Want to know how to enable Microsoft Copilot for all of your Microsoft 365 apps, MS Teams, and more? We’ve got you covered. Copilot has come a long way since it was initially introduced by Microsoft in 2023. These days, it’s part of virtually every Microsoft product – including new PCs.
For the most part, enabling Microsoft Copilot is as simple as making sure you have the right license, and the latest version of whatever product you want to infuse with AI.
Since there are so many different versions of Microsoft Copilot available, including options for Microsoft Viva, Dynamics, Purview, and beyond, we’re going to give you a basic rundown of how to enable most of the Copilot features in your favorite apps.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Microsoft Copilot? An Introduction
Before we discuss how to enable Microsoft Copilot, let’s start with a quick overview.
Microsoft Copilot, or just “Copilot,” is the AI assistant designed to support users throughout the Microsoft ecosystem.
It was developed using the latest version of the OpenAI LLM technology and allows professionals to bring generative AI into their everyday workflows. When Microsoft introduced Copilot, the tech giant promised to integrate it into virtually every aspect of its technology stack.
Copilot is generally available for Microsoft 365 apps, Dynamics 365, and Windows. There’s also the dedicated “Copilot” solution (previously Bing Chat/ Bing Chat Enterprise). Plus, Microsoft has Copilot solutions for sales and service teams, security teams, and Microsoft Viva.
There’s even the Microsoft Copilot Studio you can use to customize your Copilot experience. You don’t need to use Copilot in all of your Microsoft apps, but Microsoft has highlighted how valuable the tool can be.
According to its Work Trend Index, 77% of people using Copilot feel more productive, and 68% believe it improves the quality of their work. Copilot can even help employees complete tasks up to 29% faster than usual.
The Microsoft Copilot Lineup: Copilot Options
One point worth noting if you’re learning how to enable Microsoft Copilot is that there are multiple “types” of Copilot available. The core “Microsoft Copilot” solution is now the name used for the service previously known as Bing Chat. This generative AI chatbot can help users with tasks like coding, finding answers to questions, generating images, and writing emails.
It’s built into the Microsoft Edge browser automatically, so you don’t need to do anything to enable it, except for ensuring you have the latest version of the browser.
The other Copilots in the lineup span Microsoft’s various applications and tools, offering specific services and features. Current options include:
The Main Copilots:
- Windows Copilot: An AI assistant streamlining tasks related to PC settings and web browsing. It can turn on your computer’s dark room, organize windows, help you shop for products, and assist with internet browsing via Microsoft Edge.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot: Released fully in November 2023, Copilot for Microsoft 365 brings generative AI to all your Microsoft apps, such as Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Word. It can summarize and draft emails, generate Python visualizations in Excel, and optimize digital workflows.
- Security Copilot: Microsoft’s AI tool for security workflows, integrated with the company’s existing security resources like Microsoft Sentinel, Intune, and Defender Threat Intelligence. It helps companies track and respond to cyberattacks with efficiency.
- Dynamics 365 Copilot and Copilot for Sales and Service: Microsoft’s complete range of copilot tools for customer-facing businesses. Dynamics 365 Copilot integrates with your CRM and ERP systems. The Copilots for sales and service offer intelligent tools to support teams in their day-to-day workflows.
- Copilot in Viva: Microsoft’s Copilot integration in the Viva Engagement platform. It’s built on the same system as Microsoft Copilot 365 and includes integration with the Microsoft Graph. It can suggest OKRs in Viva Goals, help users create posts on Viva Engage, and more.
How to Enable Microsoft Copilot: Licensing
The first step in enabling virtually any Copilot version is ensuring you have the right license. Some versions of Copilot are free to use. You can access a free version of Copilot via the Edge browser, online, through a web or mobile app, and in Windows.
If you have the latest version of Windows, you should be able to see the Copilot tab at the bottom of your screen on the right-hand side of your dashboard menu.
Other versions of Copilot, however, have an additional cost. The Copilot Pro plan for individual users costs $20 per month and can be added to a Microsoft 365 family or personal subscription. Alternatively, the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription costs $30 per month per user.
Then, there are specific fees for other Copilot tools. For instance, Copilot for Sales, Copilot for Service, and the Security version of Copilot all have their own licensing costs. You can find our complete guide to Copilot pricing here.
How to Enable Microsoft Copilot for Windows and Edge
Learning how to enable Microsoft Copilot for Windows and Edge is straightforward enough. You don’t need to pay anything for these tools. Really, all you need to do is ensure you have the latest version of Windows installed on your device and the latest Edge browser.
