Microsoft Intune updates: what IT teams should review this month

Microsoft has added several practical changes to Intune over the past month. The main themes are safer staged deployments, faster Windows compliance updates, more reliable device setup, and additional remote support options.

Here’s what changed between 25 August and 25 September 2026, and what administrators should check in their own environments.

1. Roll out apps and policies in stages

Intune deployment plans, announced for the week of 21 September, let administrators release supported apps and policies through multiple rollout rings. You can control timing and combine the process with Multiple Admin Approval.

The feature covers Windows Win32 and Enterprise App Catalog apps, along with Settings Catalog and Endpoint security policies. For larger fleets, this creates a more controlled way to move from a pilot group to broader deployment.

What to review: Choose a low-risk app or policy and define the rings before using deployment plans broadly. For example, start with IT, expand to a representative business group, then proceed to the rest of the fleet. Decide in advance what would pause or reverse the rollout.

2. Windows devices can request compliance checks sooner

From the week of 14 September, supported Windows devices can detect changes to compliance signals and request a new compliance evaluation instead of waiting for a scheduled check-in. Signals include firewall, antivirus, BitLocker, Defender status, operating-system build, real-time protection, and Secure Boot.

This can help Intune reflect a device’s security state sooner in compliance reporting, remediation workflows, and access decisions. It does not remove the need to test the full chain: device signal, compliance policy, remediation, and any access policy that relies on compliance.

What to review: Check how your policies respond when a device becomes noncompliant and when it returns to compliance. Test representative devices before relying on the faster evaluation path for a critical access decision.

3. Autopilot setup gets reliability improvements

Microsoft documented Enrollment Status Page improvements for Windows Autopilot on 14 September. During out-of-box setup, app installation can retry more times, the Intune Management Extension starts a sync after the Enrollment Status Page completes, and device check-in is more resilient after a temporary network interruption.

These changes address familiar deployment problems: an app failing once and holding up setup, policies arriving later than expected, or a device taking too long to resume syncing after connectivity drops.

What to review: Monitor a small set of new deployments and compare failure patterns and setup times with your previous baseline. Keep an eye on apps and scripts that must arrive before users can work.

4. Remote Help can reach physical Windows devices without the user present

The 2608 release added unattended Remote Help sessions for physical Windows devices. An authorized helpdesk agent can sign in with their own credentials, view the device, and control it without requiring the user to be present.

That can help with maintenance outside working hours or with devices whose users are unavailable. Remote control should be limited to approved support staff and used under clear operating procedures.

What to review: Confirm the applicable licensing, assign access through the right roles, and define when unattended sessions are appropriate. Make sure your support process records who initiated a session, which device was accessed, and why.

5. Apple app management moves further toward Declarative Device Management

Intune now supports Apple Declarative Device Management (DDM) for required Volume Purchase Program apps on iOS/iPadOS 17.2 and later and macOS 26 and later. Microsoft says this can provide real-time app status and per-app settings such as automatic updates. The option is selected when uploading a new VPP token.

Apple teams reviewing how required apps are deployed and kept current should check platform and OS eligibility, then test the management-type change with a limited app assignment before updating production workflows.

6. Android admins get more control over device and work-profile behavior

The 25 August update added Android Enterprise settings for screen timeout, separate device and work-profile passwords, the maximum time a work profile can remain switched off, and removing eSIMs during a wipe. Availability depends on device ownership mode and Android version; for example, eSIM removal requires Android 15 or later.

These settings can help align corporate Android devices with operational needs. Validate them against your device types and support model before assigning them broadly.

A practical review list

This month’s changes are a useful prompt to review how Intune changes reach devices and how quickly administrators can respond when something goes wrong.

• Check whether deployment plans are available in your tenant and identify a suitable pilot.
• Test compliance reevaluation against your Windows security policies and access workflows.
• Review Autopilot setup failures, app retries, and connectivity-related delays.
• Decide whether unattended Remote Help fits your support model, then review roles and procedures.
• Test Apple DDM and Android settings only against the OS versions and ownership types they support.

Intune features can roll out gradually, so availability may differ between tenants. Confirm the current state in your admin center and Microsoft’s release notes before changing production assignments.

For IT teams managing several platforms, the operational question is: can you tell which devices received a change, whether it worked, and who owns the next step? A clear rollout process and reliable device inventory make new controls much easier to use.

If you are reviewing Intune alongside your device lifecycle, asset records, or audit evidence, ESENEL can help you identify gaps and turn them into practical actions.