Copilot for Microsoft 365 Not Showing in Outlook: Steps to Resolving The Issue
With the proper subscription, Copilot should be available in the home tab of Microsoft 365 tools like Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams for both the web and desktop versions.
That’s why it can be frustrating when you think the AI-powered capabilities of Copilot are just a click away before you realize that you can’t find the button to access them.
In this blog, we will show you the steps to finding and enabling missing Copilot buttons in tools like Outlook and other Microsoft 365 apps. Note: I reference Outlook in this blog, but you can use these steps to find the missing Copilot button in any Microsoft 365 app.
Step 1: Ensure you are using the “New Outlook” experience
If you plan on using Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook, ensure you are on the "New Outlook" experience. This version includes several updated features and improvements, including access to AI-powered capabilities such as Copilot. If you use an older version of Outlook, you may not see the Copilot button.
Step 2: Ensure You Are Using the Right Account
The first way to find the Copilot button is to find out if you are using the correct account, as there is the potential you are using a personal account and not a work account. You should ensure you are signed into a Microsoft 365 account with a Copilot license. This could include:
- Home users with a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription or Copilot Pro.
- Business users with a Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, E5, or F3 subscription and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
You can find out which account is signed in by clicking on your name or icon in the web application or settings in the desktop application at the top of the screen.
Access settings in the Outlook desktop app
Access Settings for Outlook for the web
Next Steps: It Depends on Your Setup
What you will do next depends on whether you are set up on Windows, Mac, or the Web. Let’s look at all three:
Windows
- Step 3 – Ensure You Are On the Latest Build: Make sure you are on the latest version and install an office update if needed.
- Step 4 – Refresh your license: Go to File > Account in Word or Excel. Then, select “Update License.” Finally, close and restart all Microsoft 365 apps you might have to open so that the license refresh can take effect.
- Note: This option might not be in Outlook. If you can't find it in Outlook, open another M365 app, like Teams or Excel, and you should be able to do it there.
- Step 5 (for business users) – Ensure you are on the Current or Monthly Enterprise Channel: If you use a Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel of Microsoft 365, some Copilot features won’t be available in your apps. You must switch to the Current Channel or the Monthly Enterprise Channel to enable these features. Talk to your internal or external technical support team if you need help switching to one of the proper channels. If you can check to see if you are on the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel yourself, follow these steps:
- Open any Microsoft 365 Application
- Select File > Account
- Look for the Product Information section. If you see Enterprise Channel, it means your organization is using that channel.
- Step 6 – Check Your Privacy Settings: Two settings can cause Copilot to not appear in Outlook. First, confirm that Experiences that analyze your content is turned on. Note: Your organization might manage these settings. If so, you may need to check to ensure privacy settings include Copilot enablement. Then scroll down to turn on "All Connected Experiences". You can do this by following these steps:
- Open the Microsoft 365 application where you want to find Copilot (We recommend using Word or Excel)
- Select File > Account
- Under Account Privacy, select Manage Settings
Mac
- Step 3 – Ensure you are on the latest build: If you downloaded a Microsoft 365 app from the Mac App Store, you can turn automatic updates on to avoid this issue altogether. You can learn more here about manually updating the app.
- Step 4 – Refresh your license: In Outlook, click on the app name at the top of the screen, then follow these steps:
- Select About [App Name]
- Select More info…
- Select Refresh License
- Close any open documents and restart all Microsoft 365 apps you have open so the license refresh can happen.
- Step 5 – Check your privacy settings: This is very similar to the steps in the Windows section, except instead of going to “File > Account”, you will click on the app name and then navigate to Preferences > Privacy. Then, you can ensure that the two settings listed in the previous section are turned on.
Web
- Step 3 – Refresh the page: For Outlook on the web, all you have to do is refresh the page you are on once you confirm that you are using the account provisioned for Copilot. If that still doesn’t work, you might have third-party cookies blocked in your browser, which means Copilot can’t validate your license. Try enabling third-party cookies to see if that works. Learn more about validation errors here.
Talk to the Stoneridge Team Today to Learn More About Microsoft 365 Copilot
If you continue to have issues finding the Copilot button or want to learn about how this AI-powered tool can boost productivity, our team of experts can help.
Reach out to our team today to optimize your AI and Copilot investment!
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