M365 Changelog: Whiteboard storage changing to OneDrive for Business

MC253185 – Microsoft Whiteboard—the collaborative canvas in Microsoft 365—is being rebuilt to integrate seamlessly across the suite, so you can create, share, discover, and manage whiteboards as easily as any Office document.

Starting October 2021, all newly created whiteboards will be stored as files in OneDrive for Business. This will provide your organization with rich content management features, including:

• Data residency
• Additional permissions
• Search
• External Sharing
• Compliance
• Governance

Note: If your organization is not using Whiteboard you can safely disregard this message.

Key points:

• Timing: October 2021
• Action: review and assess impact for your organization

How this will affect your organization:

When this change occurs, all new whiteboards will be created in the OneDrive for Business of the person who starts or creates a whiteboard. This applies to whiteboards created in the Whiteboard stand-alone applications and in Microsoft Teams. All previously created boards will remain in Azure and can continue to be used/edited by end users. 

• What if my users do not have OneDrive for Business provisioned?
  • Any users who do not have OneDrive for Business provisioned will no longer be able to create new whiteboards when this change is implemented, though they can still edit their previously created boards. They can also collaborate on any whiteboards that are shared with them by others who have OneDrive for Business.
• How can I migrate previously created content to OneDrive for Business?
  • Microsoft will be sharing more details on how to migrate your content. 
• Can I opt-in before October?
  • Microsoft will be sharing more details on how to opt-in before October, including factors to consider before you opt-in.

What you need to do to prepare:

When this change takes effect, you will need to ensure that users have OneDrive for Business provisioned or are notified of this change.

Please click Additional Information to learn more.Additional information