Microsoft Teams Delegated Calling: New Privacy Controls and Notification Features Arrive in August 2026

REPORT: What’s New in Microsoft Teams Delegated Calling

Microsoft Teams call delegation, a staple for executives and assistants, is receiving a critical privacy upgrade. As of August CY2026, two new features are generally available (GA): Delegate Call Access Restrictions (Lock Active Call) and Delegate Join Notifications (Warning Tones). These controls allow call owners (delegators) to lock ongoing calls—preventing delegate assistants from joining or resuming—and optionally enable audible notifications whenever a delegate joins or resumes a call.

• GA date: August CY2026
• Admin center path: Teams admin center → Voice → Call policies → Delegation settings
• PowerShell: Microsoft.Graph.Teams module (new parameters for call delegation objects)
• API: /communications/callDelegation (Microsoft Graph)

These features respond to longstanding feedback: delegators needed more control and transparency over delegate call actions, especially during confidential or high-stakes conversations. Previously, delegates could join or resume active calls without explicit consent or notification, risking accidental eavesdropping or disruption.

IMPACT: Who and What Is Affected

If your organization relies on call delegation—for instance, C-suite executives, department heads, or legal staff—these updates directly affect privacy and workflow. The new restrictions:

• Allow delegators to lock calls while in session, blocking delegate entry and call resumption.
• Trigger warning tones when delegates join or resume calls, alerting all participants.
• Apply tenant-wide unless policy exceptions are granted.

Risk scenarios addressed include:

• Accidental delegate entry into confidential calls.
• Unnotified call resumption by delegates post-hold.
• Potential noncompliance with privacy or legal requirements for sensitive conversations.

Admins should review their delegated calling policies immediately, especially in regulated industries.

EDUCATE: How Teams Call Delegation Works and What’s Changing

Teams call delegation lets users assign others (delegates) to manage their calls—answering, placing, or handling calls on their behalf. Typically, this is configured via Teams settings or centrally via Teams admin center, and enforced by call delegation policies.

The new Delegate Call Access Restriction lets the delegator lock an active call, preventing delegate entry or resumption until the call is unlocked or ended. The Delegate Join Notification feature adds an optional warning tone—a Teams-generated sound played for all participants—whenever a delegate joins or resumes an active call.

Both features are implemented as policy settings in Teams, either at the user or group level, and can be audited or controlled via Microsoft Graph PowerShell.

DETECT: Auditing Delegate Call Access and Notification Settings

To audit which users have delegates and their current call access and notification settings, use the Microsoft.Graph.Teams PowerShell module. The script below enumerates call delegation relationships, reports their lock and notification status, and handles tenant pagination.

# Requires Microsoft.Graph.Teams >=1.0.0
# Connect to Microsoft Graph
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes 'Calls.Read.All', 'CallDelegation.Read.All', 'User.Read.All'

# Paginate through users with delegation
$users = @()
$skip = 0
$batchSize = 50
Do {
    $batch = Get-MgUser -Filter "callDelegationEnabled eq true" -Top $batchSize -Skip $skip
    if ($batch) { $users += $batch }
    $skip += $batchSize
} While ($batch.Count -gt 0)

foreach ($user in $users) {
    try {
        $delegations = Get-MgUserCallDelegation -UserId $user.Id
        foreach ($delegation in $delegations) {
            Write-Output "User: $($user.DisplayName) ($($user.UserPrincipalName))"
            Write-Output "Delegate: $($delegation.DelegateUserId)"
            Write-Output "Lock Active Call: $($delegation.LockActiveCall)"
            Write-Output "Join Notification: $($delegation.JoinNotification)"
        }
    } catch {
        Write-Warning "Failed to retrieve delegation for $($user.DisplayName): $_"
    }
}

Notes: This script paginates through call delegation-enabled users, uses modern Graph cmdlets, and includes error handling for missing or inaccessible delegation objects. Always test in a non-production context first.

REMEDIATE SAFELY: Enabling or Modifying Delegate Call Restrictions

To update delegation settings (lock or notification), always operate on reviewed input and use -WhatIf for dry-run validation. Never bulk modify live production data from unfiltered queries.

# Example: Enable lock and notification for a specific user-delegate pair
# DRY-RUN: Review settings before applying
$delegatorId = '[email protected]'
$delegateId = '[email protected]'

Set-MgUserCallDelegation -UserId $delegatorId -DelegateUserId $delegateId -LockActiveCall $true -JoinNotification $true -WhatIf

Always:

• Export and review current settings before applying changes.
• Use -WhatIf for all scripted actions.
• Run modifications only on vetted, explicit user-delegate pairs.

Bulk changes should be staged and reviewed by line-of-business owners.

PORTAL EQUIVALENT: Where to Manage These Settings

• Teams admin center: Voice → Call policies → Delegate settings
• User-level: Teams client → Settings → Calls → Manage delegates
• Security & Compliance: Microsoft Purview audit logs (delegate join/lock actions are now auditable events)

WHAT’S COMING IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS: Microsoft 365 Roadmap Items

• Teams Embedded Security Controls: Call delegation logs will integrate with Microsoft Defender for Office 365, enhancing automated detection for unauthorized access or abnormal delegate activity.
• Intune-Driven Call Policy Enforcement: Conditional access for delegate features, rolling out to Intune-managed devices.
• Purview Advanced Auditing: Enhanced reporting of delegate activity, with export to eDiscovery.
• Teams Premium: Scheduled for Q4 CY2026, advanced delegate analytics and privacy controls for high-risk departments.
• SharePoint/OneDrive: Delegated sharing links will soon surface join activity to Purview reports.

Admins should roadmap upgrades to policy templates, auditing, and security workflows to leverage these features.

THE UPGRADE: Productivity, Security, and Cost Benefits

• Productivity: Reduces accidental call disruptions; delegates now act with greater transparency, avoiding unintended entry into confidential calls.
• Security: Locks out unauthorized delegate access during sensitive calls; warning tones provide real-time auditability.
• Cost: Minimizes risk of privacy incidents (which can be costly in regulated industries), and reduces time spent investigating accidental delegate join events.

Legacy workflows lacked these controls, leading to user frustration and compliance gaps. The new model is both user-friendly and enforceable across the tenant.

RELATED M365 CHANGES: Full Picture for Admins

Microsoft’s focus on delegation transparency is not limited to Teams:

• Exchange Online: New mailbox delegate activity logs (now in Purview).
• SharePoint/OneDrive: Delegated access now includes join/leave audit events.
• Entra ID: Delegated identity permissions are getting granular auditing in Q4 CY2026.

Admins should cross-check delegated access across the full M365 suite and ensure audit logs are enabled and monitored.

RECOMMENDATION: Your Next Steps

1. Audit current Teams call delegation relationships and policy settings.
2. Review with executive stakeholders and compliance teams; identify sensitive workflows.
3. Enable Delegate Call Access Restrictions and Join Notifications for high-risk delegators.
4. Update documentation and user training materials.
5. Plan for upcoming roadmap items—especially auditing, analytics, and Teams Premium upgrades.

Prioritize: Executive and legal teams, then expand to department heads and assistants. Monitor for adoption and user feedback.