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Week in brief

System-preferred authentication rolls out to first-factor sign-ins for managed Entra tenants

The clearest service change is an ongoing rollout that makes system-preferred authentication select the most secure registered method for first-factor sign-ins in tenants in Microsoft's managed state, running through late September 2026. Major documentation work covers Cloud Sync provisioning to AD DS, while Linux broker 2.0.2 and Global Secure Access connector guidance carry direct operational implications. Many remaining edits are routine sample-ID, author, link, and formatting maintenance; App Gallery guidance also documents a 25-test Logic Apps workflow for SCIM validation.

  • For tenants in the Microsoft-managed state, Microsoft Entra applies system-preferred authentication to first-factor sign-ins and selects the most secure registered method. Rollout runs from late June through late September 2026; tenants can retain or change the setting and should update user guidance.

  • New overview content explains how Cloud Sync provisions users, groups, and memberships from Microsoft Entra ID to on-premises AD, including supported scenarios, configuration options, synchronization behavior, and limitations. Group provisioning is identified as generally available, while user provisioning is in preview.

  • Starting with broker version 2.0.2, Microsoft Single Sign-on for Linux uses Microsoft Entra join instead of device registration for device trust. Existing upgraded devices must be re-joined and re-enrolled; deployment procedures should allow device joins, remove broker state, reinstall the broker, and re-join devices.

  • The version history marks 1.5.612.0, 1.5.402.0, 1.5.132.0, and 1.5.36.0 as deprecated and tells administrators running version 1.5.612.0 or earlier to update immediately.

  • Microsoft Entra is moving self-service identity management from myaccount.microsoft.com to myaccount.cloud.microsoft worldwide in late November 2026 as related sites are consolidated. Users need no action, but network policies should allow *.cloud.microsoft.

For Entra administrators

Review sign-in guidance and the system-preferred authentication setting during the rollout. For Cloud Sync, distinguish generally available group provisioning from preview user provisioning and plan against the documented constraints. Linux broker 2.0.2 deployments need device-join permission plus rejoin and re-enrollment procedures. Global Secure Access administrators should update deprecated connector versions, and network teams should allow *.cloud.microsoft before the late-November self-service domain transition if those domains are filtered.

This period briefing was generated by AI from the tracked Microsoft Learn and Message Center changes.

Updates this week

20

Scim Validator Tutorial

Doc updateAction required

The tutorial now explains that the Microsoft Entra SCIM Validator is for endpoint testing, while App Gallery publishing requires running the Azure Logic Apps validation template and submitting its results.

29 August 2026

Entra Id Scim Api Reference

Feature update

The SCIM API reference now states that mailNickname may be omitted, null, or empty when creating a user. Microsoft Entra ID derives it from the characters before the first @ in userName. After creation, it cannot be removed with PATCH.

27 August 2026

Breaking Changes

Doc update

The breaking-changes documentation now uses a different client application ID in its OAuth authorization URL and description.

26 August 2026

Breaking Changes

Doc update

The breaking-changes documentation updates the sample OAuth authorization request and its description with a different client application ID.

26 August 2026

SSO requirements for Microsoft Entra App Gallery

Doc update

Microsoft added a page detailing SAML 2.0 and multitenant OpenID Connect requirements for validating and publishing applications in the Entra App Gallery, with links to general prerequisites and provisioning requirements.

26 August 2026

Groups Settings V2 Cmdlets

Doc update

The documentation now states that standard users can create groups by default regardless of SSGM, and that SSGM controls behavior only in the My Groups portal. The MSODS reference was removed.

26 August 2026

Breaking Changes

Doc update

The example request now uses client ID `ffffffff-eeee-dddd-cccc-bbbbbbbbbbb0` instead of `00001111-aaaa-2222-bbbb-3333cccc4444`.

25 August 2026
16

What If Tool

Doc update

The Conditional Access What If tool table now uses a different sample UserId in all four examples.

28 August 2026

Manage App Consent Policies

Doc update

The consent policy documentation now lists revised application IDs for Apple Mail, Spark Email, eM Client, Android-Samsung, Android-Mail, and Thunderbird.

28 August 2026

Manage App Consent Policies

Doc update

The consent-policy documentation now lists new application IDs for Apple Mail, Spark Email, eM Client, Android-Samsung, Android-Mail, and Thunderbird.

