Microsoft Teams Adds QR Code Protection to Combat Phishing Risks

Microsoft Teams is preparing to introduce a new QR code protection feature to reduce phishing and fraud risks in chats involving external users. The feature, currently listed as 'In Development' on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, will automatically obscure images containing QR codes when they are sent in Teams messages by people outside an organization.

The upcoming feature is scheduled to begin rolling out in October 2026 and will be available across Teams desktop, Mac, Android, and iOS clients. It will cover organizations in the Worldwide Standard Multi-Tenant cloud environment.

By requiring users to take an additional action before viewing obscured content, Microsoft Teams aims to make people pause before scanning a potentially risky code. This is particularly relevant for organizations that use Teams for collaboration with customers, suppliers, contractors, partners, and other external contacts.