How to Disable Concealed User Information for Reports in Microsoft 365
By default, Microsoft 365 hides user, group, and site names in the admin reports, showing generic labels like “User 1” instead of real accounts. That anonymity is privacy-friendly, but it makes reports useless for a security team that needs to know exactly who is doing what. In this guide you will learn how to disable concealed user information so the Microsoft 365 reports show real names, what the change affects, and how to verify it took effect.
What “concealed user information” means
The Reports privacy setting controls whether usage reports display actual user, group, and site names. When enabled, every identity is replaced with a placeholder. Disabling the concealment makes the real names appear, which is often necessary for IT and security reporting, at the cost of exposing usage details to everyone with report access.
Turn it off in the admin center
The toggle lives in the organization settings, under the Reports service. It applies tenant-wide and to all administrators who open the reports.
Verify the change took effect
Reports are generated on a schedule, so the change may not be visible instantly. Open a recent usage report and confirm the user column now shows real accounts instead of placeholders.
Frequently asked questions
Who can change this setting?
Only users with an administrator role that can edit organization settings can change it, typically Global Administrators. Regular users cannot alter report privacy.
Does the setting affect all report viewers?
Yes, it is tenant-wide. Everyone with access to the reports sees either the concealed or the real names, depending on the single toggle.
Can I re-enable concealment later?
Yes. Return to the same setting and tick the checkbox again. New reports will hide names; existing report exports already downloaded are not retracted.
Does disabling concealment reveal user data to regular employees?
Only to people who already have permission to view the admin reports. The change does not expand report access; it changes what names those reports display.
How long until the change is visible?
Reports are refreshed on a schedule, usually within 24 hours. Check an already-generated report first; a brand-new report will pick up the toggle on the next refresh.