M365 Changelog: Planner tasks storage location update

MC289682 – Updated November 03, 2021: Microsoft apologizes for any confusion the last update may have caused. Microsoft is proceeding with this rollout and the rollout timeline has been updated below.

Microsoft is pleased to roll this out after the delay (MC229058 – May ’21). Starting in mid-October 2021, a copy of some Planner tasks will be stored in a user’s Exchange mailbox. All Planner tasks will continue to be stored in the Planner Service.

When this will happen:

  • Standard: Microsoft will begin rolling this out in mid-November 2021 and are targeting completion of the rollout by mid-December 2021.
  • GCC: Microsoft will begin rolling this out in mid-December 2021 and are targeting completion of the rollout by late January 2022. 

How this will affect your organization:

A secondary copy of Planner tasks which are assigned to at least one user will be stored in the user’s Exchange mailbox. If a task is assigned to multiple users, each user will have a copy of the task stored inside their individual mailbox. Unassigned tasks will not be copied to a mailbox.

For end users, existing To Do, Planner, and Outlook Task experiences will remain the same.

This update supports Microsoft’s work to add Planner tasks to eDiscovery and to build deeper integrations between To Do and Planner.

What you need to do to prepare:

There are no changes to end user experiences for the Planner or To Do apps. Planner tasks assigned to users will automatically start appearing as part of existing eDiscovery experiences.