Once you have the latest version of Edge, you can find the Copilot tab on your browser next to the “…” button. On Windows, the Copilot icon will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen. You can also search for Copilot or use the “Ctrl+C” shortcut.
With Windows Copilot, you can access all of the features you love on Windows, from copy/paste to snap assist and snipping tools. However, you can also ask Windows Copilot various questions and request support with multiple tasks.
With Edge, you can use Copilot to help you browse the internet or surface information in response to a specific question. Notably, there is a slightly different process if you’re enabling Windows Copilot for Business users.
To enable Microsoft Copilot for Windows in a managed environment, administrators must enable features within “temporary enterprise control” for those devices. You must verify that user accounts have the right “chat provider platform” configured in Windows (Bing Chat).
Plus, you’ll need to apply a policy to enable features via temporary enterprise control for managed clients. This means setting the group policy to enable features via serving that are off by default and making CSP updates. You can find information on how to do this here.
You may also need to enable optional updates for the Copilot service. Once a managed device installs the 23H2 update, the “temporary enterprise control” feature will disappear. This will allow Copilot on Windows by default for all devices.
How to Enable Microsoft Copilot 365
Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 was one of the first innovations to be revealed by the tech giant. Microsoft described it as the most advanced productivity tool on the planet.
As mentioned above, you can access Microsoft Copilot 365 through a Copilot Pro plan as an individual or the Microsoft Copilot 365 plan for businesses. The business version comes with some extra features, like advanced security.
Here’s what Microsoft Copilot can do in your productivity apps:
- Word: Microsoft Copilot can help summarize, draft, and revise documents in Word. It can also offer helpful suggestions to improve your writing.
- Excel: In Excel, Copilot can help users gain new insights, create appealing data visualizations, detect patterns, and create Python workflows.
- PowerPoint:PowerPoint’s copilot feature can transform ideas into full presentations with natural language instructions. It can also summarize lengthy presentations.
- Outlook: Copilot for Outlook can help align and organize your inbox. It can also summarize conversations and provide response suggestions.
- Power Platform: Microsoft Copilot can help developers prototype and create low-code applications with automation and guidelines in the Power Platform.
How to Enable Microsoft Copilot: Prerequisites for 365 Apps
To enable Microsoft Copilot for 365 apps, you’ll need the add-on license mentioned above and an accompanying Microsoft 365 plan. Approved plans include Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Basic, Standard and Premium. You’ll also need access to the Microsoft Admin Center, SharePoint Admin Center, and Microsoft Purview portal to use certain features.
Other prerequisites include:
- Microsoft Entra IDs: All users should have a Microsoft Entra (Azure Active Directory) ID configurable via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- OneDrive accounts: Users will need a OneDrive account to access all the features of Microsoft 365 Copilot, such as tools for sharing and saving files.
- App accounts: To use Microsoft 365 Copilot with Teams, Microsoft Loop, or Outlook, users will need an account on all apps. Users also need the new version of Outlook.
- Microsoft Whiteboard: To use Copilot features in Microsoft Whiteboard for Teams, admins must configure whiteboard access for tenants.
- Network configuration: From a Network perspective, Copilot services will connect to endpoints contained in the Microsoft 365 endpoint taxonomy. Microsoft recommends ensuring your network aligns with the Microsoft 365 connectivity principles outlined here for minimal latency.
Assigning Licenses for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Once you have the right subscriptions and follow the prerequisites above, you can assign licenses for Copilot to Microsoft 365 users on your tenant. You can assign licenses to users as you add them to your Microsoft Admin interface, following these instructions.
Within the admin interface, go to Billing > Licenses and select Microsoft 365 Copilot to assign licenses to users and manage their access.
If you’re a PowerShell user, you can assign licenses to user accounts with PowerShell too. After a user is assigned a license for Microsoft 365 Copilot, the experience will begin automatically appearing in Microsoft apps.
Once you’ve assigned licenses, Copilot should automatically appear for your users on various apps. For instance, a dialog box will appear when users create a new document in Word. Elsewhere, users should be able to find Copilot in the app’s menu ribbon.
Keep in mind, as an admin, you can also access usage reports to get an overview of how team members are using the app. The complete reports are available in the Microsoft 365 admin center via “Reports” and “Usage.”
Accessing Copilot on Microsoft 365 Apps
Microsoft Copilot is already integrated into Microsoft 365 apps for some users. However, if you haven’t been able to access the features yet, you may need to update your Microsoft applications.
Once updated, you can switch on Copilot in any Microsoft 365 apps mentioned above. Just look for the Copilot icon, usually in the ribbon menu for your app.