28 August 2026

Grant Admin Consent

Doc update

The documentation examples now show revised object IDs for Microsoft Graph and other resource APIs while retaining the same consent scenarios and permissions.

28 August 2026

Grant Admin Consent

Doc update

The guide now uses different Microsoft Graph resource API object IDs in delegated- and application-permission consent examples; the documented permissions and consent type remain unchanged.

28 August 2026

What If Tool

Doc update

The Conditional Access What If tool documentation replaces the sample UserId in four example rows with a new sample identifier.

27 August 2026

Manage App Consent Policies

Doc update

The documented application IDs for Apple Mail, Spark Email, eM Client, Android-Samsung, Android-Mail, and Thunderbird were replaced.

27 August 2026

Grant Admin Consent

Doc update

The grant-admin-consent documentation updates the resource API object IDs shown in delegated- and application-permission examples.

27 August 2026

Prerequisites to validate and publish your app

Doc update

The documentation separates shared prerequisites from SSO and SCIM requirements, with dedicated guidance for each capability. Applications supporting both must complete validation for both.

26 August 2026

Prerequisites to validate and publish your app

Doc update

The article now covers prerequisites for validating and publishing apps, with updated wording and links. Detailed portal submission, request tracking, implementation, and update/removal instructions were removed.

26 August 2026

Howto Update Permissions

Doc update

The permission-addition and permission-removal examples now use different sample object and client IDs.

26 August 2026

Howto Update Permissions

Doc update

The add and remove permission examples now use app registration ID `ffffffff-eeee-dddd-cccc-bbbbbbbbbbb0` instead of `00001111-aaaa-2222-bbbb-3333cccc4444`.

26 August 2026

Howto Update Permissions

Doc update

The examples for adding and removing Microsoft Graph permissions now use app registration identifier `00001111-aaaa-2222-bbbb-3333cccc4444` instead of the previous sample identifier.

26 August 2026

Howto Update Permissions

Doc update

The Microsoft Graph Update application example now uses a different app registration object ID when adding the documented delegated permissions.

26 August 2026

Howto Update Permissions

Doc update

The permission-management examples now use app registration identifier `ffffffff-eeee-dddd-cccc-bbbbbbbbbbb0` instead of `00001111-aaaa-2222-bbbb-3333cccc4444` when adding or removing Microsoft Graph permissions.

25 August 2026
16

Publish App Gallery

Doc update

The documentation corrects list formatting and navigation numbering and adds a direct link to user provisioning validation instructions.

29 August 2026

Preserve a group's organizational unit (Preview)

New featureAction required

A new how-to explains how to create and populate a GroupDN directory extension so a group's original distinguished name is retained when its Source of Authority changes to Microsoft Entra ID.

28 August 2026

Group Source Of Authority Configure

Doc update

The page now links to guidance on how provisioning from Microsoft Entra ID to Active Directory works and to a tutorial for governing access to an on-premises app.

28 August 2026

Sap Netweaver Tutorial

Doc update

Two SAP Principal Propagation with Azure API Management references in the tutorial now use updated links; the surrounding guidance remains unchanged.

28 August 2026

Sap Netweaver Tutorial

Doc update

The tutorial updates two references to Azure API Management guidance for SAP Principal Propagation, including associated learning links.

28 August 2026

Manage App Consent Policies

Doc update

The examples now define cmdlet parameters in `$params` hashtables before creating custom consent policies and configuring inclusions or exclusions.

27 August 2026

Exchange Hybrid

Doc update

The article now describes Entra2ADExchangeOnlineAttributeWriteback (LES Writeback), including its cloud-managed attribute flow, distinction from Exchange hybrid writeback, supported attributes, mappings, and related guidance.

27 August 2026

Assign App Owners

Doc update

The PowerShell example now uses a different sample ServicePrincipalId value in the New-MgServicePrincipalOwnerByRef command.

27 August 2026

Publish your app to Microsoft Entra App Gallery

Doc update

A tutorial now documents the self-service publishing workflow, including validation prerequisites, submission creation, capability selection, required application details, Microsoft review, and draft tracking.

26 August 2026

Plan Sso Deployment

Doc update

Removed an extra space from the Help desk admin row in the documentation table.

