🌏 APAC Community Update: New Admin Menu is coming – and legacy admin is retiring 🚀

Hi APAC admins!

A new, modern Admin Menu and navigation experience is rolling out as part of the Spring (April 2026) release, with a clear path to fully replacing today’s legacy admin menu later this year.

📅 Key dates & retirement timeline

Here’s the official rollout schedule for the New Navigation / New Admin Menu:

• Sandbox – from 2 March 2026

  • Available in opt‑in preview mode with no impact on existing systems.

• Spring Release – April 2026 (Production)

  • Available in production as an optional experience; you decide when to turn it on for your admins and users.

• Summer Release – 22 July 2026 (Global change)

  • New navigation becomes the standard experience for your platform.

  • The legacy admin menu will be fully retired and no longer available.

➡️ What this means for you:

• You can try and configure the new experience now in sandbox, then opt in on production any time between April and 22 July 2026.

• After 22 July 2026, everyone will use the new navigation and legacy admin will be removed.

⚙️ How to try & activate the New Admin Menu 

Everything you need is available directly from your platform UI:

1️⃣ Preview the new navigation in sandbox

As a Superadmin, you can enable preview mode just for yourself:

1. Log into your sandbox.

2. Open the Admin menu and look for the banner announcing the new navigation (for example: “The new navigation is here!” / “Try the new nav”).

3. Click Try the new navigation or Enter preview mode.

This turns the new navigation on only for your user, so you can safely explore without affecting other admins or learners.

To go back, use the Restore legacy navigation option from the same area or follow the steps in the New navigation interface help article.

2️⃣ Enabling for more admins and users

Once you’re comfortable with the new layout:

• Use the Feature controls page in the Admin menu to choose who gets the new experience:

  • Just Superadmins

  • Superadmins + Power Users

  • All users (including learners)

You can roll this out gradually (e.g. only Superadmins first, then Power Users, then everyone) any time between April and 22 July 2026.

During the opt‑in period, you can still revert to legacy navigation if needed for additional testing or change management.
 

✨ What’s changing in the Admin Menu

The New Admin Menu focuses on speed, clarity, and accessibility:

• Modern, streamlined layout

  • A cleaner header bar and user menu reduce visual clutter and keep key actions within easy reach.

• Clear, hierarchical admin menu

  • Admin pages are now organized into a logical hierarchy, so it’s much faster to find user management, content management, reporting, and configuration areas.

• Better separation of daily tasks vs configuration

  • Frequently used management tasks are surfaced, while more advanced platform configuration lives in a dedicated area, cutting down on clicks for common workflows.

• Harmony Search in the header

  • You can use Harmony Search in the header to find admin pages, configurations, courses, assets, and more and jump straight to them, including indexed admin menu items.

• Accessibility‑compliant navigation

  • The new navigation has been designed with accessibility and modern UX standards in mind.

💡 Practical tips & tricks

Here are some easy ways to support your teams before legacy admin is retired:

1. Run “before vs after” sessions in your timezone

   • Open sandbox (new nav) and production (legacy) side‑by‑side in a screenshare. Or have an incognito window and regular window if you do not have a sandbox!

   • Walk through your top 5–10 daily tasks (e.g. create user, enrol learners, run reports) and show where those are in the new menu.

2. Nominate “Champions”

   • Choose a few local Superadmins/Power Users to test first and collect feedback

3. Map your custom CSS early

   • If you use custom CSS on the header, breadcrumb, title bar, or menu, test it in sandbox with the new navigation to confirm everything still looks and behaves as expected.

4. Use Harmony Search as a safety net

   • Show admins how to type the name of a menu item or page into Harmony Search and jump directly there. This is especially helpful right after the switch, when people are still learning the new layout.

5. Create a simple “Top 10 Paths” cheat sheet

   • Build a quick table or PDF for your company listing:

     • Task → Legacy path → New path .Share this internally so admins can adapt quickly ahead of the July change.

🔗 Helpful resources to share with your teams

You can copy‑paste these directly into your own internal comms:

• Community: March 2026 – Live in your Sandbox (New Navigation)
  👉 March 2026: Live in your Sandbox
  Covers the New Navigation Experience, full timeline, and key notes (including CSS considerations).

• April 2026 product release page (New Admin Menu)
  👉 April 2026 Product Release: Learning Everywhere You Work
  Highlights the New Admin Menu, Feature Control, and other release features.

• New Navigation Interface – Help Centre
  👉 New navigation interface
  Step‑by‑step guidance on preview mode, enabling for different user groups, and restoring legacy navigation during the opt‑in period.

• Creating and managing users
  👉 Creating and managing users

• Managing advanced settings
  👉 Managing the platform advanced settings

• Introduction to pages and menus
  👉 Introduction to pages and menus

Feel free to reuse this post with your local teams to help them get ready for the new Admin Menu and the retirement of the legacy admin experience on 22 July 2026 💙

Are you using the new admin menu yet? If so, do you have any helpful tips to share? We would love to hear from you!