Microsoft 365 Copilot Explained: What It Is, How to Use It and What’s Changing

Microsoft is increasingly positioning Microsoft 365 Copilot as the central AI assistant for its productivity ecosystem. The platform combines AI-powered assistance with Microsoft 365 apps and services, helping users create content, summarise information, analyse files and complete everyday tasks from a unified interface.

What Is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft 365 Copilot is Microsoft's AI-powered productivity assistant designed to work alongside services such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneDrive. Depending on the account and subscription, users can use Copilot to draft documents, summarise emails, analyse files, generate presentations, brainstorm ideas and search for information.

For eligible work and school accounts, Microsoft 365 Copilot can also work with organisational data that the user has permission to access. This allows employees to find information across emails, chats, documents and other Microsoft 365 content without manually searching through multiple applications.

How to Use Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Users can access Microsoft 365 Copilot through the web or its dedicated app on Windows, iOS and Android. After signing in with a Microsoft account, users can open Copilot Chat and enter a natural-language prompt.

For example, users can ask Copilot to summarise a document, rewrite an email, create a presentation outline or analyse information from a file. Users can also provide files as context to get more relevant responses.

Depending on the account and licence, the Microsoft 365 Copilot app can provide access to features such as Chat, Library, Search, Create, Agents and Notebooks.

What Can Microsoft 365 Copilot Do?

Microsoft 365 Copilot can assist with several everyday productivity tasks, including:

• Drafting and rewriting documents
• Summarising emails and meetings
• Creating presentations
• Analysing files and information
• Brainstorming ideas
• Generating content and images
• Searching for information
• Creating and using AI agents
• Organising information in Copilot Notebooks

Its biggest advantage is integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, allowing users to use AI without constantly switching between separate applications.

Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft's Copilot branding can be confusing because there are different Copilot experiences.

Microsoft Copilot is primarily positioned as an AI companion for everyday use, while Microsoft 365 Copilot focuses on productivity and integration with Microsoft 365 applications and services.

Microsoft has been consolidating these experiences and making Copilot a more prominent part of its applications. The Microsoft 365 app has also evolved into the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, putting AI assistance at the centre of the experience.

What Has Changed in Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft is moving the Microsoft 365 Copilot app towards a more AI-first experience, particularly on mobile. Some traditional productivity functions are being shifted to dedicated applications.

For example, users may be directed to Word, Excel or PowerPoint when they want to edit files, while OneDrive remains the primary destination for browsing and managing files. Users can still search for and preview content through the Copilot app, depending on their subscription.

Microsoft is also reshaping its wider Copilot ecosystem by retiring certain consumer features.

The Deep Research feature is being retired from the consumer Copilot experience on August 18, 2026. Existing research results will remain accessible, while eligible Microsoft 365 users can use Microsoft's Researcher experience for more advanced research tasks.

The Podcasts feature is also scheduled to be retired on August 18. Users will no longer be able to create or access podcasts through the feature after the deadline.

Is Microsoft 365 Copilot Worth Using?

For Microsoft 365 users, Copilot can be a useful productivity tool because it integrates AI directly into the services they already use. Its ability to work with documents, emails, presentations and other files can reduce repetitive tasks and simplify workflows.

However, available features vary depending on the user's Microsoft account, subscription and licence. Users should therefore check which Copilot features are included with their specific plan.

Overall, Microsoft 365 Copilot is becoming a central part of Microsoft's productivity strategy, with the company increasingly using AI as a gateway for creating, finding and managing information across its ecosystem.