Since September 1, 2021, Microsoft has hidden identifiable user information by default in Microsoft 365 reports. This change helps organizations meet local privacy regulations by anonymizing data related to users, groups, and sites in all usage reports.
When this setting is activated (default), usernames and other identifiers will be anonymized, as illustrated in the User Name lines below. This applies to all standard reports, including those viewed in Combine’s M365 reporting tools.
⚠️ Keeping this feature active will affect reports that depend on user identifiers for analytics, including mailbox reports, license usage, or identifying users for Copilot implementation.
Why Can’t I See Usernames in M365 Reports?
Microsoft made this change to ensure compliance with global privacy laws such as the GDPR. While it’s a good privacy practice, it may affect organizations that need to track individual usage or perform user-level analysis.
How to Show Identifiable User Information
If your organization’s privacy policies allow and you are a Global Administrator, you can disable this setting to view real usernames in Microsoft 365 usage reports.
Steps to Disable Hidden Usernames
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Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: https://admin.microsoft.com
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Navigate to:
Settings > Org Settings > Services -
Select Reports from the list.
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Uncheck the option:
“In all reports, display de-identified names for users, groups, and sites”
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Click Save to apply the changes.
Once this setting is updated, identifiable user information will be visible in both native M365 reports and Combine's integrated reporting views.
Important Notes
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Changes apply tenant-wide and will reflect across all users with access to reports.
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Only Global Administrators can make this change.
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Always ensure your privacy policies are up to date before enabling user-level reporting.