Review the update and plan any required actions before rollout.
Primary Audience
Why this score?
AT A GLANCE
END USERS
IT ADMINS
ROLLOUT TIMELINE
Mid-Sept to late Oct 2026
📢 Official Microsoft Message Center Announcement
(Updated) Microsoft 365: The Next Generation of File & Folder Sharing
Message ID: MC1454378 (Updated)
Updated August 26, 2026: We have updated the content and timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[What and why:]
We’re introducing the third-generation Microsoft 365 sharing experience to make collaboration simpler, smarter, and more secure by default. At the center of this update is a new hero link—a single sharing link that controls access to a file or folder.
Users will see one consistent sharing experience whether they copy a link, share through email, or use the browser URL. The hero link consolidates sharing controls into a single link that can be updated after it has been shared, reducing the need to create and resend new links when access requirements change.
[Rollout schedule:]
- General Availability (Worldwide): Rolling out mid-September 2026 (previously late August) through late October 2026
- GCC: Rolling out mid-September 2026 (previously late August) through late October 2026
- GCC High: Rolling out mid-September 2026 (previously late August) through late October 2026
- DoD: Rolling out mid-September 2026 (previously late August) through late October 2026
[Impact on your organization:]
Who is affected: All users who share or manage files and folders in Microsoft 365.
Platforms and services: SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft 365 file-sharing experiences.
What will happen:
- Every file and folder will have a single primary sharing link, called the hero link, displayed in the sharing dialog.
- The hero link settings determine who can access the item beyond people who are explicitly granted access.
- Adding people directly to a file or folder remains unchanged and continues to be the simplest way to share content.
Screenshot – Add people screen when sharing
- By default, the hero link is set to Only people added to the file, meaning the link itself does not grant access to anyone.
Screenshot – Share file view with hero link
- Users can broaden access to people in the organization with the link or, where permitted by organizational policy, to anyone with the link.
- Users can choose whether recipients can view, edit, or view without downloading, depending on available permissions.
- Changing the audience for the hero link updates the existing link rather than creating a new one.
- If recipients cannot open a previously shared file, the sender can expand access on the same hero link without redistributing a new URL.
- Existing sharing links will continue to function and will appear under Other links in the sharing dialog.
- Effective access remains the most permissive combination of direct permissions, inherited permissions, group-based permissions, and link-based permissions.
- Users will see a tutorial experience upon opening the new share dialog for the first time.
[Action required/Recommendations:]
No action is required before rollout.
Organizations should consider the following preparation activities:
- Review internal sharing guidance and end-user documentation to reflect the new single-link sharing model.
- Communicate the updated sharing experience to users who regularly collaborate across teams and organizations.
- Evaluate site-level default sharing settings where different sharing behaviors are required.
Learn more:
- Walkthrough Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RpE0KrQmcA&t=4s
- Announcement Blog: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/onedriveblog/simple-smart-and-secure-the-next-step-in-sharing-files-in-microsoft-365/4411655
Admin controls
- Administrators can configure the default audience for the hero link at the SharePoint site collection or OneDrive level by using the DefaultMainLinkScope parameter in SharePoint PowerShell.
- Supported values are:
- OnlyPeopleAdded (default)
- Organization
- There is currently no tenant-wide equivalent setting for the hero link audience.
- DefaultMainLinkScope controls only the default audience and does not prevent users from broadening access when allowed by policy.
- Hero links start with view permissions by default.
- Existing default sharing link settings and link expiration policies continue to apply to legacy links and do not govern hero links.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Source: Microsoft Message Center • Analysed by MWPro
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