Microsoft Entra Adds New SSO Controls and Workflow Features

Microsoft Entra is getting several new admin capabilities across Windows 11 SSO, Cloud Sync, External ID, Lifecycle Workflows, and Domain Services.

Microsoft outlined the new Entra features for August 2026, with some updates now generally available and others entering public preview.

Windows 11 gets new SSO controls

IT administrators can now use a Windows 11 registry policy to automatically approve single sign-on requests on managed Entra ID devices.

Microsoft introduced the capability with the July 2026 Patch Tuesday updates. The policy gives organizations more control over authentication behavior without requiring users to approve SSO prompts manually on managed systems.

We previously covered how Windows 11 gets automatic SSO for managed devices.

Entra Cloud Sync adds Exchange writeback

Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync now supports writeback for important Exchange attributes.

Organizations can synchronize changes made in Exchange Online back to their on-premises Active Directory environments.

Entra External ID also gains support for federated user sign-ups without requiring external identity providers to share a user’s email address. Microsoft says the change gives organizations more privacy when handling external identities.

Lifecycle Workflows adds What-if mode

Lifecycle Workflows now includes a What-if mode that allows administrators to simulate workflows before running them.

Admins can use the simulation to identify affected users and spot potential configuration problems. Microsoft also added the ability to cancel workflow runs.

The User Attributes Update task can now automatically set or clear up to 10 attributes during lifecycle events.

Custom workflow emails also support a new attribute format and additional dynamic attributes.

More Entra features enter public preview

Microsoft has also placed several Entra capabilities into public preview.

Entra Cloud Sync can now synchronize on-premises Active Directory devices with Microsoft Entra.

Lifecycle Workflows can identify guest accounts that no longer have sponsors and automatically clean them up.

Microsoft Entra Domain Services is also gaining backup and restore support for Group Policy Objects. Administrators can restore GPOs from specific backup points that Entra Domain Services maintains automatically.

Microsoft is making other Entra changes as well. The company recently warned that the MemberOf rule will stop working and also detailed the upcoming SMS and voice authentication retirement.