26 August 2026

Microsoft Entra: Domain update for My Account and identity self-service experiences

New

Microsoft Entra is updating its self-service identity management domain from myaccount.microsoft.com to myaccount.cloud.microsoft, consolidating related sites for a unified experience. The change rolls out worldwide in late November 2026. Users need no action; administrators should ensure *.cloud.microsoft domains are allowed in network policies.

26 August 2026
Message CenterMC1462460 on mc.merill.net ↗Plan for change

Whats New Linux

Feature updateAction required

Starting with broker version 2.0.2, Microsoft Single Sign-on for Linux uses Microsoft Entra join instead of registration for device trust. Existing upgraded devices must be re-joined and re-enrolled.

25 August 2026

Connect Health Version History

Doc update

The version history now records agent version 4.5.2614.0, including credential-security and key-rotation improvements, better cloud compatibility and telemetry resilience, and installation, registration, reliability, and quality improvements.

24 August 2026

Connect Health Agent Install

Doc update

The installation documentation now points to download ID 108777 for the AD FS and AD Domain Services agents instead of 108565.

24 August 2026
14

App Gallery User Provisioning Requirements

Doc updateAction required

The App Gallery provisioning requirements now instruct integrators to validate SCIM endpoints against the Microsoft Entra provisioning service and submit the results with their gallery submission.

29 August 2026

Tutorial: Govern access to an on-premises app (Preview)

New feature

The tutorial explains how Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync provisions cloud-managed users, a security group, and group membership to Active Directory Domain Services for access to a Kerberos-based on-premises application. User provisioning is identified as being in preview.

28 August 2026

Plan Cloud Sync Topologies

Doc update

The documentation updates diagram descriptions and the provisioning example link. It also clarifies that AD-provisioned group members must have AD accounts, including eligible cloud-managed users and cloud-created security groups; synchronized users still require onPremisesObjectIdentifier.

28 August 2026

Microsoft Entra provisioning behavior (Preview)

Doc update

A new conceptual article describes how Cloud Sync scopes, matches, maps, and writes users, groups, and memberships from Microsoft Entra ID to AD DS, including anchor-based matching and user source-of-authority scenarios.

28 August 2026

Microsoft Entra provisioning setup (Preview)

New feature

The article now documents provisioning users and groups from Microsoft Entra ID to on-premises AD DS, including prerequisites, deployment options, scoping filters, attribute mappings, and testing. Users-only and users-and-groups options are marked Preview.

28 August 2026

Test Microsoft Entra provisioning (Preview)

New feature

A new guide documents testing users or groups on demand, reviewing safeguards and notifications, enabling configurations, handling quarantines, restarting sync, and removing configurations. Group tests can include up to five members.

28 August 2026

Microsoft Entra prerequisites for AD (Preview)

Doc update

Adds an article covering prerequisites and license requirements for provisioning users and groups from Microsoft Entra ID to on-premises AD DS with Cloud Sync. It also links to configuration, testing, deployment, and agent-installation guidance.

28 August 2026

On-demand provisioning - Microsoft Entra ID to Active Directory

Feature update

The guidance now describes testing Entra ID-to-Active Directory changes on a single user or group before enabling them broadly. It adds separate workflows, retains the five-member group limit, and explains result statuses, retries, and testing another object.

28 August 2026

On Demand Provision

Doc update

The article now states that it covers provisioning from Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID and links to the separate article for provisioning from Microsoft Entra ID to Active Directory.

28 August 2026

Tutorial Group Provisioning

Doc update

The tutorial covering group provisioning to on-premises AD DS, scoping recommendations, and group/user SOA scenarios was deleted.

28 August 2026
12

Assignment Network

Doc update

The Conditional Access documentation now describes Android Microsoft Authenticator’s use of the Google Play Integrity API for jailbreak detection and the resulting access denial if the API is unavailable.

28 August 2026

Assignment Network

Doc update

The updated Conditional Access documentation states that Microsoft Authenticator on Android uses Google Play Integrity API for jailbreak detection. If the API is unavailable, requests are denied unless the policy is disabled.

28 August 2026

Assignment Network

Doc update

A link was fixed on the Conditional Access network assignment page.

