing policies will not be modified automatically. Recovery window can be set during policy creation or editing. The feature is enabled by default but requires manual configuration to change settings. Reducing recovery window on an existing policy will: Permanently delete backup data outside the new recovery window. Apply deletion after a defined grace period. Action Required/Recommendations: No immediate action is required before rollout. After rollout, we recommend: Review existing Microsoft 365 Backup policies to confirm if the default 1-year recovery window meets your needs. Evaluate whether shorter or longer recovery window aligns with your compliance and recovery objectives. Inform backup and IT administrators about this new capability. Plan carefully before reducing recovery window to avoid unintended permanent data loss. Update internal documentation and governance procedures if applicable. To configure recovery window: Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center: Open Microsoft 365 admin center Navigate to Microsoft […]

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