The State of Intune 2026 survey from Recast Software asked 890 IT professionals what life with Microsoft Intune actually looks like in 2026. The results are surprisingly consistent with what most experienced admins already feel: satisfaction is high, but manual work and hybrid complexity still dominate day-to-day operations.
What Is the State of Intune 2026 Survey?
The State of Intune 2026 report is based on responses from 890 IT professionals across North America, Europe, and other regions. It examines Intune adoption, satisfaction, operational challenges, application management, automation maturity, and the reality of hybrid environments.
Full report source: Recast Software – State of Intune 2026 Survey Results
Key takeaway: Most organizations like Intune, but they are still spending significant time on repetitive manual tasks and are stuck in the messy middle between Intune and Configuration Manager.
Key Findings from the State of Intune 2026 Report
Here are the most important numbers:
- 81% of respondents are somewhat or very satisfied with Microsoft Intune.
- 83% say they are confident troubleshooting issues in the platform.
- 65% spend between 6 and 15 hours per week on manual tasks (packaging, patching, troubleshooting, reporting).
- 62% of organizations still manage endpoints with both Intune and Configuration Manager.
- Only 15% are fully Intune-only.
Despite high satisfaction scores, the operational reality remains grinding for many teams.
Biggest Challenges in Intune Environments
Application lifecycle management remains the biggest pain point:
- 37% named application packaging and deployment as their top Intune challenge.
- 33% said third-party patching is their biggest problem.
These two areas consistently consume the most time and carry the highest risk. Third-party patching in particular is highlighted as a growing security concern, as manual or slow processes create opportunities for malicious or AI-generated packages to slip through. See our guide to Intune patch management for a breakdown of WinGet vs. curated third-party solutions.
The Hybrid Reality: Intune + ConfigMgr
The survey confirms what many MSPs and enterprise teams already know: the transition to Intune is rarely clean or complete.
62% of organizations are still running hybrid setups. Only 15% have gone fully cloud-native with Intune. This “messy middle” creates extra work around co-management, dual scan behavior, policy conflicts, and reporting.
For MSPs managing multiple clients, this hybrid state is often permanent rather than transitional.
Manual Work Still Dominates Daily Operations
Even with high satisfaction, teams are burning significant hours on tasks that should be more automated:
- Application packaging and deployment
- Third-party patching
- Troubleshooting and support
- Reporting and compliance
The survey shows that 65% of teams spend 6–15 hours per week on these manual activities. This is time that could otherwise go toward strategic projects or reducing risk.
What This Means for IT Teams and MSPs
The State of Intune 2026 results reinforce several practical realities:
- High satisfaction does not equal low operational overhead.
- Application packaging and third-party patching are the two areas where teams still feel the most pain.
- Hybrid environments are not going away quickly — they may be the new normal for many organizations.
- Automation and better tooling in the packaging and patching space deliver both efficiency and security benefits.
For MSPs, this data is useful when talking to clients about where time is really being spent and where investing in better processes or tools makes the strongest business case. Our post on Intune patch management explores practical options for addressing one of the top challenges identified in the survey.
The full State of Intune 2026 survey results from Recast are available on their site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the State of Intune 2026 report?
It is a survey conducted by Recast Software of 890 IT professionals examining real-world experiences with Microsoft Intune, including adoption, challenges, satisfaction, and the prevalence of hybrid management.
How many people responded to the State of Intune 2026 survey?
890 IT professionals from around the world participated in the survey.
What are the biggest challenges according to the survey?
Application packaging and deployment (37%) and third-party patching (33%) were the top two reported challenges.
Are most organizations fully on Intune yet?
No. Only 15% are fully Intune-only. 62% are still running a hybrid environment with both Intune and Configuration Manager.