Microsoft is removing the -Credential parameter from Exchange Online PowerShell in module versions released from December 2026 onwards. Previously, this step was planned for July 2026, as the Exchange team announced. The cmdlets Connect-ExchangeOnline and Connect-IppsSession are affected. Scripts and automations that continue to use the parameter will no longer function after updating to a module version released from December 2026 onwards.
The -Credential parameter allows PowerShell scripts to pass a login object with username and password, such as a PSCredential object created with Get-Credential. In automated workflows, this can be used to provide stored credentials for Exchange Online or Security & Compliance PowerShell. Microsoft wants to replace this older login method because it does not support modern security mechanisms like multi-factor authentication.
Initially only with new module versions
The transition will occur in two steps: first, Microsoft will remove -Credential from new versions of the Exchange Online PowerShell module. Scripts using older module versions should continue to function for now. This gives administrators time for migration.
However, automatic updates can unexpectedly impact scheduled tasks. If the module is updated to an affected version, scripts that pass -Credential to one of the two cmdlets will fail.