27 August 2026

Assignment Network

Doc update

The Conditional Access documentation now describes Microsoft Authenticator for Android using Google Play Integrity API for jailbreak detection and denying access when the API is unavailable, unless the policy is disabled.

27 August 2026

Strengthen federated sign-in security

Doc update

The documentation now distinguishes standard token validation, user mapping, and authentication policy checks from the additional domain-consistency validation provided by Federated Token Validation Policy. It also clarifies root-domain matching for federated sign-ins.

26 August 2026

Howto Arc Sign In Windows

Doc update

The documentation wording about Microsoft Entra joining Arc-enabled machines and disconnecting them from another domain was updated.

25 August 2026

Howto Arc Sign In Windows

Doc update

The how-to documentation revised its guidance explaining that enabling the capability joins an Arc-enabled machine to Microsoft Entra and is intended for machines not joined to another domain.

25 August 2026

Howto Arc Sign In Windows

Doc update

The guidance on enabling sign-in for Arc-enabled machines was revised, including their Microsoft Entra join behavior and domain-joining scenario.

25 August 2026

Howto Arc Sign In Windows

Doc update

The documentation fixes a typo in the sentence explaining that an Arc-enabled machine becomes Microsoft Entra joined and updates nearby truncated wording.

25 August 2026

Howto Arc Sign In Windows

Doc update

The documentation now states that this capability is intended for Arc-enabled machines not planned to join another domain, such as on-premises Active Directory or Microsoft Entra Domain Services.

25 August 2026
5

Manage Device Identities

Feature update

The documentation now states that the “Users may join devices to Microsoft Entra ID” setting applies to Windows 10 or newer, macOS, and Linux. It also adds troubleshooting guidance to verify registration or join settings when users encounter errors.

25 August 2026
4

Microsoft Entra provisioning options (Preview)

Doc update

A new article compares groups-only, users-only, and users-and-groups provisioning through scoping filters. It also documents availability, domain and tenant configuration limits, and performance guidance.

28 August 2026

Provision Microsoft Entra ID objects to AD

New feature

A new overview explains how Cloud Sync provisions users, groups, and memberships from Microsoft Entra ID to on-premises AD, including supported scenarios, configuration options, synchronization behavior, and limitations. User provisioning is in preview; group provisioning is generally available.

28 August 2026

Group Source Of Authority Guidance

Doc update

The guidance now links to the Microsoft Entra ID-to-Active Directory provisioning overview and its nested group membership behavior section.

28 August 2026

Primary Refresh Token

Doc update

The documentation now references the Chrome Windows 10 Accounts extension and Mozilla Firefox v91+ Windows SSO setting.

25 August 2026
1

Protect M365 From On Premises Attacks

Doc update

The guidance for controlling access to on-premises applications now links to the updated Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync documentation for provisioning groups to Active Directory.

28 August 2026
1

Clean broker state including certificates (requires sudo)

Feature updateAction required

Microsoft Single Sign-on for Linux version 2.0.2 and later uses Microsoft Entra join for device trust instead of device registration. The documentation also adds MSAL integration support guidance and updates device removal terminology.

25 August 2026
1
1

SAM Account Name

Public preview

Enhanced synchronization can source sAMAccountName for hybrid users from onPremisesSamAccountName in Microsoft Entra ID. Existing domains retain current behavior until enabled; enabling updates existing hybrid users during synchronization, while cloud-only users without the source value continue using mailNickname-based generation.

25 August 2026
1

Agent Token Claims

Doc update

The documentation now shows different sample GUID values for the aud, appid, oid, sub, and tid claims.

27 August 2026
9

Create Tenant

Doc update

The article now states that a governance relationship and related resources are established only when the home tenant has a default governance policy template.

26 August 2026

Create Tenant

Feature updateAction required

The documentation now states that the Tenant Creator role is required regardless of the “Restrict non-admin users from creating tenants” setting.

26 August 2026

Understanding Lifecycle Workflows

Public preview

The documentation now explains that relative time-based comparisons expand the standard time-based attribute trigger. During preview, the admin center shows two choices, but both represent the same trigger.

24 August 2026

Create Lifecycle Workflow

Public preview

Administrators can configure triggers using operators, offsets from 0 to 180 days, before or after event timing, and supported user attributes such as hire date, leave date, and creation date. Both the workflow and its schedule must be enabled for evaluation.

