MC1134736 - Quarantine experience update in Microsoft Defender and Exchange Online: Restore temporarily deleted items
Message Center ID: MC1134736
What's changing
Microsoft is updating the quarantine experience in Microsoft Defender and Exchange Online so users can see and recover items that were temporarily removed from quarantine. A new Temporarily deleted filter under Release Status lets users view those items, and a new Restore temporarily deleted action returns them to the quarantine view. Items that were permanently deleted remain inaccessible.
Who is affected
All organizations using the Defender or Exchange Online quarantine portals. The change affects both end users and admins who manage quarantine workflows, investigations, and support tickets.
Rollout timeline
- Worldwide GA: rollout begins mid-August 2025, completes mid-September 2025.
- GCC, GCC High, DoD GA: rollout begins early September 2025, completes late September 2025.
Why this matters for admins
This update improves visibility and recoverability for quarantined messages, reducing misclassification impacts and help desk overhead. Because the feature is on by default and applies only to temporarily deleted items, admins do not need to change tenant settings to benefit. However, it can affect incident handling, evidence collection, and user workflows.
Action checklist for admins
- Inform end users and help desk staff about the new Temporarily deleted filter and restore option.
- Update internal runbooks, documentation, and training to include the restore workflow.
- Monitor user activity and support tickets after rollout to identify confusion or policy gaps.
- Assess any impact on retention or investigations and adjust processes if needed.
Compliance note
No specific compliance issues were identified by Microsoft. Review the change against your organization’s policies and eDiscovery processes as needed.