Microsoft Replaces Teams Designer Features With Copilot

Microsoft Teams is set to fully retire the Designer bot and Designer banners by February 27, according to a new admin update. The move shifts creative features directly under Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Microsoft previously introduced several upcoming Teams changes, including prompts to open links in Edge and Express Voice Enrollment. Now, the company is finalizing the removal of older creative tools inside Teams.

Designer bot and banners officially removed from Teams

According to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under message ID MC1197104, Microsoft will fully retire the standalone Designer bot and Designer channel banners by Friday, February 27.

The phaseout began in mid-January and has rolled out gradually to global users. Once the retirement is complete, users will no longer install or access the standalone Designer bot in chats.

Microsoft will also remove the legacy interface used to create channel announcement banners. Most users already report limited or no access ahead of the final cutoff.

Copilot becomes the new creative hub in Teams

Microsoft will consolidate AI-powered creative features under Copilot in Teams. Copilot will now handle image generation and other creative tasks that the Designer bot previously managed.

The company continues to unify AI capabilities into a single toolset across Microsoft 365 apps. This shift aligns with its broader strategy to expand Copilot’s footprint across collaboration and productivity workflows.

Microsoft confirmed that no backend configuration or admin action is required for the deprecation. However, administrators should update internal training materials and help desk documentation to prevent confusion among users who relied on the older tools.

The Designer removal follows other Copilot-related changes across Microsoft’s ecosystem. Copilot will soon open automatically in Edge when users click Outlook email links, further embedding AI into daily workflows.

Microsoft has also begun removing Copilot App Skills from Excel, signaling continued refinement of how Copilot integrates across apps.

With the Designer bot and banners officially retired, Copilot now stands as the primary AI-powered creative assistant inside Teams, reinforcing Microsoft’s push toward a unified AI experience across its services.

Via Neowin