Metastore-level ABAC policies are in Beta
Metastore-level ABAC policies are in Beta in Unity Catalog. You can now attach an ABAC policy (row filter, column mask, GRANT, or DENY) at the metastore level, so a single policy applies across every catalog in the metastore, including catalogs created later.
Also shipped Sep 17, 2026Databricks in September 2026 →
You can add unit tests to pipelines to validate your SQL transformation logic against mock datasets
You can add unit tests to pipelines to validate your SQL transformation logic against mock datasets. Unit tests for pipelines are generally available (GA).
HTML generation in Snowflake CoWork (Preview)
HTML generation is now available in preview as part of document generation in Snowflake CoWork. You can ask Snowflake CoWork to generate an HTML file from your analysis, the same way you generate a PDF or PowerPoint. Generation requires the Cortex Agent code execution tool on the associated agent.
Snowpark Container Services backup instance types (General availability)
Backup instance types for Snowpark Container Services compute pools are now generally available and are no longer in Preview .
Spanner queues are generally available (GA)
Spanner queues are generally available (GA) . Spanner queues provide transactional messaging to help you manage asynchronous work. The feature pairs this capability with the scalability and reliability of Spanner, letting you build event-driven applications. For more information, see the Spanner queues overview .
Gemini Omni Flash supports stateful and streaming video generation (Preview)
Gemini Omni Flash supports stateful ( store: true ) and server-sent event (SSE) streaming ( stream: true ) video generation in the Interactions API in Preview . You can temporarily store generated videos and interaction state on the server, stream status updates and final outputs over an SSE connection, or retrieve completed asynchronous interactions using...
Gemini Enterprise: Voice input for the chat box
You can speak your queries and prompts to Gemini Enterprise. Use the microphone button to record your voice, review and edit the transcribed text, and then submit the text. This feature is generally available (GA).
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VARIANT cast extends to ARRAY and MAP columns in ABAC column masks
You can now use a single VARIANT function to mask columns of type ARRAY and MAP , in addition to STRUCT and other types. This requires Databricks Runtime 19 or above. See Masking multiple column types with a single function .
The READ METADATA privilege will soon be available by default for workspaces with the compliance security profile enabled
The READ METADATA privilege will be available by default for workspaces with the compliance security profile enabled in mid-October 2026. READ METADATA grants read-only visibility into an object's metadata, including security-sensitive information that BROWSE doesn't expose, such as privilege grants, row filters and column masks, and ABAC policies.
Sharing foreign Delta tables with OpenSharing is now generally available
Sharing and reading foreign Delta tables with OpenSharing is now generally available. Providers can share Delta-format tables federated from OneLake, a Hive metastore, or AWS Glue, without copying data into Databricks. See Add foreign Delta tables to a share .
Data Classification now scans Unity Catalog views (Beta)
Data Classification can now scan Unity Catalog views in addition to tables, classifying columns for sensitive data using the same detection engine. This is a Beta feature. See Classify views .
Invite OpenSharing recipients by email (Beta)
You can now invite OpenSharing recipients by email instead of exchanging a sharing identifier or credential file. OpenSharing emails the recipient a secure activation link to connect and read the shared data. Email sharing is in Beta . See OpenSharing by email .
Scalar and Batch Unity Catalog Python UDFs are now generally available
Scalar and Batch Unity Catalog Python UDFs are now generally available on all supported compute types. This release adds named handlers for row-at-a-time scalar UDFs, removes the five-UDF-call-per-query limit, and aligns scalar TIMESTAMP inputs with PySpark behavior.
Scala UDFs can access Unity Catalog secrets
Session-scoped and Unity Catalog Scala UDFs can now access secrets managed in Unity Catalog. Session-scoped UDFs use the caller's permissions. A Unity Catalog Scala UDF declares secrets in its SECRETS clause and uses the function owner's permissions, so callers do not need direct access to the secrets.
Time travel queries now enforce ABAC policies (Beta)
This feature is in Beta . Starting in Databricks Runtime 19, you can use time travel on qualifying Unity Catalog managed tables while enforcing ABAC row filter and column mask policies. See Time travel with ABAC policies .