24 August 2026

Lifecycle Workflow Execution Conditions

Public preview

Documentation describes relative comparisons using Exactly, Between, or Less than or equal to, with event offsets from 0 to 180 days before or after supported user-attribute dates. The admin center temporarily shows two choices for the same time-based trigger.

24 August 2026

Entitlement Management Request Behalf

Doc update

The documentation adds examples describing how designated users can request access packages for others and clarifies that both requestors and targets need the required license.

24 August 2026

Create Lifecycle Workflow

Doc update

The page removes the standalone setup section and detailed steps for configuring relative time-based triggers, including timing options, offsets, supported attributes, and enablement notes.

24 August 2026
2

Source Of Authority Overview

Doc update

The documentation now describes creating new cloud security groups in Microsoft Entra ID, provisioning them to AD DS as Universal groups, and updating applications to use the new group security identifiers.

28 August 2026

Understanding Lifecycle Workflows

Public preview

The documentation now describes the Time based attribute V2 trigger, including Exactly, Less than or equal to, and Between comparisons with offsets from 0 to 180 days before or after a date attribute. It also documents that workflows and schedules must be enabled and that V2 has no three-day catch-up window.

24 August 2026
2
1

Road To The Cloud Implement

Doc update

The guidance now links to a different Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync article for provisioning groups to Active Directory Domain Services.

28 August 2026
1
1

Create Service Principal Cross Tenant

Doc update

The cross-tenant service principal article changes the example ServicePrincipalId from `bbbbbbbb-1111-2222-3333-cccccccccccc` to `aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-1111-222222222222`.

27 August 2026
2
2

How Managed Identities Work Vm

Doc update

The curl example now uses client_id `00001111-aaaa-2222-bbbb-3333cccc4444` instead of the previous value.

28 August 2026

How Managed Identities Work Vm

Doc update

The VM managed identity documentation changes the client_id value in its curl token-request example.

28 August 2026
2

Hardening update to Microsoft Entra Connect Sync

Doc update

The documentation wording about the dedicated first-party application and service principal used for synchronization between Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID was revised.

28 August 2026
9

Version History

Doc updateAction required

The version-history section is now titled “Unsupported versions,” and guidance for version 1.5.612.0 or earlier recommends immediately updating to a newer version.

29 August 2026

Version History

RetirementAction required

The version history marks versions 1.5.612.0, 1.5.402.0, 1.5.132.0, and 1.5.36.0 as deprecated and instructs users of 1.5.612.0 or earlier to update immediately.

28 August 2026

Global Secure Access Client Release Notes

New feature

Starting in November 2026, eligible Windows clients automatically receive Global Secure Access upgrades through Windows Update. Version 2.32.294 also adds Prefer local network, faster tunnel creation, and other fixes and improvements.

26 August 2026

Current Known Limitations

Doc update

The documentation now uses the full names for GCC and GCC-H and clarifies that Global Secure Access is available in GCC but not yet supported in GCC-H, Department of Defense, or other government or sovereign cloud environments.

26 August 2026

Current Known Limitations

Doc update

The documentation received a minor formatting change with no substantive content changes identified.

26 August 2026

Current Known Limitations

Doc update

The documentation now explicitly states that Global Secure Access is available in GCC, but not supported in GCC-H, Department of Defense, or other government and sovereign cloud environments.

26 August 2026

Global Secure Access Client for macOS Release Notes

New feature

The August 21, 2026 release adds Home Network traffic controls, a Connections page, agentic detection support, and Secure DNS bypass. It also includes connectivity, sign-in, tunnel, cache-reset, and crash fixes.

24 August 2026

Install the Global Secure Access Client for macOS

Doc update

The documentation now states that version 1.1.26060207 includes com.microsoft.autoupdate2 and that an existing installation may conflict with Intune detection rules. It also advises optionally removing that app from the Included apps list.

24 August 2026

Macos Client Release History

Doc update

The release history now lists the macOS client as available for download on August 24, 2026, instead of August 21, 2026.

24 August 2026
1

Netskope Integration

Doc update

The Netskope integration example now uses different values for the tenantId and userId fields.

25 August 2026
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