Since 2022, new Whiteboard files for commercial customers has been stored in OneDrive rather than Azure. Whiteboard created before that change may still be stored in Azure and must be migrated to OneDrive.
Moving these files to OneDrive improves security, accessibility, revision history, eDiscovery, and access to current and future Whiteboard features. This article explains the final migration schedule, the actions users and administrators should take, and what happens to boards that are not migrated.
Important
Complete migration of all remaining Azure-based Whiteboards before August 22, 2026. On August 22, migration ends and any remaining Azure boards become read-only. On September 5, 2026, remaining Azure boards are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
Note
Administrators can check whether their tenant has Azure Whiteboards by using Get-WhiteboardsForTenant. Inventory data is precalculated and may take approximately 2 weeks to reflect recent changes.
Final migration and retirement schedule
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| Before August 22, 2026 | Users can still trigger migration, retry failed migrations, and copy or export important content. Administrators should inventory remaining Azure boards and notify affected owners. |
| August 22, 2026 | Migration ends. Remaining Azure-based Whiteboards become read-only and can no longer be migrated. Users can still view or export available content before deletion. |
| September 5, 2026 | Remaining Azure-based Whiteboards are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. |
| September 14, 2026 | The standalone Whiteboard apps for Windows, iOS, and Android retire. Whiteboard remains available through Microsoft Teams and the web. |
Why migrate to OneDrive?
Using OneDrive as the storage location for Whiteboard files provides these benefits:
Enhanced security and compliance: OneDrive provides improved security controls, revision history, and eDiscovery support.
Current and future features: New Whiteboard features are available only for OneDrive-based Whiteboards.
Better accessibility: OneDrive-based files work with current Whiteboard experiences across Microsoft Teams and the web.
For the full feature comparison, see differences between Azure and OneDrive (work or school) whiteboards - Microsoft Support.
What users need to do
Migration trigger and eligible tenants
Until August 22, 2026, migration starts automatically when an affected user opens Whiteboard on an eligible desktop client:
Whiteboard on the web
Whiteboard in Teams desktop or Teams on the web
The Whiteboard Windows app
Mobile apps do not trigger Azure-to-OneDrive migration. The Windows app remains a migration entry point only until migration ends on August 22, 2026. The standalone Windows, iOS, and Android apps retire on September 14, 2026; use Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams or on the web going forward.
Monitor and retry migration
Whiteboard displays messages when migration starts, while it is in progress, and when it completes.
If some boards are not migrated, open the Not migrated section to review them.
Select Try Again Now to retry a failed migration before August 22, 2026.
If a board still cannot be migrated, make a copy or export important content before September 5, 2026, and contact your administrator.
Migration can continue across multiple Whiteboard sessions. Closing Whiteboard does not restart completed work.
Recover an original Azure board
After successful migration, the original Azure version can normally be restored for approximately 90 days by using the recovery experience or the Restore-Whiteboard cmdlet, but not beyond September 5, 2026. Create a OneDrive copy of any restored board immediately.
The in-product recovery experience is available in Whiteboard on the web and in the Windows app. It is not available within Teams.
What administrators need to do
Inventory remaining Azure-based Whiteboards and identify their owners.
Notify affected users and ask them to open Whiteboard on an eligible desktop client before August 22, 2026.
Transfer boards owned by dormant or departed users to an active user so that migration can be triggered.
Monitor migration results and help users resolve OneDrive storage, licensing, or provisioning issues.
Export important content that cannot be migrated before September 5, 2026.
