What’s new in Microsoft Intune: February 2025

After downloading a new streaming app to my phone recently, I was prompted to set up parental controls—perhaps a result of the toddler who unwittingly spent vast sums of his parents' money playing games on their tablet. This experience encapsulates the tension between productivity and security. How do we empower end users while avoiding misuse? This month, we're introducing enhancements like those for Managed Home Screen that strike this fine balance, and the much-anticipated Device query for multiple Windows devices capability is now generally available.

Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management for Windows 11 Arm®-based PCs

The tension between productivity and security is perhaps most out of balance when administrator privileges are extended to end users. This is sometimes necessary and nearly always risky. Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management is designed to reduce this risk and turbo charge productivity by redefining the workflow for elevating privileges.

In March, we are extending this capability to Windows 11 Arm-based PCs. This is great news for enterprises looking to add new Surface Copilot+ PCs to their device fleet. (As a quick aside on the productivity front, my coworker tells me their Surface Pro 11^th edition gets crazy-good battery life.)

Managed Home Screen

The balance between productivity and security can be high stakes for the workplace, particularly for environments like hospitals. There, the ability to streamline user experience can literally help save lives, while compliance with strict security protocols is an absolute must. The Managed Home Screen (MHS) application—a custom, curated home screen experience for Android—is just one of many ways that Intune administrators can configure devices to help employees get work done safely. This month, we're highlighting a few additions to MHS.

Easier sign in with QR code authentication

Safe sign in to devices is integral to security, but typing long user names and complicated passwords can cost precious seconds when there are few to spare. Microsoft Entra introduced a new authentication method that requires scanning a user-specific QR code (that could be worn on an ID badge) and entering a personal identification number (PIN). Intune admins can now configure a shared device to use this QR code authentication method to sign in to Managed Home Screen. We heard a lot of requests for this capability, and we're proud to deliver it.

Managed Home Screen sign-in options now include “Scan QR Code.”

Ringtone selection

Downloading a ringtone for your cell phone is about more than showing off your taste in music. In environments with multiple shared devices, a distinct ringtone can eliminate confusion and help users stay focused. Now admins can allow users to select a device ringtone under Managed Home Screen settings.

Ringtone selection option can be enabled by an Intune administrator.

Detailed device information page

Troubleshooting device issues often requires gathering basic information for support help desk technicians. In this latest release, we've updated the information available on the device information page in Managed Home Screen to make these support service interactions more efficient. Today, the information available to IT admins for display device details includes a device's make, model, serial number, and IPv4 and IPv6 details. Additional details also now include:

• Android OS version
• Security patch version
• Last device reboot time

With more device types in the workplace, especially those for frontline workers, we will continue to develop capabilities that help organizations improve efficiency while keeping security at the forefront.

Device query for multiple devices now generally available

Microsoft Intune Advanced Analytics extends the capabilities of Intune to provide visibility into aggregated device data to aid troubleshooting and decision making. This month, the ability to make queries across multiple Windows devices using Device query becomes generally available.

With this new functionality, IT pros can now:

• Assess configurations quickly and at scale by writing Kusto queries against Windows enhanced device inventory data.
• Detect patterns and inconsistencies across multiple devices for faster decision making.
• Gain fleet-wide visibility without needing to investigate Windows devices one by one.

Device query is just one in a series of enhancements to come. Expect to see the ability to take action at scale from the multiple device view, and there's even more exciting news ahead. Learn more about Device query.

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