Microsoft is rolling out a redesigned SharePoint experience to Targeted Release tenants starting in early May 2026, with General Availability expected from mid-June 2026. The update includes a new app bar, a refreshed start page, a unified publishing hub, and optional AI-assisted page creation for tenants with Microsoft 365 Copilot licences.
Read on Microsoft Learn – Microsoft 365 Message Center: MC1240699
Rollout timeline
| Phase | Start | Expected completion |
|---|---|---|
| Public Preview | Early March 2026 | Late April 2026 |
| Targeted Release | Early May 2026 | Mid-May 2026 |
| General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD) | Mid-June 2026 | Mid-July 2026 |
What is changing
The update touches three visible areas of SharePoint Online:
Redesigned app bar
The left-side SharePoint app bar is replaced with an updated version that introduces three main entry points:
- A refreshed start page for discovering sites, content, and news relevant to the signed-in user.
- A publishing hub that consolidates page, news, and campaign communications, powered by the Amplify feature for targeted announcements.
- A maker surface where site owners and admins can create sites, lists, libraries, and AI-powered SharePoint agents from a single place.
AI-assisted page creation
For tenants with Microsoft 365 Copilot licences, the new experience adds a Copilot-driven page creation workflow. Authors describe what they want in plain language and Copilot drafts the page structure, sections, and suggested content. This feature is not available to users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence.
Navigation layout
The global navigation bar is updated to reflect the new app bar structure. Some entry points that previously lived in the top navigation move to the app bar left panel. End users familiar with the old layout will benefit from brief orientation when the update arrives on their tenant.
What is not changing
The core SharePoint platform is unchanged. Document libraries, lists, the Recycling Bin, site permissions, content types, and all existing SharePoint URLs continue to work as before. The update is a navigation and discovery layer on top of the same underlying platform. Existing site content, sharing settings, and storage quotas are not affected.
Actions for SharePoint administrators
- Check your release ring. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Settings > Org settings > Organization profile > Release preferences. If your tenant is on Targeted Release, expect the new experience by mid-May 2026.
- Audit AI access. If you do not have Microsoft 365 Copilot licences deployed, the AI page creation feature will not appear. No licence management action is required unless you intend to enable those capabilities.
- Update internal training materials that reference the SharePoint app bar or start page UI. Screenshots and navigation paths in onboarding guides will be different after the rollout.
- Communicate to end users. A short note explaining that SharePoint's look has changed, while files and sites remain exactly where they were, reduces helpdesk volume significantly. Focus on the app bar change as the most visible shift.
Impact on ShareMaster
ShareMaster connects to SharePoint Online via its REST and CSOM APIs, not through the browser interface. The new visual experience does not change the API surface used by Recycle Master, Clone Master, Space Master, or any other ShareMaster tool. Existing sessions and operations will continue to work without any configuration changes.
The practical change for ShareMaster users is that some SharePoint admin navigation paths will look different after the update. For instance, the path to a site's Recycling Bin or Site contents may be accessed via a different entry point in the new app bar. The underlying URLs and functionality are unchanged.
Summary
The new SharePoint experience is a user interface evolution: a cleaner app bar, a unified publishing surface, and optional AI-assisted authoring for Copilot-licensed tenants. The core platform, APIs, and existing content are unaffected. Targeted Release tenants should expect the change now; worldwide GA follows from mid-June to mid-July 2026. The main admin action is communication: let users know the navigation is changing, not the content or their access.