Available PowerShell cmdlets
The following migration-related cmdlets are available in the WhiteboardAdmin PowerShell module:
| Task | Cmdlets |
|---|---|
| Inventory Azure boards and owners | Get-WhiteboardsForTenant, Get-Whiteboard, Get-WhiteboardOwners |
| Review migrated boards | Get-WhiteboardsMigrated, Get-WhiteboardsForTenantMigrated |
| Map Azure boards to migrated OneDrive boards | Get-WhiteboardMigrationMapping |
| Transfer ownership | Set-WhiteboardOwner, Invoke-TransferAllWhiteboards |
| Restore an original Azure version | Restore-Whiteboard |
| Export Whiteboards | Export-WhiteboardHtml, Invoke-WhiteboardHtmlRetry |
These tools support inventory, mapping, ownership transfer, recovery, and export. They do not provide a tenant-wide, Microsoft-operated migration of all boards. Migration remains user-driven and client-triggered.
Messaging screens
Figure 1: The message a user will see when the migration starts
Figure 2: The migration progress will be shown as a message at the top of the screen
Figure 3: The migration progress will be shown as a message at the top of the canvas
Figure 4: If migration does not complete for all Azure Whiteboards, the unmigrated boards will be shown in a separate section, waiting for the user to take action.
Figure 5: Users will be shown any errors that prevent migration of all Azure Whiteboards as a message at the top of the Whiteboard app. The screenshot shares an example of one such possible error
Figure 6: Users will see a success screen on the Whiteboard app when the migration completes for all Azure Whiteboards
Figure 7: Users will see a success screen on the canvas when the migration completes for all the Azure-based Whiteboards
Rollout plan
The migration will roll out in phases, starting in December 2024, with the goal to complete the process for all users by August 22, 2026.
Migration errors and their fixes
| Error message | Fix or workaround |
|---|---|
| "We were unable to migrate this board at this time - we'll try again later. Contact your administrator if the issue persists." | You can manually restart the migration by clicking “Try Again Now” in the notification banner shown in Figure 6. |
| "Your OneDrive is out of space. Please clear room or contact your organization administrator for assistance." | Create more space in your OneDrive by either purchasing more storage capacity or by deleting some data. |
| "We couldn't migrate this board because we couldn't find your OneDrive. Please ask your administrator for assistance." | Contact your admin to get OneDrive storage assigned to you. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the reason for migrating Whiteboard files from Azure to OneDrive?
Migrating to OneDrive enhances security, allows for better revision history, and enables future feature releases, to name a few benefits. Full list of the differences see - Differences between Azure and OneDrive (work or school) whiteboards - Microsoft Support.
Will I lose any data during the migration?
The migration process is designed to prevent data loss. To avoid losing important content, users must migrate all whiteboards stored in Azure by August 22, 2026.
How will I know when my files are being migrated?
You will receive notifications at the start, during progress, and upon completion of the migration via the platform you are using.
What should I do if some of my Whiteboard files are not migrated?
You’ll see a list of the affected files, along with instructions for manually restarting the migration. Complete the migration by August 22, 2026.
How can I recover my original Azure-based Whiteboard files if needed?
After August 22, 2026, the migration tool will no longer be available, and all whiteboards stored in Azure will become read-only. To retain any whiteboards you still need, select the Settings icon in the upper-right corner, then select Export image.
What happens to the Azure-based files after successful migration?
All Azure-based copies will become inaccessible to the users after migration completion.
Who can I contact for support during the migration?
Your tenant admins have been equipped with tools to support the migration. For further assistance, you can contact our team at Whiteboard · Community.
What happens if the migration is taking too long and I closed the Whiteboard session?
Migration can continue over multiple Whiteboard sessions. It continues from the point it got paused in the last Whiteboard session.
What if some users have left the organization or are on a long vacation? Will migration not be triggered for them?
Migration can only be triggered by owners of Azure Whiteboards. To ensure that Azure Whiteboards of such tenant users who are dormant get migrated to OneDrive we will soon make available a set of PowerShell cmdlets which will help transfer ownership of Whiteboards from the dormant users to certain active ones, who can then trigger the migration.
We hope this article provides clarity on the Azure to OneDrive migration process. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Microsoft Whiteboard team for assistance at Whiteboard · Community.